Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/5/09
Richmond women’s coach Sue Murphy, a Boyertown High graduate, has announced that seniors Mandy Friend and Alli Furstenburg will co-captain the veteran Spiders.
Richmond opens its 2009 season with a home scrimmage versus the English National Squad Feb. 9th at 3:00 p.m. The Spiders then open the regular season with Maryland Feb. 15 at home.
“We are very fortunate to have the strength of schedule in our non-conference games with ACC powers Maryland, Duke, UNC and UVA,” said Murphy. “As we search for our national ranking again among this schedule, we will keep focus on our Atlantic 10 foes that have continued to show tremendous growth and development over the past few years.
“As the reigning 2008 A10 Regular Season Champion, our ultimate goal will be to capture the A10 Tourney in 2009 and head back to the NCAA tourney.”
In addition to Maryland, the Spiders will host JMU, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne and Saint Joseph’s. In Murphy’s first five seasons at Richmond, the Spiders have compiled a 54-34 record and made four appearances in the Atlantic 10 championships, with two Atlantic 10 Tournament Titles, two NCAA Tournament appearances and one A-10 regular season title.
The 2006 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year just carried the Spiders through their best season ever, highlighted by the program’s first-ever regular season A-10 title after dominating the league with a 6-1 record, as well as its second consecutive A-10 Championship and NCAA appearance.
The Spiders also garnered a program-best 16 wins with a 16-4 mark on the season, including a win over powerhouse Virginia, an 11-game win streak and a five-week stint in the Top 10, when they were ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation, the highest the Spiders have ever been ranked.
Murphy, a member of two state championship teams at Boyertown (1984-85) under Hall of Fame coach Marcia Brumbach, was a two-time All-American at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Elected captain her senior season, she earned team MVP honors and finished her stellar career as the school’s all-time leading scorer.
Murphy commended the leadership skills of Friend and Furstenburg. “On the field they are an amazing duo with the focus of empowering others to play at a higher level,” said Murphy. “While both have persevered through some rough spots, injuries and many ups and downs, their fortitude to succeed and lead are second to none.”
Friend, a native of Canandaigua, N.Y., has built a decorated resume at Richmond. Last season she started every game for Spiders, while netting 53 goals and dishing 36 assists and earning a season-best 89 points. Friend was selected to the Team Canada roster earlier this fall. Friend was also selected to the IWLCA All-South Regional Second Team, and was named the Atlantic-10 Player of the Week twice.
Furstenburg, a native of Whitehouse Station, N.J., led the team with 54 goals last season. Furstenburg was second on the team in assists (28) and points (82).
The Spiders have three Philly grads in their freshman class, midfielder Sam Tajirian (Springfield-Delco), attacker Molly Early (Radnor) and goalie Victoria Roebuck (Springside School).
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