Nov. 12, 2005
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Three Columbia field hockey players were named to All-Ivy teams. Senior Erin Wesseldine (CC-Virginia Beach, Va.) was named to the All-Ivy second team, while juniors Ramie Merrill (CC-Cornville, Maine) and Kim Branich (CC-Virginia Beach, Va.) were named honorable mention honorees.
Wesseldine, a four-year starter on defense for the Lions, tied for the Ivy League lead in defensive saves and ranked fifth in the league in assists with seven. She also ranked sixth in the league in assists per game. Her seven assists fell just one shy of tying the Columbia single-season record.
Merrill ranked third on the team in points with 10 off of three goals and two assists. The junior forward scored a thrilling goal as time expired at Quinnipiac to tie the game. The Lions went on to win that game in overtime.
Branich led the team in scoring with 12 points on four goals and four assists, including three-game winners. The junior defender was named Ivy League Player of the Week on November 1 after scoring two goals and one assist in a 2-1 week for the Lions. Branich scored the game-winner in Columbia's lone Ivy win of the season (1-0 vs. Yale), assisted the game-winner in the Lions' 1-0 win vs. Rutgers and scored Columbia's lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to Penn.
All three players aided the Lions to the second-best single-season record in Columbia's history (8-9). The three All-Ivy honorees is the most for Columbia since the 2000 season.
