FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 22, 2011

2011 Rhode Island College
Women’s Lacrosse Season Summary
(5-9 Overall; 0-6 in the Little East Conference)

Providence, RI—Head Coach Mike Koperda's (Career record: 9-33, .214) team finished the 2011 season with a 5-9 overall record and an 0-6 (seventh place) mark in the Little East Conference. For the second consecutive season, the squad tacked on two wins from the prior year's win total, following three wins in 2010 and one win in Koperda's first season (2009).

Senior attacker/midfielder Suany Almonte (Warwick, RI) wrapped up her four-year career at Rhode Island College having played in 56 games, starting all of them. She missed only one game in four seasons of action. She finished her career with 57 goals and 15 assists for 72 points. Almonte totaled 187 shots, 135 ground balls, 62 draw controls and 29 caused turnovers. She ranks fourth all-time in program history in free position shots (37), fifth in shots and draw controls, seventh in goals, eighth in assists, ninth in both points and ground balls.

As a senior in 2011, Almonte played in 14 games, starting all of them. She scored three goals and tallied three assists for 12 points, while also registering 31 shots, 27 ground balls, 15 draw controls and seven caused turnovers. Her top performance of the season came on March 22, when she posted two goals and an assist for three points in a 15-11 victory at Worcester State.

As a junior in 2010, Almonte played in 13 games, starting all of them. She had 15 goals for 15 points to go along with 42 shots, 28 ground balls, 13 draw controls and two caused turnovers. Almonte was fourth on the team in goals. She had three goals and five ground balls in the season-opening, 17-7, win over Lasell on March 18.

As a sophomore in 2009, she played in 14 games, starting all of them. She had 16 goals and seven assists for 23 points to go along with 61 shots, 27 ground balls, 24 draw controls and nine caused turnovers.

As a freshman in 2008, Almonte played in 15 games, starting all of them. She had 17 goals and five assists for 22 points to go along with 53 shots, 53 ground balls, 10 draw controls and 11 caused turnovers.

Prior to coming to RIC, she spent 2006-07 at the Community College of Rhode Island where she played one season of women’s soccer. Almonte is a nursing major and a 2006 graduate of Veterans High School.

Senior defender Christina Tavana (Middletown, CT) bookended her stay at Rhode Island College by participating in the 2007 and 2011 women’s lacrosse seasons. She saw action in 20 career games, starting nine of them. For her career, Tavana totaled two goals and one assist for three points to go along with six shots, six ground balls, four draw controls and one caused turnover.

As a senior in 2011, Tavana played in eight games, starting three of them. She totaled one ground ball, three draw controls and one caused turnover. Most of her production came on April 23 against Eastern Connecticut, when she picked up a ground ball and tallied two draw controls.

As a freshman in 2007, Tavana played in 12 games, starting six of them. She totaled two goals and one assist for three points to go along with six shots, five ground balls and one draw control for the season.

Tavana is a graphic design major with a minor in art history. Her efforts for the women's lacrosse team supplemented her successful four-year women's soccer career at Rhode Island College from 2006-09. She is a 2006 graduate of Middletown High School.

Junior defender Jenna Childs (Cranston, RI) was named the team’s MVP. Childs played in 13 games, starting all of them. She finished the season with five goals and three assists for eight points, while tallying six shots, 47 ground balls, 10 draw controls and 13 caused turnovers. She had an assist and a season-high seven ground balls in a 10-9 win over Nichols on April 14. She led the team in ground balls and was tied for second in caused turnovers.

Junior attacker Nicky Drolet (Somersworth, NH) played in 14 games for the Anchorwomen, starting 12 of them. She scored 42 goals and posted nine assists for 51 points. She also tallied 90 shots, 10 ground balls, 24 draw controls and four caused turnovers. Drolet was the primary offensive weapon for the Anchorwomen, leading the team in goals, points, shots and shots on goal (75). She scored a season-high six goals against Eastern Connecticut on April 23. That game's point total matched a three-goal, three-assist effort on Opening Day, March 19, at Emmanuel for Drolet's season-high of six points. She also scooped up a season-best seven draw controls and forced two turnovers at Southern Maine on April 19.

Junior defender Kayla Laprade (Seekonk, MA) appeared in two games for the Anchorwomen.

Junior defender Hilary Switzer (Woonsocket, RI) appeared in five games, starting one of them. She scored two goals for two points, while collecting five shots, five ground balls, one draw control and two caused turnovers. Switzer had her best game of the season in her lone start, an April 20, 18-10 win at Wheelock, when she scored two goals, collected four ground balls and a draw control and forced two turnovers.

Junior attacker Molly Voyer (Lincoln, RI) played in 14 games, starting all of them. She totaled 36 goals and 10 assists for 46 points, while compiling 85 shots, nine ground balls, 26 draw controls and four caused turnovers. Voyer was second on the team in most significant offensive categories, including goals, assists, shots and shots on goal (69). Her 26 draw controls were most on the squad. Voyer posted a season-high seven goals in blizzard conditions during an abbreviated game against Salve Regina on March 31. She handed out a season-best six helpers to go along with four goals for a career-high 10 points in the team's, 18-10, win at Wheelock on April 20.

Sophomore attacker/midfielder Ashley Appel (Foxboro, MA) played in eight games. She totaled two goals for two points, while posting three shots and two draw controls. Appel scored both of her goals in a season-opening, 15-4, victory at Emmanuel on March 19.

Sophomore attacker/midfielder Becca Gould (Little Compton, RI) played in five games, starting one of them. She totaled two goals for two points, while gathering three shots and one ground ball. All of her individual statistics came in her lone start on April 20, an 18-10 win at Wheelock.

Sophomore defender/midfielder Haley Latinville (North Kingstown, RI) played in 14 games, starting 13 of them. She totaled five goals and one assist for six points to go along with eight shots, 31 ground balls, 17 draw controls and 13 caused turnovers. Her best individual game came against Western Connecticut on April 9, when she scored a season-high two goals and collected a season-high five ground balls. She finished tied for second on the team in caused turnovers and was third in ground balls.

Sophomore midfielder/attacker Courtney McKiernan (Hope, RI) played in 13 games, starting all of them. She totaled six goals and 13 assists for 19 points, while registering 35 shots, 42 ground balls, 14 draw controls and 14 caused turnovers. She led the team in caused turnovers and tied for second in ground balls. McKiernan posted season bests of two goals and seven ground balls in a 15-11 win at Worcester State on March 22. She handed out a season-high three assists in the season opener at Emmanuel on March 19. 

Freshman midfielder/attacker Cassy Arines (Warwick, RI) played in nine games, starting two of them. She totaled two goals and an assist for three points, while also collecting three shots, six ground balls, six draw controls and one caused turnover.  Her best game of the season came in an 18-10 win at Wheelock on April 20, in which she registered both a goal and an assist to go along with a season-high four ground balls and a caused turnover.

Freshman defender Stephanie Bourgeois (North Smithfield, RI) appeared in four games, starting one of them.

Freshman goalkeeper Taryn Carbone (Cranston, RI) played in 14 games, starting all of them. She logged the entire 834:54 of the season in goal for Rhode Island College, posting a record of 5-9 with a 13.73 goals against average. For the season, Carbone racked up 131 saves and had a .407 save percentage against 428 shots faced. She posted a season-best 16 saves twice on the season: against Westfield State on April 12 and against Eastern Connecticut on April 23. Her stingiest performance came in a 15-4 victory in the season opener at Emmanuel on March 19.

Freshman midfielder/defender Sophie Kanno (Cranston, RI) played in all 14 games for the Anchorwomen, starting 13 of them. She totaled two goals for two points, while also recording 12 shots, 14 ground balls, seven draw controls and eight caused turnovers. She scored a goal in each of her team's first two games, wins over Emmanuel (15-4) and Worcester State (15-11) on March 19 and 22, respectively. She posted season highs of three ground balls and four caused turnovers in a 13-7 loss against Southern Maine on April 19.

Freshman defender/midfielder Lauren Maisano (Bristol, RI) played 13 games, starting all of them. She totaled 17 ground balls, three draw controls and six caused turnovers. She collected season highs of three ground balls and two caused turnovers in a 21-10 loss to Eastern Connecticut on April 23.

Freshman defender Sam Nolte (Cranston, RI) played in all 14 games, starting 13 of them. She registered one assist for one point to go along with 42 ground balls, one draw control and eight caused turnovers. Her 42 ground balls were tied for second on the team, keyed by back-to-back games with seven ground balls to close the season against Eastern Connecticut and UMass Dartmouth on April 23 and 27, respectively.

Freshman midfielder/defender Jessalyn O'Neill (North Providence, RI) played in 14 games, starting all of them. She posted 11 goals and four assists for 15 points, while also compiling 42 shots, 25 ground balls, 14 draw controls and seven caused turnovers. O'Neill's best performance came in an April 20, 18-10, win at Wheelock, when she posted season-highs of three goals, five ground balls and four draw controls. 

Freshman attacker/defender Gianna Pecchia (Warwick, RI) played in three games, starting one of them.

Freshman attacker Ashley Signoriello (Cranston, RI) played in 14 games, starting 13 of them. She posted 19 goals and nine assists for 28 points, while also recording 55 shots, 18 ground balls, 22 draw controls and nine caused turnovers. She finished third on the team in most offensive categories: goals, assists (tied), points, shots, shots on goal (41) and draw controls. Signoriello posted season bests of three goals and two assists in an overtime, 9-8, win vs. Framingham State on March 29. She picked up a season-high seven ground balls in the season-opening, 15-4, win at Emmanuel on March 19.