Trio Earns IWLCA All-America Honors

BOULDER — The 2017 Colorado Buffaloes have been making history all season, so it's no surprise that history is still being made in the program's fourth season as three Buffs earned 2017 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-America honors Wednesday afternoon.

Junior Sarah Brown was named to the second team, while junior Darby Kiernan and senior Paige Soenksen were selected to the third team, becoming the first players in CU history to earn the prestigious honor. The three teams are made up of 48 student-athletes and will be honored at the IWLCA All-American Banquet on Saturday, June 3, in Hunt Valley, Md.

Brown, a defender for the Buffs, started in all 20 games for the Buffs. The IWLAC All-Midwest/West Region and All-MPSF First Team honoree ranks second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, averaging 1.65 caused turnovers per game, and has 33 caused turnovers on the season, a CU single-season record. Brown recorded a career-best six caused turnovers, another CU record, in the Buffs' MPSF semifinal win over Stanford on April 28. Brown also ranks second on the team in ground balls (39) and draw controls (41). She has recorded three goals and one assist for four points on five shots (all on goal) this season.

Kiernan, another all-region and all-conference first team selection, led the team in points, assists, draw controls and game-winning goals and was second in goals, shots and free-position goals. Her 77 points this season is a CU single-season record and her 52 goals tied for first. Kiernan also owns single-season records in assists (25) and draw controls (120) and is second on the single-season chart in shots (110) and shots on goal (91), and is third on the single-season list in free-position goals (20). Nationally, Kiernan started in all 20 games for CU and nationally ranks 12th in free-position goals per game, is 28th in points and 42nd in goals.

Soenksen was named to the all-region and all-conference first teams after leading the conference in save percentage. She is also second in the league in goals against average. Soenksen led the Buffs to the third best scoring defense in the nation. She started and played in 19 of CU's 20 games this season, earning a 15-4 overall record and is fourth on the team in ground balls (33). After tying her career-high with 19 saves in the season-opening overtime win (11-10) against No. 9 Northwestern, she was named the Epoch/U.S. Lacrosse Magazine and Alpha Lacrosse Players of the Week. Soenksen also picked up the MPSF Defensive Player of the Week for the same game. She earned the MPSF Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in the season after making 16 saves in CU's 16-11 upset at No. 6 Penn State.

The three also earned All-America honors from Inside Lacrosse Magazine, which announced it's first-ever women's All-America Teams Wednesday morning. Soenksen was named to the third team, while Brown and Kiernan were selected to the honorable mention team.

The three IL All-America teams are compiled by members of the lacrosse media who vote in the weekly Cascade Division I Women's Media Poll and are in tune with the national college lacrosse landscape week to week. The diverse group of opinions provides a strong consensus of who's the best of the best in women's Division I college lacrosse.

The Buffs advanced to their first NCAA Tournament this season and finished their historic season with a 16-4 mark.

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Players Mentioned

Sarah Brown

Darby Kiernan

Paige Soenksen

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