May 5, 2006
Stanford, Calif. - Four Stanford players have been named to the 2006 All-MPSF Women's Lacrosse Team, as announced by the conference office this morning. The 16-player team includes senior attacker Megan Burker, junior midfielder Liz Piselli, sophomore defender Bri Ned and sophomore goalkeeper Laura Shane.
Burker, a native of Baltimore, Md., was recognized for the third straight year, making her one of only two MPSF players to have been honored in each year of the conference's three-year existence. With ten multiple-goals games, the senior leads the Cardinal in scoring with 34 goals and 14 assists, and stands eighth in the MPSF in total points. The attacker has consistently been ranked nationally in draw controls per game and won a career-high 7 against Saint Mary's on March 12. In the season-opener against Oregon, she passed the 100 career-goal mark and stands as one of only three players in Stanford history to appear in the top-10 in every career statistical category.
Piselli, a native of Rockville Centre, NY has made an impact this season in every aspect of the game and was rewarded with her first career All-Conference honor. On defense, she leads the Stanford team with 13 caused turnovers and stands second on the squad in ground balls (32). On the offensive end, the midfielder is part of Stanford's top-scoring foursome that has led the squad to a 10-5 record and outscored opponents by 27 percent. The junior is also second on the team in draw controls with 20 so far this season. She has registered 8 multiple-goal performances, including three hat tricks and two four-goal games. Against Denver, she led the team with four goals to clinch a share of the top spot in the MPSF. Piselli was one of only three players in the conference this season to receive multiple MPSF Player of the Week honors.
Ned, a defender from Severn, Md. has started all 15 games for the Cardinal, collected 16 ground balls, won five draw controls and caused 11 turnovers. The sophomore has also been a key member of the Cardinal back line which has broken up 36 opponent clear attempts, caused 138 turnovers and held opponents to just 34.6 percent shooting. Ned scored the first two goals of her career in the season-opener against Oregon. Against Loyola, she won two draw controls, including the most crucial draw of the match with the score knotted at 12 and the clock winding down. The All-Conference honor is the first of Ned's career.
Shane, last year's MPSF Goalkeeper of the Year, was recognized as the only goalkeeper on the All-Conference squad. The Baltimore, Md. native has notched 173 saves this season and stands second on the Stanford career chart with 377. Her save percentage has consistently ranked as one of the top-five in the nation, and she is one of 21 players and three goalkeepers still in contention for the elite Tewaaraton Trophy. On April 2, Shane's 22 saves against No. 5 North Carolina broke a Stanford record and tied the top single-game save mark in the nation. The sophomore is currently the only goalkeeper in the NCAA to have registered 20+ saves on more than one occasion this year. Of note, Shane leads the squad with 42 ground balls, has notched double-figure saves in nine matches and has collected 92 saves in Stanford's six games against ranked opponents (15.3 per game).
The All-Conference foursome will lead the Cardinal into MPSF Tournament action tomorrow, with a match against California or UC Davis at 4 p.m.
2006 ALL-MPSF WOMEN'S LACROSSE TEAM
Megan Burker Senior Attacker, Stanford
Stephanie Greenlees Senior Attacker, Denver
Katie McMahon Junior Attacker, UC Davis
Tanya Fuchs Senior Attacker, Denver
Liz Reifsnyder Junior Attacker/Midfielder, California
Kristie Leggio Junior Midfielder, Denver
Liz Piselli Junior Midfielder, Stanford
Laura Cavallo Junior Midfielder/Attacker, California
Jen May Sophomore Midfielder, Oregon
Kim Reny Junior Midfielder, St. Mary's
Karen Morton Freshman Midfielder, Denver
Kathryn Lindler Junior Defender, California
Carrie Bateman Sophomore Defender, Oregon
Kelly O'Connell Sophomore Defender, Denver
Bri Ned Sophomore Defender, Stanford
Laura Shane Sophomore Goalkeeper, Stanford
Player of the Year: Kristie Leggio, Denver
Newcomer of the Year: Karen Morton, Denver
Coach of the Year: Cathy Reese, Denver