University of Richmond Athletics
Mandy Friend and Swansburg Headline Lacrosse A-10 All-Conference Teams
05/02/2007 | Women's Lacrosse
May 2, 2007
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond women's lacrosse team dominated the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Teams as six different Spiders received honors. Sophomore midfielder Mandy Friend was named the A-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year and senior goalkeeper Jackie Swansburg was dubbed Defensive Player of the Year in voting conducted among the Conference's head coaches.
Friend (Canandaigua, N.Y.) was selected to the All-Conference first team for the second-straight year and named the leagues' Co-Offensive Player of the Year after posting 51 goals and 15 assists leading the Spiders to their second-straight A-10 regular season title. The 2006 A-10 Rookie of the Year scored in all but one contest and recorded multiple goal performances in 14 games, including ten hat tricks, four five-goal performances and three game-winners.
In just her second season at Richmond, she already ranks sixth all-time in career points (142), seventh in assists (36) and eighth in goals scored (104), and she currently ranks 18th in the nation for goals/game. The sophomore recorded her 100th career goal in a win over St. Bonaventure (4/27), becoming one of only three active Division I lacrosse players to achieve the feat.
Friend adds this honor, which she shares with Katelynn Faas of St. Bonaventure, to a collection of awards, including being named the A-10 Player of the Week (2/26), being selected as one of just 34 players in the country named to The Tewaaraton Award Foundation's Spring 2007 Women's Preseason Watch List and selected to the Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American second team.
Swansburg, a fifth-year senior goalkeeper who has started every game over the last three seasons, earns first-team honors for the second-straight year after recording 148 saves to lead the A-10 in save percentage (.523) and GAA (8.00), which also ranks 7th and 9th in the nation, respectively.
A native of Beverly, Mass., Swansburg has made double-digit saves in six games, three of which were against Top 10 opponents, and limited three opponents to four goals or less. The Spiders' co-captain was named A-10 Player of the Week on March 12.
Joining Friend and Swansburg on the All-Conference first-team were Ashley Friend and Megan Riedy, as well as Allison Furstenburg receiving second team honors.
Ashley Friend, a midfielder out of Canandaigua, N.Y., was selected to the first team for the second consecutive year after a standout senior year in which she scored in all but two games, putting in multiple-goal performances in nine contests, including six hat tricks for a total of 33 goals, a team-best 16 assists and 49 points. The co-captain put in a career-high eight points off a career-high six goals and two assists in the Spiders' senior day win over Duquesne (4/27), earning her A-10 Player of the Week and womenslacrosse.com honorable mention (4/30) honors.
An integral member of the Spider offense, she also scored the game-tying goal in the final 25 seconds, as well as the game-winner in the first sudden-death overtime period in the win over William & Mary (3/4). The Inside Lacrosse preseason All-American has started every game of her collegiate career and will conclude her career in the top five for career goals (130), assists (37) and points (167).
Riedy (Ellicott City, Md.), a senior co-captain who has started all but one game of her collegiate career, serves as one of the Spiders' top mark-down defenders, possessing dominate speed in the transitional game. She closed out the season with four assists, 15 ground balls, 15 draw controls and six caused turnovers.
Furstenburg was named to the second team after posting 42 goals and 13 assists, scoring in all but three games for the Spiders, with multiple goals in 12 games, including eight hat tricks. A sophomore transfer from Syracuse, Furstenburg recorded a team-best seven goals and two assists against Virginia Tech (2/18). She was named A-10 Player of the Week (4/2).
Claire Cunniff, a junior attack from Catonsville, Md., was selected to the Academic All-Conference Team for the second-straight year. A Biology major, Cunniff has made the Dean's list for five semesters and notched 10 goals, added two assists and recorded one hat trick this season.
The Spiders will continue action this weekend as they go for their third consecutive A-10 title in Philadelphia, Pa. and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Live coverage will be available at RichmondSpiders.com.
