America East Releases Weekly Awards
from press release
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- The Great Danes swept the player and
defensive player of the week awards for the second straight week as
they remained undefeated in league play and entered the national
polls for the first time in program history with a ranking of 19th
in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.
Albany senior attacker Christine Grueniger (Lindenhurst,
N.Y./Lindenhurst) captured the Player of the Week Award, while
sophomore defender Stephanie Kempf (Wantagh, N.Y./Holy Trinity)
received the Defensive Player of the Week honor. University of New
Hampshire freshman midfielder Amber Casiano (South Windsor,
Conn./South Windsor) picked up her third straight Rookie of the
Week accolade to round out the conference's weekly awards for the
week ending April 25.
Last week's results set up pivotal match-ups for the regular-season
finales. The winner of Albany and Boston U. at John Fallon Field on
Saturday at 4 p.m. will earn the top seed for the upcoming 2010
America East Women's Lacrosse Championship on May 6 and 8, as well
as tournament hosting rights. UNH already clinched the third seed
for the tournament, but UMBC must win its final regular season game
at Binghamton to make it in as the fourth seed. With wins and some
additional help around the league, both Binghamton and Vermont are
both also alive for the fourth seed.
Grueniger kept her team in contention for the regular-season crown
with a difference-making second half against New Hampshire last
weekend. The senior attacker recorded three goals and one assist,
all in the final 30 minutes of action in Saturday's 13-12
come-from-behind victory over the Wildcats. Grueniger also won one
of her career-high seven draw controls after the game-tying goal
and then hit teammate Kayla Best cutting on the right side for the
gamewinner with 40 seconds remaining. Grueniger is tied for third
in America East with 14 goals in league play and is fourth with 34
overall. This is the third weekly honor of the season for
Grueniger.
Kempf led the Great Danes' defensive effort in their 13-12 victory
over the Wildcats on Saturday. The sophomore caused a career-high
four turnovers and won the draw control after her team took a 13-12
lead with 40 second remaining. Kempf added two ground balls, the
fifth time this season she has recorded multiple ground balls.
Albany's 12th victory of the season broke the program record,
established in 1998. It is also the Great Danes' most victories
(five) in America East play since joining the league in 2002.
Casiano completed the hat trick with her third straight weekly
award by virtue of a hat trick of three goals against the Great
Danes on Saturday. The rookie finished the game with four points,
also adding an assist, and one controlled draw. Casiano opened the
game scoring 19 seconds after the opening draw and set up the
team's third goal to propel the Wildcats to a 5-0 lead. In the
second half, both of her tallies lifted UNH into ties of 10-10 and
12-12. Casiano is averaging two goals per game in America East
play, tied for seventh in the conference.
Team Notebooks
No. 19 Albany (12-2, 5-0 AE) is tied for first place in the America
East standings following a 13-12 victory at New Hampshire on April
24... The Great Danes will meet Boston U. for the conference
regular-season title and the right to host the conference
postseason tournament on May 1 at John Fallon Field... The Terriers
have won all 11 meetings in the series... Albany came from behind
for the second straight game in the second half at UNH... Christine
Grueniger (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) had three goals and one
assist, all in the final period... The senior attack found a
cutting Kayla Best (Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland) on the right
side for the game-winning goal with 40 seconds remaining...
Grueniger moved to ninth in career scoring with 121 points and is
tied for seventh in goals (97)... The Great Danes established the
program's single-season record with their 12th win, breaking a mark
that was established in 1998... Albany has won five league games
for the first time since joining America East in 2002... The Great
Danes have won three one-goal decisions this season... Mel Rorie
(Lansdale, Pa./North) tallied three of her career-best four goals
in the second half at New Hampshire... Albany won for the first
time in six trips to UNH's Memorial Field... Rorie has scored four
goals in a game five times as a collegian, including twice against
New Hampshire... Olivia Jarem (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) had
a pair of first-half goals at UNH... Jarem has 23 points (19 G, 4
A) over her last seven games.
Binghamton women's lacrosse team (2-11, 1-4 AE) won the second
America East conference game in the program's nine year history,
dropping Stony Brook 12-10 on Saturday April 24 at the Bearcat
Sport Complex... Junior Ali Castiglie had five points in the win,
scoring two goals and dishing out three assists... Binghamton will
travel to Marist on Monday, April 26 before finishing up the season
at home on Saturday May 1 against UMBC at noon.
No. 20 Boston University (9-7, 5-0 AE) remained unbeaten in America
East play with a 19-8 win over Vermont on Saturday... The Terriers
have now won 28 straight games against America East opponents and
21 straight regular-season conference games... The Terriers won by
11 goals for the second straight game, the largest victory margin
of the season... Senior Xan Weitzel (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown)
matched a program record with seven assists in Saturday's game...
Senior McKinley Curro (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan) matched her career
high with six goals... Curro has now scored multiple goals in nine
straight games... Seniors Traci Landy (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) and
Jenny Taft (Edina, Minn./Edina) each netted hat tricks with Landy
adding two assists for a five-point day... The Terriers scored
their 19 goals off 20 shots on goal... Boston University's 19 goals
was the team's highest offensive output since a 19-5 win over
Binghamton on April 18 of last season... Senior Rachel Klein
(Forest Hill, Md./Roland Park) made eight saves in goal before
freshman Kim Elsworth (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Shenendehowa) took over
for the final 20 minutes and made a career-high three saves... This
week, the Terriers visit Albany on Saturday at 4 p.m. with the
regular-season title on the line... The Terriers have won the
regular-season title outright each of the last two seasons... The
Terriers are 11-0 against Albany all-time.
UMBC (9-6, 2-3 AE) was off last week... The Retrievers close out
the regular season on Sunday at America East rival Binghamton with
a trip to the America East Championship on the line... UMBC is in
search of its first berth in the conference tournament since
2006... The Retrievers' 9-6 record is their best through 15 games
since 2002, when they were 11-4... Five Retrievers have scored at
least 20 goals this season, the most to reach that mark since
2007... Junior attack Erika Braerman (Fallston, Md./Fallston) has
tallied at least one point in all 15 games this season... She and
sophomore attack Alicia Krause (Ellicott City, Md./Mount
Hebron/Duquesne) lead UMBC with eight multi-goal games, while
Braerman has posted a team-best 11 multi-point efforts... She leads
the Retrievers with 29 goals, 21 assists and 50 points... Her 21
helpers are tied for the fifth-most in a single season in UMBC
history... UMBC is averaging 12.12 goals per game this season, its
most since 2003... Senior goalie Kate Quick (Phoenix, Md./Maryvale
Prep) boasts an 8.78 GAA and a .459 save percentage with 106 stops
on the season... She also leads the Retrievers with 34 ground
balls, while freshman defender Jamie Fahey (Baldwin, Md./Loch
Raven) has 32 ground balls and a team-best 30 draw controls...
Junior defender C.J. Durham (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) leads UMBC
with 23 caused turnovers.
UNH (9-5, 3-2 AE) was edged 13-12 by Albany on Senior Day (April
24)... It marked the first loss this season when UNH: scored the
first goal; led at halftime; scored 10+ goals... The Wildcats went
6-2 at home this season... Despite the loss, UNH gained a berth in
the America East Championship tournament and will be the #3 seed...
It will be UNH's 13th consecutive America East tourney appearance,
which extends its league record... Amber Casiano (South Windsor,
Conn.) tallied career highs in goals (three) and points (four); she
has scored a goal in five consecutive games with four multiple-goal
efforts... Kate Keagins (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) extended her
goal-scoring streak to seven games with two vs. Albany... Shaunna
Kaplan (Framingham, Mass.) pushed her point-scoring streak to seven
games with a three-point effort (2g, 1a)... Kaplan has recorded 20+
goals and 20+ assists for the second consecutive year... In the
last five years, only one other Wildcat – current assistant
coach Katie Leland in '06 – has recorded 20+ goals and 20+
assists... After missing four games, Hayley Rausch (Severna Park,
Md./Severna Park) returned to action vs. Albany and scored a late
second-half goal... Eight Wildcats have recorded double digits in
goals... UNH has a 1-2 record in one-goal games this season.
Stony Brook (3-12, 1-5 AE) closed out the 2010 season with a 12-10
loss to Binghamton... Junior Samantha Djaha (East Islip, N.Y.) led
the Seawolves with three goals... Freshman Justyne Passarelli (Glen
Head, N.Y./North Shore) started all 15 games as a freshman... Seven
players finished with double-digit goals led by junior Melissa Cook
(Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore), who had 29... Cook is sixth all-time
in school history in goals (84) and points (117).
Vermont (4-10, 1-4 AE) dropped a 19-8 decision at No. 20 Boston
University in the lone game of the week for the Catamounts...
Junior Megan MacDonald (Wayland, Mass./Wayland) led UVM with four
points on a hat trick and an assist. She became the ninth Catamount
to reach the 100-point milestone and raised her career total to 104
points... UVM wraps up the regular season hosting New Hampshire on
May 1. Prior to the game the Catamounts will honor its senior
class.
