Women's Lacrosse Ready To Make Run At Ninth Straight Northeast-10 Title And Third NCAA National Crown In Five Years With Experienced Group Back In Fold In 2007
February 21, 2007
Another chapter to the success story that has become Stonehill women's lacrosse was added in 2006 when the Skyhawks captured their eighth straight Northeast-10 Conference regular season championship and seventh consecutive league playoff crown. With 122 victories, a pair of NCAA Division II national titles and over 30 All-America performers already in the books, Head Coach Michael Daly is looking to add to the lore of what has been a very successful tale to tell during the 2007 campaign.
Stonehill posted an overall mark of 16-3 last season, including its sixth straight unbeaten Northeast-10 Conference campaign with a 10-0 league slate, while topping Merrimack for the conference tournament title for the second straight season. And while the graduation of four All-America performers, including the three-time Northeast-10 Player of the Year, would cause consternation elsewhere, Daly has plenty of experience to rely upon as the Skyhawks move forward to the challenges that lie ahead this spring.
Three of those individuals that Stonehill will look to in 2007 will be the Skyhawk tri-captain trio of senior Tracey Hoffman (Nashua, N.H/Nashua) and juniors Kristin Darrell (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) and Amanda McGeachey (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy). Daly says that this trio "understands both the standards that have been set and the challenges that face this program, and I am very confident in their abilities to exceed both. They have demonstrated their abilities both on and off the field as leaders and that transcends to their teammates as well."
Here's a look at how things are shaping up for the 2007 edition of Stonehill women's lacrosse:
ATTACK. The loss of All-America performer Jenny McGrath, who set a school record with 110 points last season, leaves a void up front for the Skyhawks, but Daly will rely on the experience of junior Christa LaRocco (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) and sophomore Mary Maloney (Great River, N.Y./St. Anthony's) up front. Maloney enjoyed a solid rookie campaign with 34 goals and nine assists for 43 points last spring, while LaRocco chipped in with 16 goals and 16 assists for 32 points. Freshman Christina Knepley (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga) looks to contribute as well in an attack spot for Stonehill during her rookie season.
MIDFIELD. The strength of the Skyhawks throughout the years has been in the middle, and 2007 looks to be no exception. Though four-time All-America and three-time Northeast-10 Player of the Year Erin Acone has graduated, Daly will look to All-America Darrell to lead the way in the midfield, as she followed up a solid freshman season with a team-high 71 goals and 18 assists for 89 points as a sophomore. Sophomore Michelle Kelly (Mendham, N.J./West Morris Mendham) enjoyed a standout debut as well for Stonehill with 43 goals and 13 assists for 56 points, while all-conference performer Hoffman added 31 goals and 16 assists for 47 points a year ago.
Sophomore Michelle Salmon (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) was another solid two-way performer for the Skyhawks as a rookie with 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points, while fellow sophomore Rebecca Cottam (Belmont, Mass./Belmont) gained additional experience by appearing in all but one match as a freshman, netting a goal along the way. Senior Emily Wetmore (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) returns from a years-hiatus to bolster the middle for Daly, who will also look to freshmen Jaclyn Craig (Rocky Point, N.Y./Rocky Point), Jackie Ladino (North Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) and Liza Gross (Loudonville, N.Y./Shaker) for immediate impacts during their first seasons of action.
DEFENSE. Graduation claimed another All-America performer in four-time honoree Kate Sarkissian, but a trademark of Stonehill's success since the program's beginning in 1999 has been its defensive tenacity, as Daly's squads have continually been ranked among the national leaders in Division II in all defensive categories over that time span. Sophomore Valerie Xenakis (Warner, N.H./Kearsarge Regional) returns to the defensive end for the Skyhawks after appearing in 13 matches as a freshman, while the trio of sophomores Kristyn Gramzow (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) and freshmen Jessie Ragnio (Andover, Mass./Andover) and Elyse Moreau (Middletown, Conn./Mercy) will look to step into immediate contributing roles for Stonehill during their rookie campaigns.
GOAL. McGeachey looks to continue the long line of Stonehill All-America netminders during her first full season of action in the Skyhawk cage, as she appeared in a pair of contests in 2006 as a back-up to graduated All-America Lauren Stone in posting a 5.89 goals against average with four saves.
Another year of challenges awaits a Stonehill program that has enjoyed success at every turn, as the Skyhawks bring a 58-match Northeast-10 winning streak that dates back to April 2000 into the 2007 campaign. Stonehill, 71-1 all-time in conference action and 122-25 (.830) overall under Daly's tutelage, begins its ninth varsity season on Tuesday, March 6th with a non-league contest against Belmont Abbey in Hilton Head, S.C.
