May 27, 2004

FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason University junior Meg Dentler (Crofton, MD/Arundel) was among 32 players named to the 2004 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division I South All-Region team, which was announced Thursday by Amy Umbach, head coach at George Mason and chair of the IWLCA South Region committee.

Thirty-two players were also selected Thursday to each of two other regions - North and Mid-Atlantic. Dentler is now eligible to receive national All-America honors among the 96 athletes that were named to their respective all-region teams.

Dentler, who received All-Region first team accolades, continues to prove that she is one of the elite goalkeepers in the nation as she returns to the South All-Region team for the second consecutive year, having earned second-team honors in 2003. Playing in front of a young defense that included two freshman and a sophomore, Dentler finished the season with 224 saves, falling one shy of tying her own Patriot record of 225 that she set in 2002, and a 57.0 save percentage, which ranks fifth nationally. She also ranked second on the team in ground balls (37) and caused seven turnovers.

The starting netminder in each of the Patriots 17 games, she allowed 169 goals for a 9.88 goals-against average and played every minute of every contest. Dentler's GAA and save percentage were both tops among Colonial Athletic Association goalkeepers who were in the cage at least 70 percent of the time, and she led the league in both saves and saves per game (13.18). She posted 10 or more saves 15 times in 2004, including stopping a career-high 24 against then-nationally ranked Boston University and 20 versus top 5 national power Maryland. Dentler was honored as the CAA co-Player of the Week on Mar. 29 after stopping 37 shots for a 72.5 save percentage and 7.00 goals-against average in two Mason victories. With 200 or more saves in each of the past three seasons, she already holds the Patriot record for saves in a career with 656.

Awards continue to flow in for Dentler, who was named to the All-CAA first team for the second straight year in 2004. The 2002 CAA second team selection and Rookie of the Year also garnered Virginia College Sports Information Directors (VaSID) honors in 2002 and 2003.

Dentler becomes the first Mason player since 2000 to be named first-team All-Region. Kinsley O'Garrow (1997-2000) was the last player to make the first-team. She also made the list in 1998 with teammates Bonnie Conklin (1996-99) and Bettina Guevara (1996-99).

George Mason completed the 2004 campaign ranked 19th in the nation in the final IWLCA top 20 poll. Mason posted a 7-10 overall record and a tied for third in the CAA with a 4-3 mark. The Patriots, who advanced to the CAA Tournament for the 11th consecutive season, also finished the year ranked second nationally in caused turnovers per game (12.53 ctpg).

2004 Division I IWLCA South All-Region Teams