University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Lacrosse Earns IWLCA Honors
05/25/2006 | Women's Lacrosse
May 25, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Following the conclusion of the Richmond lacrosse program's best season ever, four Spiders were named to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Division I All-Regional Team. Freshman Mandy Friend and senior Caroline McGuire were named to the South Region first team, while teammates Ashley Friend and Jackie Swansburg were selected to the second team.
McGuire, who was recently recognized in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd, earned first team honors after another standout season for the Spiders, where she led the team with 59 goals, 56 ground balls, 48 draw controls, 12 hat tricks, and two six-goal performances.
The native of Darien, Conn. swept numerous awards and accolades throughout the season, including being named the A-10 Championships Most Outstanding Performer, being selected to the All-Conference First Team and named the leagues' Offensive Player of the Year.
Additionally, she was named the A-10 Player of the Week on Mar. 13 and earned an Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week honorable mention and a spot on the womenslacrosse.com honor roll once this season.
McGuire concluded her statistically decorated career at Richmond by setting four new program records, including the most career goals (141) and draw controls (115) and the most goals (59) and draw controls (48) in a single season. She also ranks third for points in a single season (68) and fourth for points in a career (146) and finished third in the league for shots (7.05/g), fourth for goals (2.95/g), and fifth for points (3.40/g) and draw controls (2.40/g). She also finished 20th in the NCAA for goals (2.95/g).
Mandy Friend was also selected to the first team after an amazing rookie season where she followed McGuire with 53 goals, 23 assists, 48 draw controls, and four game-winning goals. The attack from Canandaigua, N.Y., posted 11 hat tricks on the year, including one over No. 2 Duke and No. 6 Maryland, as well as two five-goal games.
Her 76 points on the season set a new Richmond record for the most points in a season, while her 48 draw controls ties with McGuire in setting a new single season record as well and her 53 goals ranking her second in the program record book for the most goals in a single season.
Friend also garnered many awards throughout the season, including being named to the A-10 Championship Team, the A-10 All-Conference First Team and All-Rookie Team, in addition to being honored as an Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week (April 4) and the A-10 Rookie of the Year.
The five-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week finished second in the A-10 for game-winning goals (4), third for points (3.80/g), fifth for goals (2.65/g) and draw controls (2.40/g), sixth for assists (1.15/g) and ninth for shots (5.60/g).
Selected to the IWLCA South Region second team were junior midfielder Ashley Friend and senior goalkeeper Jackie Swansburg.
Ashley Friend, sister to Mandy and also a native of Canandaigua, N.Y., is an A-10 All-Conference first team honoree, a one-time A-10 Player of the Week, a member of the A-10 Championship Team, and Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention whose 47 goals on the season ranks her fourth in the Richmond record book for most goals in a season.
She recorded eight hat tricks throughout the season, including one in the Spiders' win over national runner-up Virginia, in which Friend scored the Spiders' last three goals to secure the one-goal victory. She also scored the game-winning goal at Duquesne in the last 25 seconds and posted three five-goal performances.
Swansburg, a native of Beverly, Mass., a member of the A-10 Championship Team, an A-10 All-Conference First Team Honoree, and one-time Player of the Week and one-time Inside Lacrosse honorable mention, concluded the season as the conference leader in saves, save percentage, and goals against average.
Additionally, she ranked fourth in the country in save percentage (.548) and seventh in GAA (8.05). Swansburg anchored her backline which, on seven occasions, held its opponents to five goals or less.
Richmond concluded the 2006 season with a 16-4 record, a program best 16 wins, an A-10 regular season title, an 11-game win streak earlier in the season, a five-week stint in the Top 10, and their second-straight A-10 Championship and NCAA appearance.