June 29, 2009

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - The Navy women's lacrosse team landed five student-athletes onto the 2009 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.

Three of the Midshipmen's top-four scorers are included amongst the list of honorees led by Erin Rawlick (Forest Hill, Md.), the Patriot League's leading point-getter in each of the last two seasons and a pair of two-time selections in Mary Ruttum (Annapolis, Md.) and Katrina Nietsch (New Canaan, Conn.).

Recent graduate and first-year defender Kristen Laraway (Long Valley, N.J.), twice an academic honor roll recipient during her women's soccer career, and freshman Laura Nevin (Hampstead, Md.) rounded out the Navy contingent.

Rawlick, an international relations major, posted a 3.59 grade-point average during the spring. On the field, she continued to solidify her status as one of the most prolific scorers in the nearly two-decade long history of the Patriot League. A two-time first-team all-league selection, Rawlick paced the conference in scoring with 92 points (55 g, 37 a) in '09, the third-highest total in conference history and the sixth-most nationally.

Ruttum, a systems engineering major, earned honor roll kudos for a second year in a row after producing a 3.76 GPA during the spring semester. The rising senior attacker came on strong down the stretch of the '09 season, putting together her second-consecutive 30-goal season and finishing third on the team with 43 points.

A two-time Second-Team All-Patriot League midfielder, Nietsch posted a 3.25 grade-point average during the spring semester while majoring in quantitative economics. She enjoyed a productive year on the field, registering 36 points (26 g, 10 a) and finishing seventh in the league in goals per game (2.0 goals/gm) despite having her season cut short due to a knee injury.

In her first season playing lacrosse, Laraway was a major reason why the Mids ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense (allowing 8.83 goals per contest) come season's end. She started 13 games and was one of three Navy players to earn Patriot League All-Tournament honors.

She earned a 3.27 GPA during the spring semester and graduated in May with a degree in international relations and was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy, where she is currently serving on the USS Cleveland LPD-7 in San Diego.

Nevin proved up to the challenge in her first year at the Academy, posting a 3.69 grade-point average as a chemistry major. She played in 17 games, earned eight starts and played a valuable role as a rookie defender.

To be eligible for the honor roll, student-athletes must have attained a minimum grade-point average of 3.20 during the spring semester and earned a varsity letter in one of the Patriot League's winter or spring championship sports. Student-athletes representing all four classes are eligible for the award.

## GO NAVY! ##