University of Albany's Nikki Branchini & Taylor Frink on 2011 IWLCA All-America Squad as Second-Team Selections

Grand Lake, Colo. - University at Albany's Nikki Branchini and Taylor Frink have been chosen to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Association Division I All-America Team. Branchini and Frink were each voted the IWLCA All-America second team.

A senior defensive midfielder, Branchini makes her second consecutive appearance on the IWLCA squad after earning third-team recognition last year. She was named first-team All-Northeast Region last week. During her career, Branchini won or shared America East Conference Player of the Year twice and became the third player in conference history to win multiple top player awards. A native of Guilderland, N.Y., Branchini is the first UAlbany player to be voted all-region three times and all-conference on four occasions. She totaled 21 goals and three assists and finished second nationally in draw controls at 5.26 per game this spring.

Branchini, who was also voted to the Synapse Sports All-America team, finished her career ranked first in draw controls (284), second in caused turnovers (85) and tied for tenth in ground balls (168) on the program's all-time lists. She added 44 goals and eight assists.

Frink was selected to her third All-America team this season after being chosen by WomensLax.com and Synapse Sports. She led the nation in assists (2.58 pg) and was tenth in scoring at 4.76 points per game as a senior. A first-team IWLCA all-region selection, she established program single-season records for assists (49) and points (83). Frink became the first UAlbany player to be nominated for the Tewaaraton Award as the nation's top player.

A native of Baldwinsville, N.Y., Frink completed her collegiate career as one of the top attackers in school history. She is fifth in scoring with 171 points, first in assists (82) and tied for 10th in goals (89) among UAlbany's all-time leaders.

Branchini and Frink helped UAlbany (18-1) capture the conference's regular-season and tournament championships, plus register a school record for single-season victories. UAlbany made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the program became a varsity sport in 1992, before losing to eventual national champion Northwestern in the quarterfinal round. The Great Danes were ranked in both the IWLCA and deBeer/Inside Lacrosse national polls for most of the 2011 campaign.

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2011 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association All-America Team
First Team - Allyson Carey, Jr., Vanderbilt, Midfield; Kitty Cullen, So., Florida, Attack; Brittany Dipper, Jr., Maryland, Goalkeeper; Jackie Doherty, Sr., Notre Dame, Defense; Corey Donohoe, Sr., North Carolina, Attack; Leslie Foard, Sr., Stanford, Midfield; Grace Gavin, Sr., Loyola, Attack; Emma Hamm, Jr., Duke, Attack; Mia Hurrin, Sr., North Carolina, Defense; Kristin Igoe, Sr., Boston College, Midfield; Christie Kaestner, Sr., Duke, Attack; Logan McCraw, Sr., Georgetown, Defense; Laura Merrifield, Sr., Maryland, Midfield; Sarah Mollison, Sr., Maryland, Attack; Katie Schwarzmann, So., Maryland, Midfield; Shannon Smith, Jr., Northwestern, Attack; Taylor Thornton, So., Northwestern, Defense

Second Team - Shaylyn Blaney, Sr., Notre Dame, Midfield; Nikki Branchini, Sr., Albany, Defense; Erin Brennan, Jr., Pennsylvania, Attack; Kat Collins, Sr., Dartmouth, Attack; Liz Downs, Sr., Virginia, Defense; Lizzie Drumm, Sr., Princeton, Midfield; Taylor Frink, Sr., Albany, Attack; Katie Gallagher, Sr., Maryland, Defense; Kristen Giovanniello, Fr., Dartmouth, Goalkeeper; Grace Golden, Sr., William & Mary, Midfield; Becky Lynch, Jr., North Carolina, Attack; Shannie MacKenzie, Sr., Dartmouth, Defense; Alayna Markwordt, Jr., Ohio State, Attack; Abby Rehfuss, Sr., Loyola, Midfield; Kat Thomas, Jr., Duke, Midfield; Kim Wenger, Jr., Duke, Midfield; Brittney Zerhusen, Sr., Ohio State, Attack

Third Team - Casey Ancarrow, So., James Madison, Attack; Ashley Bruns, So., Florida, Attack; Lindsey deButts, Jr., Princeton, Defense; Lauren Dykstra, Sr., Lehigh, Midfield; Bergan Foley, Sr., Louisville, Attack; Alex Frank, Jr., Northwestern, Midfield; Julie Gardner, Jr., Virginia, Attack; Ana Heneberry, Jr., Loyola, Defense; Sarah Jonson, Sr., William & Mary, Defense; Jackie Lyons, Sr., Massachusetts, Attack; Colleen Magarity, Sr., Northwestern, Defense; Lauren Schmidt, Sr., Stanford, Midfield; Maggie Tamasitis, Jr., Notre Dame, Attack; Sophia Thomas, So., Georgetown, Midfield; Erin Tochihara, Sr., Princeton, Goalkeeper; Brittany Wilton, Jr., Boston College, Attack; Laura Zimmerman, Jr., North Carolina, Midfield

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information