2007 season preview

February 28, 2007

NORTON, MA- Second-year head coach Mary Jacobs expects a consistently solid work ethic to be crucial for her Wheaton College women's lacrosse team this season, as a 15-player roster will leave the Lyons with a short bench. "I need everybody to come to play everyday," said Jacobs. "You cannot have a bad day when there are 15 people."

With the smallest team during her five years in the program - she was a three-year assistant before taking over the head job last season - Jacobs has only two seniors and three juniors to rely upon for veteran leadership, as an influx of youth the last two seasons has yielded four sophomores and six freshmen on this year's roster. Despite Wheaton's relative inexperience, Jacobs expects each of her players to cause unique problems for the opposition.

"They all play a completely different style," said Jacobs, who is joined by second-year assistants Peri West '04 and Andrea Davis '05. "Some shine in man-to-man situations, and some shine in zone situations. No team can mark two people the same way."

With a veteran-led squad in 2006, the Blue and White went 9-7 overall and 5-1 in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), advancing to face Springfield College in the tournament championship for the fifth straight spring. Wheaton is 22-3 in NEWMAC regular season and postseason games since 2004, losing only to the Pride.

This year, Jacobs expects the Lyons to again battle for the top spot, as last season marked the first since 2002 that the Blue and White didn't earn at least a share of the conference's regular season crown. "Despite being so young, we are definitely in contention to win the NEWMAC Tournament," said Jacobs. "If the players believe they can do it, they will do it." A top-two finish would be Wheaton's eighth straight.

A trio of captains will provide leadership, as senior Kim Corbin (Branford, CT/Branford) and juniors Meredith Hurd (Bath, ME/Hyde School) and Alexa Jurczak (Davidsonville, MD/Miss Porter's School) have drawn the honors.

"They're very unique in their own way, and that is why they are going to be successful," proclaimed Jacobs. "Someone on the team could find a captain that relates to them, plus it helps that we have leadership in each part of the field: Kim runs the defense, Alexa's in the midfield, and Meredith rounds out the attack. They each have their own domains."

Corbin, who has appeared in 49 of a possible 50 games during her career, drew 2005 NEWMAC All-Conference honors and anchors a green backfield. Converted midfielder Kara Ganssle (Shelton, CT/Saint Joseph), a junior who has appeared in 12 career games, jumps into the mix for a starting spot with freshmen Kate Denison (Andover, MA/Andover) and Chrissy Norberg (Winchester, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon School). Sophomore Madeline Williams (Annapolis, MD/Key School) will lend defensive skills to either the backfield or midfield.

Jurczak, an all-conference selection last season as one of four Lyons with at least 20 goals, centers a midfield that could have Williams and freshman Kate Kimball (Lexington, MA/Lexington) playing in the defensive half.

After leading the Lyons with 49 goals and 54 points last year, Hurd's midfield role will extend into the offensive end. A 2006 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) all-region and NEWMAC All-Conference selection, Hurd has 83 career goals. Jacobs said Hurd's mentality changed midway through last spring, as evidenced by her scoring 33 goals in the final eight games after netting 16 in the first eight.

Joining Hurd on attack are six additional players, including a trio of sophomores in Caitlin Grant (Walpole, MA/Walpole), Abbie Sherwin (Rye, NH/Portsmouth) and Bridget Thornton (Southington, CT/Cheshire Academy). Thornton tallied 19 goals and nine assists last spring. Freshmen Chiara Chapman (Concord, NH/Concord), Brittany King (Georgetown, MA/Proctor Academy) and Hanna Landis (Cape Elizabeth, ME/Cape Elizabeth) comprise the remainder of the offensive contingent. Landis was a member of Wheaton's field hockey team last fall.

Rounding out the Blue and White's short roster is its most crucial component, senior Kristin Konig (Montecito, CA/Cate School), the team's lone goalkeeper. In her first season as Wheaton's starter, Konig went 8-6 last year while playing 848:45 of a possible 966 minutes. "It's not the best situation to have one goalie," said Jacobs, "but for Kristin, it's the best thing: She knows the team is relying on her, and there's a lot of weight on her shoulders. She understands she needs to be a leader."

The season has yet to begin, but Jacobs is already pleased that her first recruiting class is blending seamlessly into the fabric of the existing team. "It's fun to watch your upperclassmen so excited about the freshmen," said Jacobs. "They are not worried about losing their jobs. Instead, they are focused on how much skill the freshmen add and how that takes pressure off each of them." With such an able first-year group, Jacobs asserts that on any given day, all six freshmen could start.

Wheaton's season begins on March 11, as the Lyons take on Stevens Institute of Technology during a three-game swing to Orlando, Florida. The Blue and White then faces Drew University, which advanced to last year's Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Southern Tournament semifinals, and SUNY Geneseo, which took part in the 2006 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title game.

The remainder of the Lyons' regular season slate is stacked with NCAA Tournament-caliber competition. Wheaton will play five games against teams from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), including three squads that went to the 2006 NCAA Tournament: Amherst College, Bowdoin College and Colby College. Each is also ranked among the top 10 in the IWLCA's preseason national poll.

Wheaton opens its northern schedule against 20th-ranked Tufts University on March 20 at Keefe Field. The Lyons kick off their six-game conference season on March 31 by hosting Springfield, which qualified for last season's NCAAs by winning the NEWMAC Tournament.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 2/28/07.
Questions about this page? Use our query form.

News Headlines.

Jacobs slated to relinquish post as Wheaton head women's lacrosse coach (more)

Women's lacrosse, Grant honored by IWLCA for academic excellence (more)

Women's lacrosse boasts trio of Lyons on NEWMAC All-Conference teams (more)

Upcoming Schedule

17-Mar Tue Bridgewater State H 4:00pm
18-Mar Wed Gordon H 4:00pm
21-Mar Sat Emerson A 1:00pm