University of Richmond Athletics
Wright Named A-10 Women’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year
04/29/2021 | Women's Lacrosse
RICHMOND, Va. – University of Richmond senior Brittney Wright (Moorestown, N.J.) was named 2021 Atlantic 10 Women's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference First Team, as selected by A-10 coaches the league announced Thursday.
Sophomores Lindsey Frank (Gansevoort, N.Y.) and Jax Donohue (Amherst, N.H.)were Second Team honorees, while fellow sophomore Arden Tierney (Port Washington, N.Y.) and Frank were All-Rookie Team selections.
Graduate student Megan Gianforte (Brielle, N.J.), senior Rachel Ziemba (Cazenovia, N.Y.)and Tierney were named to the All-Academic Team, voted on by the A-10 Sports Information Directors.
Wright, Richmond's defensive leader and top match-up defender, started in all 11 contests this season. Her presence and lacrosse IQ has led Richmond to a #11 national ranking in scoring defense. She held GW's and VCU's top scorers to only two goals and two assists over three match-ups. Wright's defense limited Davidson's nationally ranked scoring offense (#15) to its second lowest output of the year and almost four goals lower than its season average in goals.
Frank leads the team in goals (34), points (45) and was 8 of 11 in free position goals in 11 games. She is also second in draw controls (50), third in ground balls (16), fourth in assists (11). In A-10 games, she leads the team in goals (21), points (25) and draw controls (31). Against nationally ranked UVA, she had four points on three goals and one assist. She posted career high five goals against William & Mary (2/27) and George Mason (4/25), as well as a season-high five assists on a career-high day in points (7 points on two goals, five assists) against Old Dominion (3/14). She is 18th nationally with a .607 shot percentage.
Donohue has been a critical member of Richmond's defensive unit by consistently limiting opponents' points leaders. In both of the Spider's matchups against VCU, Donohue held the Rams goal leader to just one goal. She also held George Mason's Erin Donoghue and Davidson's Gianna New to just a goal each. On the season Donohue has 20 ground balls, 9 caused turnovers and 12 draw controls. In six A-10 contest, she has 11 ground balls, eight draw controls and five caused turnovers. She collected a career-high four ground balls against nationally ranked UVA (2/19) and twice had a career high four draw controls in both games against George Mason.
Tierney, starting in all 11 games this season, paces the team with 57 draw controls, second in goals (22) and assists (16) and third in points (38) with 11 ground balls and two caused turnovers. She tallied at least two points in every game she appeared in with a season-high six points against Old Dominion (three goals, three assists). Against Davidson, she was crucial on the draw grabbing 11 draw controls. Tierney opened the season breaking the program single-game record with 13 draw controls against Radford, and reached her 100th career draw controls at VCU (4/16). She dished out a career-high four assists at GMU (4/18).
Ziemba, named UR's Scholar Athlete of the Year as the senior student-athlete with the top GPA earlier this week, was third on the team with 15 assists, including a single-game program record eight against GMU (4/25). She also has nine goals for 24 points, with six ground balls and one caused turnover. She will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Latin American, Latino and Iberian studies.
Gianforte, in 11 starts, went 10-1, making 78 saves for a .453 save percentage and allowed 94 goals for a 9.87 goal against average in 233 shots faced. She collected a season-high 13 saves at VCU (4/16). Gianforte also picked up 19 ground balls, with a season-high six ground balls against Davidson (4/23) and one caused turnover against UVA. She is second nationally with 643 career saves and 201 career ground balls among active NCAA Division I goalkeepers. Gianforte earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting last spring and will graduate with a Masters in Nonprofit Studies in May.
The top-seeded Spiders in the 2021 Atlantic 10 Women's Lacrosse Championship takes on the fourth seeded Saint Joseph's Friday at UMass' Garber Field. Opening draw is set for 12 p.m. on ESPN Plus.
Sophomores Lindsey Frank (Gansevoort, N.Y.) and Jax Donohue (Amherst, N.H.)were Second Team honorees, while fellow sophomore Arden Tierney (Port Washington, N.Y.) and Frank were All-Rookie Team selections.
Graduate student Megan Gianforte (Brielle, N.J.), senior Rachel Ziemba (Cazenovia, N.Y.)and Tierney were named to the All-Academic Team, voted on by the A-10 Sports Information Directors.
Wright, Richmond's defensive leader and top match-up defender, started in all 11 contests this season. Her presence and lacrosse IQ has led Richmond to a #11 national ranking in scoring defense. She held GW's and VCU's top scorers to only two goals and two assists over three match-ups. Wright's defense limited Davidson's nationally ranked scoring offense (#15) to its second lowest output of the year and almost four goals lower than its season average in goals.
Frank leads the team in goals (34), points (45) and was 8 of 11 in free position goals in 11 games. She is also second in draw controls (50), third in ground balls (16), fourth in assists (11). In A-10 games, she leads the team in goals (21), points (25) and draw controls (31). Against nationally ranked UVA, she had four points on three goals and one assist. She posted career high five goals against William & Mary (2/27) and George Mason (4/25), as well as a season-high five assists on a career-high day in points (7 points on two goals, five assists) against Old Dominion (3/14). She is 18th nationally with a .607 shot percentage.
Donohue has been a critical member of Richmond's defensive unit by consistently limiting opponents' points leaders. In both of the Spider's matchups against VCU, Donohue held the Rams goal leader to just one goal. She also held George Mason's Erin Donoghue and Davidson's Gianna New to just a goal each. On the season Donohue has 20 ground balls, 9 caused turnovers and 12 draw controls. In six A-10 contest, she has 11 ground balls, eight draw controls and five caused turnovers. She collected a career-high four ground balls against nationally ranked UVA (2/19) and twice had a career high four draw controls in both games against George Mason.
Tierney, starting in all 11 games this season, paces the team with 57 draw controls, second in goals (22) and assists (16) and third in points (38) with 11 ground balls and two caused turnovers. She tallied at least two points in every game she appeared in with a season-high six points against Old Dominion (three goals, three assists). Against Davidson, she was crucial on the draw grabbing 11 draw controls. Tierney opened the season breaking the program single-game record with 13 draw controls against Radford, and reached her 100th career draw controls at VCU (4/16). She dished out a career-high four assists at GMU (4/18).
Ziemba, named UR's Scholar Athlete of the Year as the senior student-athlete with the top GPA earlier this week, was third on the team with 15 assists, including a single-game program record eight against GMU (4/25). She also has nine goals for 24 points, with six ground balls and one caused turnover. She will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Latin American, Latino and Iberian studies.
Gianforte, in 11 starts, went 10-1, making 78 saves for a .453 save percentage and allowed 94 goals for a 9.87 goal against average in 233 shots faced. She collected a season-high 13 saves at VCU (4/16). Gianforte also picked up 19 ground balls, with a season-high six ground balls against Davidson (4/23) and one caused turnover against UVA. She is second nationally with 643 career saves and 201 career ground balls among active NCAA Division I goalkeepers. Gianforte earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting last spring and will graduate with a Masters in Nonprofit Studies in May.
The top-seeded Spiders in the 2021 Atlantic 10 Women's Lacrosse Championship takes on the fourth seeded Saint Joseph's Friday at UMass' Garber Field. Opening draw is set for 12 p.m. on ESPN Plus.
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