University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Lacrosse Dominates VaSID Teams; Murphy Dubbed Coach Of The Year
06/22/2006 | Women's Lacrosse
June 22, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - After soaring through its best season ever, the No. 11 University of Richmond women's lacrosse team dominated the VaSID Teams as six different Spiders received honors and head coach Sue Murphy was honored as the Coach of the Year in voting conducted by Sports Information Directors across Virginia.
Seniors Caroline McGuire and Jackie Swansburg, sophomore Samantha Tract, and freshman Mandy Friend were each named to the VaSID first team, while juniors Ashley Friend and Megan Riedy were both selected to the second team.
McGuire, an IWLCA/US Lacrosse Third Team All-American and IWLCA All-Regional first team honoree who was recognized in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd, led the Spiders with 59 goals, 56 ground balls, 48 draw controls, 12 hat tricks, and two six-goal performances.
The midfielder from Darien, Conn. was named the A-10 Championships Most Outstanding Performer and the leagues' Offensive Player of the Year, was selected to the All-Conference first team, earned A-10 Player of the Week and Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week honorable mention honors 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, also an IWLCA/US Lacrosse Third Team All-American and Rookie All-American and IWLCA All-Regional first team honoree, had 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).
Tract, a native of Wayne, Pa. and an A-10 first team honoree, served as the Spiders' top mark-down defender and recorded 26 caused turnovers and 30 ground balls on the season. She was a key part of a defense that, on average, allowed only 8.05 goals per game, and on seven occasions, held opponents to five goals or less.
Swansburg, a goalkeeper from Beverly, Mass., a member of the IWLCA All-Regional second team, A-10 Championship Team, and A-10 All-Conference First Team, and a one-time Player of the Week and one-time Inside Lacrosse honorable mention honoree, 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.
Ashley Friend, a midfielder out of Canandaigua, N.Y., is an IWLCA All-Regional second team and 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 honoree 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.
Riedy, a native of Ellicott City, Md., recorded three goals, added one assist, and recorded 17 ground balls, 15 draw controls, and eight caused turnovers. The third team pre-season All-American and A-10 honorable mention honoree played a vital role in the Spiders' backline.
Murphy, who just concluded her fifth year with the Spiders with a 54-34 mark in that span, was honored by VaSID as Coach of the Year after carrying the Spiders to their highest national ranking and through their best season ever, including capturing their first-ever regular season A-10 title after dominating the league with a 6-1 record, winning their second consecutive A-10 Championship en route to their second-straight NCAA appearance, and recording a program best 16 wins (16-4 mark on the season).
The Spiders' season was highlighted by a win over powerhouse Virginia, an 11-game win streak, and a five-week stint in the Top 10 where they spent one week at No. 10 and four weeks at No. 9. Murphy, who was also named the 2006 A-10 Coach of the Year, coached two All-Americans (Mandy Friend and McGuire) in 2006.