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AU Women’s Lacrosse to Play No. 3 Virginia in NCAA First Round
Eagles earn first-ever NCAA berth

May 4, 2003 | NCAA Bracket

Patriot League Tournament MVP Nadia Harmsen and the Eagles will play No. 3 Virginia in the NCAA First Round on Thursday.

WASHINGTON — The Patriot League champion American University women’s lacrosse team drew third-seeded Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in a match that will be played on Thursday, May 8, at 4 p.m. in Charlottesville, Va. The two teams are part of the 16-team field for the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament. The winner of the AU-UVA match will face the Georgetown-James Madison winner on May 11.

The Eagles, led by Patriot League Coach of the Year Maureen Dupcak, enter their first-ever NCAA Tournament with an 11-7 record after a 5-1 mark in Patriot League action. The 11 wins are a school record for AU and the team also established new school marks in goals (225) and assists (96). Virginia has a record of 14-4 this season and was the runner-up in the ACC Tournament. American and Virginia have never met on a lacrosse field.

Individually, AU earned five All-Patriot League honors and senior midfielder Nadia Harmsen (Buzzards Bay, Mass./Tabor Academy) was named Patriot League Tournament MVP. Harmsen, an All-Patriot League Second Team selection became only the fourth player in school history to have 100 goals and 100 points in her career. She is also the school record holder in career draw controls and scored nine goals and had three assists in the league tournament to earn MVP honors.

Sophomore midfielder Gina Riitano (Schenectady, N.Y./Albany Academy for Girls) earned first team Patriot League honors in a season where she set a school record for points in a season (60) and draw controls (50). She is ranked 16th nationally in draw controls per game. Senior defender Robyn Mincher (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) earned All-Patriot League First Team honors for the second year in a row after anchoring the AU defense to a 10.05 goals-against average (GAA) this season. Mincher is second all-time at AU in caused turnovers and eighth in ground balls.

Sophomore attack Rebecca Copeland (Webster, N.Y./Webster) earned All-Patriot League Second Team honors after leading the team with 43 goals in the regular season. She is second on the team with 50 points. Freshman goalkeeper Kathleen Finnegan (Arnold, Md./St. Mary’s) also earned a spot on the second team after posting a save percentage of .540 this season which is 16th in the country. She also has a 10.01 GAA in her first collegiate year which is the second-best ever at AU.

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.