ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Nazareth College women's lacrosse coach Sue Behme has been named Empire 8 Conference Coach of the Year for the 2008 season. Behme led the Golden Flyers to their fourth consecutive regular-season title as Nazareth extended its regular-season conference winning streak to 28 games.
Behme is in her ninth season as the head coach of the Golden Flyers, and this is the fifth time she has been selected as E8 Coach of the Year. She also earned the Empire 8 Conference Coach of the Year award in 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2006. Behme brings Nazareth into this weekend's Empire 8 Conference Tournament with an overall record of 115-38 for a .752 winning percentage, as the Golden Flyers seek their fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and seventh overall.
In addition to Behme, six Golden Flyers were also honored by the Empire 8 and selected to all-conference teams. Senior Caity Richardson was the lone first-team selection while junior Maggie Mullin and sophomores Nora Davis and Jennifer Young were named to the all-conference second team. Juniors Maria Fusco and Hannah Brennan were also named to the all-conference honorable mention team while senior Rachel Baranello was named Nazareth's Sportswoman of the Year.
Richardson, a senior defender from Pittsford, N.Y. and a graduate of Pittsford-Mendon High School, earned first-team all-conference honors as she led the Golden Flyers with 35 ground balls and 34 draw controls in addition to tallying six goals and one assist. Richardson earned all-conference honorable mention honors as a junior in 2007.
Mullin, a native of Rochester, N.Y. and an Irondequoit High School graduate, was selected to the all-Conference second-team after collecting 30 ground balls and 21 draw controls, which ranks her second on the team in both categories.
Davis, a native of Syracuse, N.Y. and a graduate of Bishop Ludden, received second-team all-Conference honors for leading Nazareth in points as she recorded 36 goals and four assists.
Young, a native of Marcellus, N.Y. and graduate of Marcellus High School, has also been selected to the Empire 8 all-Conference second team for her 17 goals and four assists. The midfielder also ranks third on the team with 26 ground balls, and fourth on the team with 10 draw controls.
Fusco, of Chaumont, N.Y. and a graduate of Immaculate Heart, was named to the all-conference honorable mention team. As Nazareth's starting goalkeeper, Fusco made 97 saves during the regular season for a .503 save percentage and 7.51 goals-against average. Fusco earned second-team all-conference honors in 2007 as she recorded a .579 save percentage and a 6.09 goals-against average.
Brennan, of Penn Yan, N.Y. and a graduate of Penn Yan High School, also received honorable mention recognition from the Empire 8. Brennan appeared in 12 games for the Golden Flyers during the regular season, including 10 as a starter. The junior collected 11 ground balls, caused six turnovers, and recorded three draw controls as she helped anchor Nazareth's defense. Similar to Fusco, Brennan was also a second-team selection as a sophomore in 2007.
Baranello, a senior from Homer, N.Y. and a graduate of Homer High School, appeared in six games for Nazareth during the 2008 season. She collected three ground balls during the regular season. The Empire 8 Conference also recognizes the Sportswoman of the Year for competing with honor and integrity.
Nazareth heads into this weekend's Empire 8 Conference Tournament as the number top seed and will face off against fourth-seeded Ithaca on Saturday at 12 p.m.
2008 Empire 8 Women's Lacrosse Awards
Player of the Year: Laurie Quackenbush, St. John Fisher
Goalkeeper of the Year: Kelsey Evans, RIT
Rookie of the Year: Tammy Kohanski, Utica
Coach of the Year: Sue Behme, Nazareth
First Team All-Conference
Attack
Tammy Kohanski, fr. Utica
Kim Medla, sr. Ithaca
Alyssa Pigott, so. Stevens
Midfield
Lauren Glavin, so. St. John Fisher
Perry Markell, so. Elmira
Laurie Quackenbush, sr. St. John Fisher
Christine Smith, fr. Stevens
Defense
Kate Cox, fr. Stevens
Andrea Gunsalus, jr. St. John Fisher
Caity Richardson, sr. Nazareth
Jerica Young, jr. RIT
Goalie
Kelsey Evans, jr. RIT
Second Team All-Conference
Attack
Becky Bedard, jr. Ithaca
Jamie Boulton, sr. Hartwick
Nora Davis, so. Nazareth
Midfield
Kelsey Campbell, sr. Hartwick
Sarah Knauf, sr. Ithaca
Casey Pelletier, sr. Utica
Jennifer Young, so. Nazareth
Defense
Cassidy Callahan, jr. Stevens
Suzy Lull, sr. Ithaca
Maggie Mullin, jr. Nazareth
Emily Steen, so. Alfred
Jackie Vicencio, jr. Utica
Goalie
Vicki Sahm, so. St. John Fisher
Honorable Mention All-Conference
Attack -- Michelle Adams, Alfred; Michelle Buonacuore, Stevens; Katie Glavin, St. John Fisher; Eileen Hennigan, RIT
Midfield -- Ashley Pezze, RIT; Dani Previ, RIT; Katie Thorpe, Hartwick
Defense -- Hannah Brennan, Nazareth; Whitney Carroll, Hartwick; Allison Christie, St. John Fisher; Briana Crow, Hartwick
Goalies -- Maria Fusco, Nazareth; Stephanie Linder, Stevens
Sportswoman of the Year
Amanda Sullivam so. Alfred
Mary-Kate Geratowski, sr. Elmira
Addie Patrick, jr. Hartwick
Becky Bedard, jr. Ithaca
Rachel Baranello, sr. Nazareth
Jess Quinn, sr. RIT
Laurie Quackenbush, sr. St. John Fisher
Shannon McFadden, so. Stevens
Jennifer Nardini, sr. Utica