University of Albany's Kayla Best & Nikki Branchini on America East All-Conference Women's Lacrosse Team

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Cambridge, Mass. – University at Albany’s Kayla Best and Nikki Branchini have been named to the 2008 America East All-Conference Women’s Lacrosse Team, as announced on Thursday, April 24 at the championship tournament banquet. Best and Branchini were first-team selections.

Best, a sophomore midfielder, makes her second consecutive appearance on the all-conference team after earning second-team recognition last year. She leads the team in scoring with 44 goals and seven assists. Her goal total ranks sixth on the program’s single-season chart.

Best has scored at least one goal in 29 consecutive games, the fifth-best streak among current Division I players. She netted four or more goals against seven opponents, including a career-high six against UMBC on March 26.

Branchini, a freshman midfielder/defender, was also chosen to the America East All-Rookie Team. She is fourth among the league leaders in both draw controls (2.75 pg) and ground balls (2.69 pg). Branchini, the Capital Region’s top defensive player on the high school level last year, added nine goals, two assists and 17 caused turnovers.

Rory Redmond and Katie Neer were voted to the America East women’s lacrosse all-academic team. Redmond, a junior midfielder with a 3.58 cumulative grade point average in communication, accounted for five goals, three assists, 28 draw controls and 26 ground balls as a starter in 14 of 16 games. Neer, a junior goalkeeper who has a 12.02 goals against average with 136 saves, posted a 3.61 GPA in political science.

UAlbany (8-8) begins America East postseason play on Friday, April 25. The Great Danes meet top-seed Boston University, the nation’s eighth-ranked team, in the semifinal round at 1:00 p.m. The winner advances to the championship on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.