2008 season preview

March 5, 2008

NORTON, MA- Instead of preaching win-loss record, conference championship and postseason to her 23-player team, third-year Wheaton College women's lacrosse head coach Mary Jacobs is talking about basic concepts, love for the game and a positive mentality. Jacobs and the program's largest squad since 1994 have wiped the slate clean and are anticipating a fresh start.

"Everything we've done this year has been completely different from past years," said Jacobs, who mentioned declaring captains late, changing the format of practices and converting players to other positions as some of the most recent modifications. "To compete against the schedule we have, changes needed to be made. We went from five practices to six during preseason."

Dedicating one practice each week to intrasquad scrimmages in order to help gain a competitive edge, Jacobs and third-year assistant coach Peri West '04 use the extra day for a competition series during the first part of the session and team building for the second. Included in the team building will be a motivational speaker series for five Fridays during the regular season, as the team hopes to bring in the likes of Bryant University men's coach Mike Pressler, who was previously at Duke University, and former Major League Lacrosse (MLL) player Kevin O'Brien.

With the Lyons coming off a disappointing 4-12 season and 3-3 mark in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), Jacobs acknowledges the program is rebuilding, especially given the team being comprised of 14 underclassmen. "With a young team, we are focusing on the basics," added the coach. "We can't bring difficult concepts to a freshman- and sophomore-heavy group. Freshmen make freshmen mistakes, so we don't want to complicate matters. We need to revert back to catching and throwing, moving the ball and using our speed."

This year, Jacobs' underlying goal is to change the team's mentality and bring excitement back to the program. "If we have a 4-12 season again, 4-12 is going to be completely different," said Jacobs. "Hopefully the wins and losses will take care of themselves if we are committing to the program, doing the basics, loving what we do, and wanting to play hard for each other."

The team's four captains will be charged with expanded leadership roles, as seniors Meredith Hurd (Bath, ME/Hyde School) and Alexa Jurczak (Davidsonville, MD/Miss Porter's School) are in their second years as captains, while classmate Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) and junior Madeline Williams (Annapolis, MD/Key School) were selected for the first time.

Hurd, a two-time all-conference player who ranks fifth in program history in goals and eighth in points, will most likely be joined by a pair of freshmen up front. Hurd led the 2007 team in scoring with 37 goals and 42 points. She is expected to line up with first-year players Tess Meyer (Concord, NH/Concord) and converted defender Kathryn Sudbey (Sandy Hook, CT/Newtown).

Also expected to start on the offensive side of the midfield are juniors Abbie Sherwin (Rye, NH/Portsmouth) and Bridget Thornton (Southington, CT/Cheshire Academy). A NEWMAC All-Conference team selection as a sophomore, Sherwin recorded 13 goals, while Thornton also tallied 13 markers. Sophomores Brittany King (Georgetown, MA/Proctor Academy) and Hanna Landis (Cape Elizabeth, ME/Cape Elizabeth) are currently injured but are also in the mix for starting attack roles. Last spring, King tied for second on the team with 20 goals.

Jurczak will assume the center midfield position, where she will be relied upon to take care of and distribute the ball in the transition game. Jurczak has been a steady offensive threat in each of her first three years, combining for 52 goals, 11 assists and 63 points.

Defensive midfielders are projected to be Dimick and Williams, with Dimick expected to go over on attack. An all-conference lacrosse player as a sophomore and a two-time All-American in field hockey, Dimick is expected to make an immediate impact after studying abroad last spring. In 2006, she scored 27 times and finished with 32 points. Williams turned in 12 goals a season ago.

Sophomore Chrissy Norberg (Winchester, MA/Northfield Mount Hermon School) was set to anchor the Wheaton defense before recently suffering an injury. Classmates Kate Denison (Andover, MA/Andover) and Kate Kimball (Lexington, MA/Lexington) are slated to start, while sophomore Cameron McManus (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) and freshman Marisa Picariello (Dover, MA/Dover-Sherborn) are battling for that final position until Norberg is cleared to return.

One of two first-year players will occupy the net, as Annalisa Carson (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) and Marianna Marcellino (Milton, MA/Thayer Academy) are competing to become the Lyons' starting goalkeeper. Wheaton hasn't consistently started a freshman in goal since the 2002 season.

Returning attacking players expected to see significant minutes are senior Simone Safyer (New Rochelle, NY/The Masters School) and junior Caitlin Grant (Walpole, MA/Walpole). Safyer could get into a midfield spot but will most likely be used as an attacker. Grant, who tallied 20 goals and 25 points as a sophomore, should see time in a low attack position. Senior midfielder Kara Ganssle (Shelton, CT/Saint Joseph) rounds out the returning corps.

Freshmen who will be contributing to the depth of the squad are midfielder Rebecca Brewster (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) and attackers Emma Doyle (Hamden, CT/Hamden) and Abigale Magruder (Portsmouth, RI/Portsmouth). Jacobs has been very pleased with her first-year class and states four of the freshmen have either solidified or are vying for starting slots.

The beginning of Wheaton's season is around the corner, as the Lyons are the first spring team to get underway with a home game against Emerson College on March 6. Wheaton then travels to Gordon College and Colby College, which is ranked 13th in the latest Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll, before heading to Texas to play the University of Dallas and Salve Regina University during spring break. The Lyons return north on March 18 to face 20th-ranked New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) foe Tufts University.

Other nationally-ranked non-league opponents that appear on the Lyons' schedule are number-seven Bowdoin College, 10th-ranked Amherst College and number-19 Wesleyan University. Wheaton opens its league slate at Springfield College on March 29 before hosting 12th-ranked and defending league champion Babson College on April 1. The conference tourney begins on April 30.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 3/5/08.
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News Headlines

Caitlin Grant becomes fourth Academic All-American in Wheaton history (more)

Wheaton's Grant and Perkins earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors (more)

Seniors Grant and Thornton selected to NEWMAC All-Conference teams (more)

Upcoming Schedule

23-Mar Tue Bowdoin A 7:00pm
27-Mar Sat Mount Holyoke A 12:00pm
1-Apr Thu Bridgewater State A 4:00pm