MINNEAPOLIS (3/19/04) -- Augsburg College women's hockey player Annie Annunziato (Sr., Commack, N.Y.) was named to the Division III JOFA All-American West Region team by the American Hockey Coaches Association, it was announced on Friday.

It is the first All-American honor for Annunziato, who earned All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors for the second year in a row earlier this month.

Annunziato is the third Augsburg women's hockey player selected to the AHCA's All-American squad since the organization began awards for women's hockey in 2000, and the school's eighth women's hockey All-American since the sport began at Augsburg in 1995.

The JOFA All-American Ice Hockey Teams are sponsored by JOFA, an international leader in hockey equipment, and are selected by college hockey coaches who are members of the AHCA. Awards were announced at the Division III national championship banquet in Middlebury, Vt., on Thursday. The AHCA selects two first teams, one from the East region and one from the West region, and a second team from the East region, due to the greater number of teams in the East compared to the West.

Annunziato led the Auggies this season in all scoring categories, with 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points, including seven power-play goals. Her 36 points ranked 27th nationally among Division III players, while her seven power-play goals tied for second-best nationally. She had at least one point in 21 of Augsburg's 27 games this season. She tied for sixth in the MIAC in scoring (conference games only) with 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists).

Annunziato, who transferred to Augsburg from Manhattanville (N.Y.) last year, finished with 153 career points (62 goals, 91 assists) in 104 career games. She earned ECAC All-Star honors her sophomore season at Manhattanville. At Augsburg, she finished with 90 points (40 goals, 50 assists) in 53 games over two seasons, the third-highest total in each category in school history.

Augsburg finished 15-10-2 in women's hockey this season, 10-6-2 in MIAC play. Augsburg qualified for the MIAC playoffs for the second straight season. The Auggies shined late in the season, with an eight-game unbeaten streak (6-0-2), including taking three of four points (a win and tie) against league regular-season champion St. Thomas in the final series of the regular season.

Augsburg went 9-2-2 in its final 13 games, ending the season with a 6-5, double-overtime loss to St. Thomas in the MIAC playoff semfinals, a game played in a conference-record 96:09.

2003-04 AHCA Division III/JOFA Women's Hockey All-American Teams
West Region Team (only one team selected): G-Becky Kilpatrick (So., St. Thomas); D-Lindsy Carlson (Sr., Wisconsin-River Falls); D-Andrea Peterson (Fr., Gustavus Adolphus); F-Annie Annunziato (Sr., Augsburg); F-Emily Kearns (Sr., St. Mary's); F-Erin Kegley (Fr., Wisconsin-Superior).
East Region First Team: G-Rosina Schiff (So., Rensselaer); D-Jen Gorczynski (Jr., RIT); D-Shannon Tarrant (Fr., Middlebury); F-Elizabeth Gibson (Jr., Plattsburgh State); F-Laura Hurd (Jr., Elmira); F-Molly Wasserman (Sr., Williams).
East Region Second Team: G-Carolyne Roy (Jr., Plattsburgh State); D-LeAnne Denman (Jr., Elmira); D-Erin O'Brien (Jr., Plattsburgh State); F-Lorna Gifis (Jr., Middlebury); F-Emily Quizon (So., Middlebury); F-Amanda Zimecki (Sr., Manhattanville).