Feb. 26, 2008
Having successfully defended its America East title in 2007 with half of its roster being freshmen, the Boston University lacrosse program is excited to continue its climb up the national ranks in 2008 with a small but strong cast of upperclassmen and another large group of talented newcomers.
Nineteen of the squad's 25 players are underclassmen, including nine freshmen. However, the Terriers return eight starters from last year and seven of the team's eight top scorers. With last year's rookies having settled in nicely, the outlook is certainly bright.
"There's no question that we still are a young team," said Liz Robertshaw, who enters her second season as head coach of the Terriers. "It might take some time to gel and work together, but I think we're on the right path."
Despite a slow start last season, the team shrugged off any suggestions that it would be a rebuilding year, putting together a nine-game winning streak that culminated in yet another America East championship. While BU has gotten used to being at the top of the conference, the talent, desire and drive is there to make sure that greater success can be achieved down the road.
"The potential is there for this to be a very successful season," said Robertshaw. "However, this team will have to put it together a little sooner than last year's. Our goal every year is to win the conference championship and get to the NCAA tournament, but this team was not satisfied with how we finished last year. They really want to be better."
This year, the Terriers' leadership will come from a pair of talented and respected seniors in Molly Collins and Lauren Morton.
"We couldn't ask for better leaders than Molly and Mort," said Robertshaw. "They are determined to help this team achieve its potential."
ATTACK
Three sophomores who all had impressive freshman seasons will now head up the team's attacking unit. Led by reigning America East Rookie of the Year Traci Landy, the trio - which also includes McKinley Curro and Erica Baumgartner - put up 105 combined points in 2007.
"We definitely have a nice core of attackers coming back," said Robertshaw. "Erica, McKinley and Traci all had a great deal of playing time as freshmen and they have a lot of confidence coming into this year."
Curro and Landy were selected to the league's All-Rookie Team and Baumgartner would have been a strong candidate to join them had it not been for an injury that kept her out of the majority of the season's final month.
"They are all still figuring out the game a little bit, but I think that they're more ready," added Robertshaw. "They are making better decisions and they know what to expect out of the season."
Landy wasted little time in making an impact on the Terrier lineup, recording at least one goal in her first 13 games. Curro came on strong towards the end of her freshman campaign, putting up a tournament-best 11 points at the America East Championship. The two tied for fourth on the team with 41 points apiece (Landy - 37g, 4a; Curro - 20g, 21a).
"Traci has been a hard worker ever since her first day on campus and she is really fit," said Robertshaw. "She has also done a good job as a leader of our young attack with a lot of great communication on the field.
"McKinley is a very creative player who has found what works for her attacking-wise," said Robertshaw. "We're confident that she will pick up right where she left off last year."
Baumgartner quickly became the team's top feeder, piling up 10 assists in her first three collegiate games. Limited to 13 games due to injury, she compiled 24 points, including 17 assists.
"Erica is looking good and ready to go," said Robertshaw. "Her stickwork is fantastic and she feeds very well, but we also expect her to become more of a goal scorer this year."
The Terriers will benefit from a deep attack, as three other solid returners and a quartet of freshmen.
Sophomore Xan Weitzel appeared in 13 games as a freshman and contributed six points (3g, 3a). She comes into this season as one of the team's most improved players.
"Xan has done great job of learning the crease and learning how to play off it," said Robertshaw. "She's improved a lot from last year and I expect her to get a lot more playing time."
Two other returners who will bolster the attack are junior Steph Walker and sophomore Jenny Taft. Walker tallied 10 points (5g, 5a) last season while Taft made great strides throughout her rookie campaign.
"Steph and Jenny give us a lot of depth as each brings something unique to the attack," said Robertshaw. "Steph is a great vocal leader who does a great job of organizing the attack. Jenny has simply improved 100 percent and is becoming more of a threat on the attacking unit."
The freshmen who are joining the attack are Alyssa Kovach (Swarthmore, Pa.), Molly Swain (Cambridge, Mass.), Catie Tilton (Englewood, Colo.) and Kristen Tallon (Lake Forest, Ill.). The four combined to appear in seven state championship games in high school and all of them have potential to become strong components of the team's attack.
"All of our attackers bring something different to the field, and because of that I expect a lot of them to get playing time," said Robertshaw. "Along with the midfield, we wan to have seven scoring attackers - even with substitution - and this group should allow us to do that."
MIDFIELD
Without question, the Terriers' midfield is the team's most experienced unit, as senior co-captains Morton and Collins and junior All-American Sarah Dalton are all proven performers.
All three members of the trio earned all-region honors last spring after combining for 140 points, including 121 goals. Dalton emerged as one of the most dangerous offensive players in the country, scoring a team-best 52 goals.
"They are our power three," said Robertshaw. "I'm obviously expecting a lot out of them, but I don't think it's any more than they expect from themselves."
Morton will continue to be the team's primary option on the draw and she enters the year just seven draw controls shy of the school's career record of 142. She also became the 11th player in school history to eclipse the 100-goal mark.
"Mort is the ultimate leader," said Robertshaw. "She is a staple on both ends of the field and her size allows her to be a great presence for us."
After developing into an offensive threat throughout the course of last season, Collins will look to become more of a full-time midfielder this spring. She did a little of everything as a junior, tallying 28 goals, 37 ground balls and 43 draw controls. Collins and Morton tied for the team lead in caused turnovers with 30 apiece.
"Molly is a total workhorse," said Robertshaw. "She's great from a defensive standpoint, but we anticipate her being a big part of our attack. We expect her to have a terrific senior season."
Named one of the Top 20 players in the country by Inside Lacrosse magazine, Dalton has quickly become the Terriers' go-to player. She led the conference in goals per game (2.74) last season and was one of only seven players in the country to record at least 50 goals and 50 draw controls.
"Sarah's speed, stickwork and shot selection allow her to be a great midfielder," said Robertshaw. "She's starting to take her game to a level that's never been seen here at BU."
Sophomore Jenny Martin expects to take on a bigger role this season after appearing in all but one game as a freshman. After getting a chance to play with her older sister, Angie, on last year's team, Jenny will look to keep the Martin tradition going at BU.
"Jenny is quiet and feisty midfield defender, who is a force on the defensive end and is also getting comfortable on the attacking end," said Robertshaw.
The Terrier midfield also expects to get some good production from its freshman class., as Rachel Collins (Winchester, Mass.), Mandy Rogers (Nashua, N.H.) and Corcoran Downey (Ellicott City, Md.) round out a strong unit. For the second time in as many years, the team will have a pair of sisters on its roster, as Rachel Collins joins her sister, Molly, on the field as a Terrier.
"They are all picking up our style of attacking defense pretty fast and they definitely will make our midfield stronger," said Robertshaw.
Another midfielder who will be in the mix is sophomore Caitlin Defliese. She stepped up towards the end of last season and was rewarded with a spot on the conference's All-Rookie Team. She saw time on the draw and - along with Rachel Collins - will serve as an option there again behind Morton.
DEFENSE
One of the main reasons that last year's team got better and better as the season went on was the play of the defense. During a nine-game winning streak leading into the NCAAs, the Terriers did not allow a team to score more than 10 goals.
This year's defensive unit will see new faces taking on larger roles, but there is reason to believe that goals will continue to be hard to come by for the Terriers' opponents.
Now a junior, Kelly Munroe has definitely established herself as the team's defensive leader. She started all 19 games as a sophomore, contributing 16 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers en route to earning a spot on the America East All-Conference Second Team.
"Kelly is absolutely a leader for us," said Robertshaw. "Vocally and fitness-wise, she simply makes our team better."
After being set back by injuries last season, redshirt freshman Courtney Burd will get her chance this year to earn a role within the Terriers' defense.
"Courtney is an aggressive defender who is really excited to get out there this year," said Robertshaw. "She's done a great job getting ready for this opportunity."
Another underclassman who is expected to step right in and hit the ground running is freshman Katie Nichols (Medford, N.J.), who earned All-America honors at Shawnee High School, which boasts one of the strongest programs in the country.
"Katie is a great 1v1 defender who we expect to see a lot of this season," said Robertshaw.
Three other defenders who will add depth to the position are sophomores Caitlin Webb and Kara Hastings and freshman Kate Cipolletti.
"Caitlin is definitely very vocal and she continues to get more comfortable in our aggressive style of defense," said Robertshaw. "Kara has done a nice job of improving her personal and team defense, and Kate is someone who should only get better as she learns our style of play."
GOALKEEPING
After earning the confidence of her teammates and the coaching staff by performing well between the pipes as a redshirt freshman last season, sophomore Rachel Klein has emerged as the Terriers' starting goaltender. She followed that up with a strong fall and she is steadily growing into a leader of a Terrier defense that has always been aggressive with high energy.
"Rachel's confidence level has jumped dramatically, and it shows," said Robertshaw. "She earned the job with her play in the fall and she has made a lot of effort to become a leader for this team. She's ready."
Klein saw time in 10 contests last year - making three starts - and posted an impressive 8.69 goals against average.
Klein, who has the same number and hails from the same school as BU assistant coach Anne Sheridan (Roland Park County School), also plays very similarly to the former first-team All-American. If she can come close to the same type of numbers Sheridan put up (8.63 career GAA), the future is bright for the BU backfield.
SCHEDULE
Once again, the Terriers will take on some of the nation's elite teams in an effort to better prepare the squad for the level of competition that arises towards the end of the year.
"I'm very excited about this year's schedule," said Robertshaw. "There will be strong tests throughout the year - both in and out of conference."
It will be a road-heavy schedule for the Terriers this spring with 10 of the 16 games being played away from Nickerson Field. The spring break trip features games at three-time defending NCAA champion Northwestern and Vanderbilt, which finished last season ranked 10th in the nation. In addition, BU will make the program's first ever trip to California to take on Stanford.
The Terriers will kick off their home slate on March 15, when George Mason visits Nickerson Field, a site that has been traditionally good to the Terriers. BU will also play five other home contests, including match-ups against Yale and Green Line rival Boston College, in addition to a trio of America East tilts (Stony Brook, Vermont and New Hampshire).
