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April 29, 2003

Kathleen Finnegan is 16th in the country in save percentage.

WASHINGTON — After winning the Patriot League Championship and earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth, the American University women’s lacrosse team remains in the NCAAs statistical rankings in five categories. Sophomore Gina Riitano (Schenectady, N.Y./Albany Academy for Girls) and freshman Kathleen Finnegan (Arnold, Md./St. Mary’s) are ranked in individual categories this week.

For the third week in a row, the Eagles are fourth nationally in draw controls with 13.12 per game. AU is sixth in scoring offense with 12.65 goals per game. The Eagles are also ranked 15th in scoring margin (+2.76), 17th in ground balls (29.94 per game) and 20th in caused turnovers (11.24 per game).

After tying the single-game school record with seven draw controls in the Patriot League Championship against Bucknell, Riitano moved up to 16th in individual draw controls with 2.88 per contest. Finnegan only allowed eight goals in the entire Patriot League Tournament and she is now 16th in the country in save percentage with a 54.4 pct. mark this year.

American’s final regular season match is on Wednesday as the Eagles host George Mason. AU awaits the NCAA selection show on Sunday to find out where the Eagles will play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on May 8.

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, women's lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball, and a regular-season title in men’s basketball.

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.