Guilford Trio Lands All-ODAC Honors

Greensboro, N.C. (5/1/09) -- Guilford College senior Jennifer Abelin earned First Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) recognition according to a vote of the league's head women's lacrosse coaches Friday. Teammates Carrie Ernst and Shelly Nogueira took home Second Team All-ODAC honors. Abelin, a 5-5 midfielder, joins Julie Sullivan '93 and Mary Hutchins '08 as Guilford's only two-time First Team All-ODAC selections.

Jennifer Abelin	Carrie Ernst	Shelly Nogueira

Abelin led Guilford's defenders for the third straight season with 53 ground balls and an all-time best 31 caused turnovers. Through games of Apr. 26, she leads the league in ground balls (4.08) and caused turnovers (2.38) per game. Abelin tallied a season-high five caused turnovers, six ground balls and an assist in Guilford's Mar. 25 win over Hollins University. She also recorded a career-high nine ground balls versus nationally ranked Washington and Lee University Apr. 14.

Abelin concluded her outstanding career as the Quakers' career leader with 90 caused turnovers in 61 games. She ranks second all-time with 217 ground balls. Abelin captured the Quaker Club's 2008-09 Ideal Student-Athlete Award according to a vote of the school's athletic department staff. She also earned the Nereus C. English '26 Award in February, the school's highest athletic honor. Abelin graduates as a three-time All-ODAC selection and a member of the 2007-08 IWLCA Division III Academic Honor Roll.

Ernst, a 5-7 junior midfielder, was honorable mention All-ODAC last year. This year she finished the year ranked second on the team in scoring for the second straight season. Her 55 points on a career-best 45 goals and 10 assists stand seventh in school history. Her 45 goals rank sixth all-time at Guilford. Ernst ranks fourth in the ODAC in goals per game (2.81), sixth in points per game (3.44) and 10th in shots per game (4.88). She scored five or more points on four occasions, including a nine-point performance in the Mar. 17 win over Frostburg State College that included a career-high seven goals. Ernst scored goals in all but two contests, with 11 multiple-goal games. She currently sits seventh in program history in career points (134), eighth in career goals (101) and fourth in career assists (33).

Nogueira, a 5-4 junior midfielder, also enjoyed a career season with a team- and career-best 57 points. Her career-best 22 assists stand third in school history. She ranks eighth in the ODAC in assists (1.29) and points per game (3.35), and fifth in free-position goals per game (0.59). She scored in 13 of 17 contests, including a personal-best seven goals versus Denison University Mar. 28. Nogueira also tallied four goals and four assists for a career-best eight points in the Apr. 16 conference victory over Sweet Briar College. Nogueira stands ninth all-time at Guilford with 97 career points and fifth with 30 career assists.

The trio helped fifth-year head coach Matthew Grosso's team to a 6-11 overall record. The Quakers went 3-5 in conference play and earned the sixth seed for the ODAC Tournament. Guilford's season ended with an 11-8 loss to Randolph-Macon College in the league quarterfinals Apr. 22. The Quakers could return as many as 17 letter winners in 2009, including Ernst and Nogueira.