Cambridge, Mass.-- University at Albany seniors Nikki Branchini and Taylor Frink headline a group of nine America East women's lacrosse players who earned postseason honors over the past week. Additionally, the Great Danes' first-year head coach John Battaglino picked up two National Coach of the Year awards.
Branchini and Frink both earned All-America honors from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) on Monday evening, May 30, each on the second team. Branchini also garnered First-Team All-America status and Frink was tabbed a Second-Team All-American by Synapse Sports. Frink was also a member of the WomensLax.com All-American Team. Both Great Danes were unanimous First-Team All-Conference selections, while Branchini earned the league's top honor, Player of the Year, for the second consecutive season. Earlier this year, Frink was selected a nominee for the Tewaaraton Award, the nation's top collegiate lacrosse award.
Battaglino earned National Division I Coach of the Year awards from both Synapse Sports and from WomensLax.com after leading the Great Danes to an undefeated regular season and the NCAA Quarterfinals. Albany won its first-ever America East Championship and finished the season with an 18-1 record, falling to eventual National Champion Northwestern in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Synapse Sports also released its National All-Rookie Squad, including University of Vermont's Sydney Mas and Albany's Ariana Parker. Both Mas and Parker were First-Team All-America East members during their first collegiate seasons, while Mas earned the conference's Rookie of the Year award.
Nine student-athletes in total earned a spot on one of the IWLCA All-Region Teams. Branchini, Frink and Parker earned First Team status for the Northeast Region, joined by Albany senior Jodi Battaglia and America East Co-Player of the Year sophomore Danielle Etrasco from Boston University. Mas and Boston U. seniors Rachel Collins and Corcoran Downey were members of the Northeast Second Team, while UMBC junior Alicia Krause appeared on the Mid-Atlantic Second Team.
The IWLCA honored a total of 136 student-athletes on one of the Division I All-Region Teams and 51 student-athletes on the All-America Teams. The organization will honor the National All-Americans at the IWLCA All-American banquet on June 11 at the Crowne Plaza Valley Forge in King of Prussia, Pa.