Grand Lake, Colo. - University at Albany's Nikki Branchini, Jodi Battaglia, Taylor Frink and Ariana Parker have been chosen to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division I All-Northeast Region Team. All four UAlbany athletes were members of the first team, the highest number of all-region selections in program history.
     Branchini, a senior defensive midfielder, makes her third consecutive appearance on the IWLCA all-region squad, including a pair of first-team selections. The 2011 America East Conference Co-Player of the Year led the Great Danes to their first conference championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament's quarterfinal round.
     A native of Guilderland, N.Y., Branchini totaled 21 goals and three assists and ranked second nationally in draw controls at 5.26 per game. She established the school's single-season record with 100 draw controls, including eight or more against five opponents. Branchini is the NCAA's active leader in that category with 284. She is the first UAlbany player to be voted to the All-America East first team on four occasions.
     Frink, who already has been named to the WomensLax.com All-America squad, is first nationally in assists (2.58 pg) and tenth in scoring at 4.76 points per game. The Tewaaraton Award nominee broke a 13-year-old school record by scoring 83 points on 34 goals and 49 assists this season. Frink, a senior attacker who hails from Baldwinsville, N.Y., was voted to the all-league first team and earned a spot on the all-championship squad. She tallied seven or more points versus six opponents, plus tied a UA standard with 10 (2 goals, 8 assists) against Binghamton on April 23.
     Battaglia, a senior from Amherst, N.Y., was third among the America East leaders in goals at 2.95 per game and fourth in scoring at 3.74 points per game. She set the program's single-season record with 56 goals and recorded the second-highest point total with 71. A first-team all-conference attacker, Battaglia was named the America East Championship's most outstanding player after accounting for 10 goals and two assists in tournament play. She finished her career seventh on UAlbany's all-time scoring list with 154 points.
     A freshman from Kingston, N.Y., Parker was fifth in the America East in goals (2.32 pg) and led the conference in game-winning goals with five. She scored 44 goals, the sixth-highest single-season mark and the second-best total by a UAlbany freshman. She led the team with 20 caused turnovers and added 27 ground balls. Parker, who received national rookie-of-the-week honors twice, was picked to the all-conference first team and all-rookie squad. She had four or more goals five times and was voted to the America East all-championship squad.
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2011 IWLCA All-Northeast Region
First Team
Jodi Battaglia, Sr., Albany, Attack
Nikki Branchini, Sr., Albany, Defense
Kat Collins, Sr., Dartmouth, Attack
Danielle Etrasco, So., Boston University, Attack
Taylor Frink, Sr., Albany, Attack
Kristen Giovanniello, Fr., Dartmouth, Goalkeeper
Ali Houlis, Jr., Massachusetts, Defense
Kristin Igoe, Sr., Boston College, Midfield
M.E. Lapham, Jr., Connecticut, Attack
Jackie Lyons, Sr., Massachusetts, Attack
Shannie MacKenzie, Sr., Dartmouth, Defense
Ariana Parker, Fr., Albany, Midfield
Jillian Rekart, Sr., Boston College, Defense
Danielle Tetreault, So., Harvard, Midfield
Michelle Tumolo, So., Syracuse, Attack
Jennifer VanderMeulen, So., Harvard, Attack
Brittany Wilton, Jr., Boston College, Attack