Lacrosse Opens Home Schedule on Sunday vs. Loyola, Md.
2/15/2008 1:02:51 PM | Women's Lacrosse
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Coming off a season-opening 16-11 win over Limestone to open the 2008 campaign, the Davidson lacrosse team will play host to Loyola (Md.) College at Richardson Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The game on Sunday is the start of four straight home contests for the Wildcats.
Sophomore Jen Crawford scored three of her game-high five goals in the first half at Limestone when Davidson grabbed a 9-1 lead on its way to a 16-11, and senior Emily Diefendorf and sophomore Haley Cook followed Crawford with three goals apiece, while Cook added two assists and led the team with four draw controls.
In anticipation of Sunday's contest, below is a look at the Season Outlook written by sophomore midfielder Haley Cook.
Coming off a five-game winning streak at the end of last season, the 2008 lacrosse squad looks to carry that momentum into the new season.
Graduating only two seniors, second-year head coach Betsy Economou looks forward to a veteran core to lead the Wildcats this spring. Last year's captains Anna Mitchell and Sarah Walter are joined by senior Emily Diefendorf at the helm of the squad. Their combined leadership will help adjust six newcomers into the mix of 15 returners.
With a more even schedule the Wildcats will look to capitalize on some of the closer games from last season in order to improve upon the foundation they built during Economou's first season.
“We've got a lot of potential,” Economou says, “and it's going to be an exciting year in a lot of ways. We have the ability to script our season the way we want in my second year in the program. Our schedule is a lot more evenly matched than it has been in the past, we have a ton of returners, plus we have a new assistant, Caroline McGuire, on board who has been contributing endlessly.”
MIDFIELD
Economou believes her team's heart to be midfield play thanks to the upperclassmen combination of Walter and junior Becky Horton.
Horton returns as the 'Cats leading scorer in 2008 and will look to capitalize on her speed as to make an impact all over the field. Walter's veteran experience on both the attacking and defensive ends will be relied upon to lead the transition game.
Bolstering the midfield are sophomore Haley Cook, who notched 21 points in her rookie campaign after starting all 13 contests, and senior Kate McDonald, who managed two goals and a point in nine games played last season.
Additionally, Economou will look to freshman Danielle Ruggieri to add speed and agility to the midfield group.
Captains Diefendorf and Mitchell along with Claire O'Shea and Kelly Finnegan are likely to spend some quality time in the midfield. Many of the midfielders are fit enough to be interchangeable on any end of the field.
ATTACK
Diefendorf and senior Emily Palmer will be relied upon to run the attacking end of the field again this season.
Economou swears by Palmer's field vision and Diefendorf's ability to lose defenders, a combination which should prove hard to handle for opposing teams.
Sophomore Jen Crawford, coming off a rookie season in which saw her score 19 goals and dish out two assists, will be expected to produce big numbers once again for the Wildcats.
The sophomore – senior connection between Palmer, Diefendorf, Crawford, and Cook is a neat blend that Economou looks forward to watching.
Additionally, the junior combo of Heather Frohman and Callie Seymour will see time in the attack after having two of the best shooting percentages on the team just a year ago.
DEFENSE
After collecting the most groundballs and caused turnovers last year, captain Mitchell will return as the defensive leader for 2008.
With the experience of senior Kelly Finnegan and junior Claire O'Shea, though, Economou has the flexibility to depend on these upperclassmen leaders and push Mitchell into the midfield.
These three veteran defenders will be joined by five newcomers including freshmen Stella Davis, Erin Betsch, Lily Graham, and Lauren Van Husen, and junior Jennifer Drew Lindsey.
The newcomers have transitioned quickly into the college game and add great height and depth to the Wildcat defense. All five will immediately vie for a starting position in the defensive rotation.
GOALIES
The starting spot in cage will continue to be a weekly battle between senior Laura Johnson and sophomore Michelle Pav for a second season in a row.
Left-handed Johnson and right-handed Pav compliment each other well: Johnson has more experience and Pav greater size and hand-eye coordination.
Pav comes back to the lacrosse after spending much of the fall season in goal with Davidsn's women's soccer team.
Both goalies will look to improve on save percentages of about fifty percent this spring.
Economou sees herself comfortable with either between the pipes.
The game on Sunday is the start of four straight home contests for the Wildcats.
Sophomore Jen Crawford scored three of her game-high five goals in the first half at Limestone when Davidson grabbed a 9-1 lead on its way to a 16-11, and senior Emily Diefendorf and sophomore Haley Cook followed Crawford with three goals apiece, while Cook added two assists and led the team with four draw controls.
In anticipation of Sunday's contest, below is a look at the Season Outlook written by sophomore midfielder Haley Cook.
Coming off a five-game winning streak at the end of last season, the 2008 lacrosse squad looks to carry that momentum into the new season.
Graduating only two seniors, second-year head coach Betsy Economou looks forward to a veteran core to lead the Wildcats this spring. Last year's captains Anna Mitchell and Sarah Walter are joined by senior Emily Diefendorf at the helm of the squad. Their combined leadership will help adjust six newcomers into the mix of 15 returners.
With a more even schedule the Wildcats will look to capitalize on some of the closer games from last season in order to improve upon the foundation they built during Economou's first season.
“We've got a lot of potential,” Economou says, “and it's going to be an exciting year in a lot of ways. We have the ability to script our season the way we want in my second year in the program. Our schedule is a lot more evenly matched than it has been in the past, we have a ton of returners, plus we have a new assistant, Caroline McGuire, on board who has been contributing endlessly.”
MIDFIELD
Economou believes her team's heart to be midfield play thanks to the upperclassmen combination of Walter and junior Becky Horton.
Horton returns as the 'Cats leading scorer in 2008 and will look to capitalize on her speed as to make an impact all over the field. Walter's veteran experience on both the attacking and defensive ends will be relied upon to lead the transition game.
Bolstering the midfield are sophomore Haley Cook, who notched 21 points in her rookie campaign after starting all 13 contests, and senior Kate McDonald, who managed two goals and a point in nine games played last season.
Additionally, Economou will look to freshman Danielle Ruggieri to add speed and agility to the midfield group.
Captains Diefendorf and Mitchell along with Claire O'Shea and Kelly Finnegan are likely to spend some quality time in the midfield. Many of the midfielders are fit enough to be interchangeable on any end of the field.
ATTACK
Diefendorf and senior Emily Palmer will be relied upon to run the attacking end of the field again this season.
Economou swears by Palmer's field vision and Diefendorf's ability to lose defenders, a combination which should prove hard to handle for opposing teams.
Sophomore Jen Crawford, coming off a rookie season in which saw her score 19 goals and dish out two assists, will be expected to produce big numbers once again for the Wildcats.
The sophomore – senior connection between Palmer, Diefendorf, Crawford, and Cook is a neat blend that Economou looks forward to watching.
Additionally, the junior combo of Heather Frohman and Callie Seymour will see time in the attack after having two of the best shooting percentages on the team just a year ago. DEFENSE
After collecting the most groundballs and caused turnovers last year, captain Mitchell will return as the defensive leader for 2008.
With the experience of senior Kelly Finnegan and junior Claire O'Shea, though, Economou has the flexibility to depend on these upperclassmen leaders and push Mitchell into the midfield.
These three veteran defenders will be joined by five newcomers including freshmen Stella Davis, Erin Betsch, Lily Graham, and Lauren Van Husen, and junior Jennifer Drew Lindsey.
The newcomers have transitioned quickly into the college game and add great height and depth to the Wildcat defense. All five will immediately vie for a starting position in the defensive rotation.
GOALIES
The starting spot in cage will continue to be a weekly battle between senior Laura Johnson and sophomore Michelle Pav for a second season in a row.
Left-handed Johnson and right-handed Pav compliment each other well: Johnson has more experience and Pav greater size and hand-eye coordination.
Pav comes back to the lacrosse after spending much of the fall season in goal with Davidsn's women's soccer team.
Both goalies will look to improve on save percentages of about fifty percent this spring.
Economou sees herself comfortable with either between the pipes.
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