MANCHESTER, N.H. - Junior Julie Kraus (Derry, NH) of the Southern New Hampshire University women's lacrosse team has been named an Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA)/US Lacrosse Division II Second Team All-American, it was announced Wednesday.  Kraus becomes the first All-American in the five-year history of the SNHU women's lacrosse program.  The IWLCA and US Lacrosse will honor the National All-Americans at an awards banquet on June 14, 2008 in King of Prussia, PA.

Kraus was the 2008 Northeast-10 Defensive Player of the Year and was a First Team IWLCA All-Region selection as well as a First Team Northeast-10 All-Conference selection.  She anchored a Penmen defense that ranked second in the Northeast-10, allowing 12.72 goals per game.  She led the Penmen in ground balls (62), draw controls (56) and caused turnovers (30) while ranking fourth in the NE-10 in ground balls and first in the league for draw controls. Nationally, Kraus ranked in the top 20 in Division II in all three categories as well as well as helping SNHU be the national leader in draw controls per game.  One of three players to start all 18 games for SNHU, Kraus registered 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points.

In three seasons with the Penmen, Kraus has appeared in 45 games.  She is the current career program leader in draw controls (108) and caused turnovers (81) and ranks second in program history with 154 ground balls.  Offensively, Kraus, a two-time Northeast-10 All-Conference performer has registered 27 goals and 36 assists for 63 points.  Also a standout in the classroom, Kraus has received SNHU's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in each of the past two seasons and was recently named ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District, making her a candidate for Academic All-America honors as well.

Southern New Hampshire finished the 2008 season with a school-record 12 victories as it posted a 12-6 record and advanced to the Northeast-10 championship game for the first time in program history.  The Penmen were ranked 10th in the final IWLCA poll.