Five Named to IWLCA All-Region Team

Five members of the Franklin & Marshall women's lacrosse were named to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-Metro Region Team. Juniors Jen Pritchard, Sarah Meisenberg, Shannon Summers and Ashley Bevington were selected to the first team, while sophomore Blake Hargest was named to the second team.

The six Diplomats led F&M to its second straight Centennial Conference (CC) Championship to earn its 10th overall trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Diplomats advanced to the national title game for the second consecutive season, where they finished as the 2008 NCAA Runners Up with an overall record of 19-2.

Pritchard, an attacker, is earning her second straight All-Region recognition on the first team. A unanimous All-CC first-team pick, she led the team and conference with 71 goals including six game winners. Pritchard hit two milestones this season, reaching 200 career points before scoring her 200th career goal in the national championship game. Her 71-goal performance is the third-best single-season feat in program history. Pritchard also led the team with 74 draw controls bringing her career-leading total to 181.

Meisenberg picks up her second consecutive First-Team All-Region accolade after posting her best individual statistical season in 2008. She set career highs in goals (44), assists (35), and points (79) and free-position goals (14). Meisenberg, a three-time all-conference selection, scored a point in every game she played in and scored at least three goals on seven occasions. She reached 100 career goals this season and is nine points away from 200.

Summers went from Second-Team All-Region last year to a first-team honoree this season as a midfielder. She also earned her first All-CC recognition on the second team. Summers led the team with 49 assists, breaking the Diplomats' single-season assists record. She ranked second on the team with 84 points, scoring 35 goals to go along with her helpers. Summers netted her 100th career goal and 200th career point this season, while dishing out a personal-best six assists in the NCAA regional semifinals.

Bevington, one of three F&M midfielders chosen, repeats as a first-team choice. She recorded 34 goals and three assists in 15 games, before being sidelined with a season-ending injury. Bevington was also named to the All-Centennial Conference first team. She scored a season-high five goals against Rowan and netted the game-winning goals in wins over Dickinson and Gettysburg.

Hargest is making her first appearance on the All-Region Second Team after being named to the All-CC second team. She paced the squad with 47 goals and 40 assists for 87 points. Her 40 assists is one shy of her mark last year, giving her 81 for her career to rank seventh on the program's all-time list.

The IWLCA has honored 224 student-athletes in Division III with a selection on one of the All-Regional teams for 2008. These athletes are now eligible for inclusion on the IWLCA/US Lacrosse All-American teams, which will be announced on May 29. The IWLCA and US Lacrosse will honor the National All-Americans at an awards banquet on June 14, 2008 in Downingtown, Pa.