Feb. 8, 2007
The Maryland women's lacrosse team, ranked No. 6 in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and No. 8 in the IWLCA Coaches Poll, opens the 2007 season with an exhibition game against the English national team on Tuesday, February 13 at 4:00 p.m. at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
2007 SEASON PREVIEW:
Despite losing its leading scorer from a year ago, the 2007 Maryland women's lacrosse team will not have trouble putting points on the board. The Terrapins are returning 21 student-athletes from the 2006 squad and 70 percent of their scoring. Rounding out the Terrapin roster are six freshmen and two transfers who will each add something special to the team.
"Our roster is filled with talent and experience," said head coach Cathy Reese. "The team is well rounded and will display speed and skill at every position. Everyone has been working hard in the fall and winter to prepare for the 2007 season."
Reese took over the Maryland program in September following the departure of long time coach Cindy Timchal. Reese was a seven-time national champion with Maryland as a student-athlete and assistant coach and has known nothing but success as a Terp. In her first nine years at Maryland from 1995-2003, she accumulated a 169-19 record.
After not advancing to the NCAA championship game since 2001, Maryland's last NCAA title, Reese will look to bring the Terrapins back to the forefront nationally.
"Our goal is to win a national championship, however our focus is on improving each day," said Reese. "We will take it one game at a time and look to grow stronger through the season".
Reese returns to her alma mater after heading the Denver program for three seasons. In 2006, she guided the Pioneers to their best season in program history with a 16-5 record. She was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Coach of the Year and will look to translate her experience and success at Denver into success at Maryland.
"I am passionate and excited about the women's lacrosse program at Maryland. It is such a great opportunity for me to be able to coach at my alma mater for a program that means so much to me. My college experience was memorable and I want my student-athletes to experience what I did."
ATTACK
Maryland's top three scorers a year ago all earned IWLCA/US Lacrosse All-American status and two of them are returning for more. Midfielder Kelly Kasper and attacker Krista Pellizzi both started all 20 games for the Terps last season and notched 71 and 65 points, respectively. Kasper was a second-team All-American while Pellizzi was named to the third team.
In addition to Kasper's and Pellizzi's production, junior Casey Magor added 16 goals and 22 assists during her sophomore season. Pellizzi and Magor will anchor the attack this year and will be joined by juniors Katie Princiotto, Lauren Cohen and senior Mollie Reese. The Terps' attack is loaded with experience and should prove to be one of the most prolific offensive units in the country.
Junior transfer Chelsea Kapp will add speed to the attack and sophomores Jenny Collins and Alex Mavris will add depth and tenacity. Freshman Ali Perkins will contribute with her ability to feed and find open cutters.
MIDFIELD
The Maryland midfield will be a strength for the Terps this season. Junior Kelly Kasper and senior co-captain Katie Doolittle return to lead the way coming off of strong 2006 seasons. Kasper had a breakout sophomore season scoring 44 goals and adding 27 assists. Her intensity and athleticism also make her one of the best defenders for the Terps in the middle of the field.
Doolittle will look to have a standout senior season after scoring over 30 goals in each of the past two years. In 2006, she was an IWLCA/US Lacrosse All-South and an All-ACC selection and will help to lead the team in the 2007 season.
Freshmen Caitlyn McFadden and Amanda Spinnenweber are expected to make an immediate impact at midfield. They will use their speed, stick skills, and overall athleticism to contribute on both ends of the field. Junior transfer Dana Dobbie brings a powerful combination of collegiate and national team experience and is one of the most creative and exciting players on the roster. Sophomore Kearny Raver will add speed and explosiveness to the transition game.
DEFENSE
The Maryland defense is not only talented, but extremely experienced and is anchored by junior goalie Allie Buote who started in all 20 games last season. Buote is a good communicator and her exceptional reaction time and vision of the field make her one of the top goalkeepers in the nation. Sophomore goalkeepers Sarah Sommaripa and Lynne Cooper add depth for the Terps and add another dimension to the strength of the defense.
Opponent offenses will have to get to the cage first though. Seniors Becky Clipp, Jen Greenberg, Martha Raver and juniors Katie Pumphrey and Megan Cassara all return for the Terps to provide leadership on defense. Clipp, Pumphrey, Raver and Casara will look to explode out of the defensive end and be the start of the Maryland offense. Greenberg, along with sophomores Mindy Jones, Maeve McKew and Marie Moorman all have excellent body positioning on defense and can read offensive players well. Their cohesiveness and experience with each other will translate into frustrated opponents on the attack.
Joining the Terps defensive unit this year are newcomers Maggie Stout, Katie Gallagher and Karissa Taylor. All three players are extremely athletic and excellent one on one defenders.
SCHEDULE
The Terrapins open the 2007 season at home for three straight games, beginning with the season opener on February 18 at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex against Ohio. Following that contest are two crucial early-season ACC match-ups against Boston College and Duke University on February 24 and March 3rd respectively. The game vs Duke will be held at Ludwig field.
From March 13 to March 24, the Terps will go non a four-game stretch that might be the toughest of the regular season. Maryland travels to Charlottesville on the 13th to face Virginia who won the ACC Tournament last season. Four days later, the Terrapins travel to New Hampshire to take on perennial power Dartmouth. Maryland then returns home ot play Johns Hopkins on the 21st and will play North Carolina at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium on the 24th in a game televised nationally by CSTV.
The Terps will close out their ACC schedule in the final game of the season at Virginia Tech on April 21st. The ACC Tournament is slated for April 26-29 at the University of North Carolina.
In between the conference tournament and the start of the NCAA Tournament on May 13, Maryland will again take on Princeton on May 2nd in College Park.
The 26th Annual Division 1 Women's Lacrosse Championship will be held on campus sites on May 13th and 18th to determine the final four teams. The finals will be played at Franklin Field in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania on May 25th and 27th.
