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April 23, 2003

Head Coach Maureen Dupcak was named Patriot League Coach of the Year.

WASHINGTON — After earning its second consecutive regular season title, the American University women’s lacrosse team was honored today by the Patriot League as the postseason awards were announced by the league office. AU placed two members on the first team, three on the second team and head coach Maureen Dupcak was named Patriot League Coach of the Year.

Robyn Mincher

For the second year in a row, senior defender Robyn Mincher (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) was named to the All-Patriot League First Team. She has anchored the AU defense throughout the season as the team has posted a goals-against average (GAA) of 10.14. Mincher, who constantly marks the opponents top player, has caused 21 turnovers this season and grabbed 32 ground balls. She is second all-time at AU in caused turnovers and sixth in ground balls.

Gina Riitano

After earning second team honors in 2002, sophomore midfielder Gina Riitano (Schenectady, N.Y./Albany Academy for Girls) earns a spot on the first team this season. Riitano leads the team in scoring with 47 points on 32 goals and 15 assists. She also is first on the team in ground balls with 51, draw controls with 38 and caused turnovers with 25. Riitano is currently 19th in the NCAA in draw controls. In only her second season, Riitano already has 53 career goals, seventh-most in AU history. Her 15 assists this year are fourth all-time at AU while her 18 career assists are ninth. Riitano owns the school record for draw controls in a season set this year. On the career charts, she is fourth in draw controls, fifth all-time in caused turnovers, seventh all-time in points and eighth all-time in ground balls.

Nadia Harmsen

Senior midfielder Nadia Harmsen (Buzzards Bay, Mass./Tabor Academy) earns a spot on the All-Patriot League Second Team for the second year in a row. This season, Harmsen became only the fourth player in AU history to have 100 goals and 100 points in her career. She has 23 goals and nine assists this season while also grabbing 41 ground balls, 32 draw controls and causing 19 turnovers. Harmsen owns the career record for draw controls at American with 101. She is also third all-time in caused turnovers and fourth all-time in ground balls.

Rebecca Copeland

Sophomore attack Rebecca Copeland (Webster, N.Y./Webster) earns her first league honors, being named to the All-League Second Team. Copeland is second on the team in scoring with 45 points on a team-high 38 goals and seven assists. She has scored three or more goals in 10 of AU’s 14 matches this season. Her 38 goals are fourth all-time at American and her 43 career goals are ninth. In addition, Copeland’s 45 points this season are eighth all-time.

Kathleen Finnegan

The final Eagle on the All-Patriot League Second Team is freshman goalkeeper Kathleen Finnegan (Arnold, Md./St. Mary’s). In her first collegiate season, Finnegan has posted a GAA of 10.00, second all-time at AU. She has made 156 saves this season including a career-high 20 against St. Joseph’s, which is also fourth all-time for a single game at American. Finnegan is 19th in the country in save percentage with her 54.0 pct. mark this year.

Coach Dupcak earns her second coach of the year award and American’s third Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2002-03. After taking over the program in 1998, Dupcak has led the team to back-to-back regular season titles in the Patriot League. Last year’s squad set the school record for wins (10) and the 2003 team will tie that mark with its next victory. This year’s squad has set school records for goals in a season (174) and assists (85). The all-time winningest coach in AU history, Dupcak is looking to guide the squad to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history this weekend.

American will host the Patriot League Tournament this weekend, April 26-27, on Reeves Field. The top-seeded Eagles will play No. 4 Lehigh in the first semifinal Saturday at noon while No. 2 Colgate and No. 3 Bucknell will play at 3 p.m. The winners will face-off in the championship match to be held Sunday at 1 p.m.

American University, which fields a 19-sport NCAA Division I athletics program featuring 10 women’s sports and nine for men, is in its second year of membership in the Patriot League. Since joining the Patriot League, the University has captured league championships in men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball, and regular-season titles in men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse.

Chartered by an Act of Congress in 1893, American University features students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 160 nations worldwide.