Golden Eagles Earn All-SUNAYC honors

BROCKPORT, NY (05/11/2011)(readMedia)-- The College at Brockport's women's lacrosse team earned its second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament, and a trio of players who helped Brockport reach unprecedented heights in the sport were honored Monday by the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). 

Sophomore Sarah Brown (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee), junior Karen Bianchi (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) and senior Amanda Massmann (Bohemia, NY/Connetquot) each earned first-team All-SUNYAC honors for the Golden Eagles (10-6 overall, 6-2 SUNYAC). 

Brown is Brockport's quarterback on offense, running the show and setting up her teammates as much as she scores goals. Brown, who plays attack, has started all 16 games and leads the Golden Eagles with 57 points (a team-high 34 goals to go with 23 assists). Twice in 2011, Brown scored seven points in a game: a four-goal, three-assist effort during a 19-11 win over New Paltz on April 9, and a two-goal, five-assist game during a 17-3 won over Oswego on April 16. She scored 28 goals and handed out 20 assists over Brockport's first 11 games. 

Bianchi, a do-it-all midfielder for the Golden Eagles, was one of seven Brockport players to record 20-plus points this year. In starting all 16 games, Bianchi has scored 23 goals, tied for fourth-most on the team, and has two assists, good for 25 points. She led the Green and Gold with 32 draw control wins and 21 caused turnovers, and her 39 groundballs were the second-most on the team. 

Massmann, a member of a staunch Brockport defense, has started all 16 games for the Golden Eagles. The fourth-year member of the varsity has scored two goals with an assist while scooping up 38 groundballs, third-highest this year. Her 17 caused turnovers are also third-most on Brockport. 

Brockport earned an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament, which begins Wednesday afternoon. The Golden Eagles will face nationally-ranked Hamilton College (17-1) in the first round at 5 pm at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. 

Brockport fell to Cortland in Saturday's SUNYAC championship game, the fourth time in the last five years that the Green and Gold played for a SUNYAC title. The Golden Eagles advanced into the championship game after avenging a loss to Buffalo State in the SUNYAC semifinals Friday. Brockport had dropped an 18-2 regular-season decision to the Bengals but responded with a 16-6 win in the semifinal matchup. 

Bianchi and Massmann each earned SUNYAC All-Tournament honors. 

The Golden Eagles will be making their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament. Last year, the Green and Gold earned the program's first-ever berth in the NCAA tournament, and defeated Rowan University 16-9 in the first round before falling to Franklin and Marshall University in the second round.