Feb. 18, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland women's lacrosse team, which opens its 2008 season on Friday at UMass, is making its final preparations for its trip to the Bay State. Inside Lacrosse and Lacrosse Magazine have both ranked the Terrapins fourth nationally. The following is the first of three installments that will examine the Terps prior to the opener. Today's preview focuses on the attack with a closer look at the midfield coming tomorrow.
Maryland, which had the eighth most potent offense in the country in 2007, returns 73 percent of its scoring from last season (320 of the 439 points). Leading the way in 2008 is returning first team All-American Dana Dobbie, who was also a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy. The Terps will also have the services of another All-American in Kelly Kasper as well as the leadership of 10 seniors spread throughout every position of the field.
"Our senior class is very strong," head coach Cathy Reese said. "We have a lot of talent returning on both ends of the field."
Not only that, the Terps will have more depth this year than teams in the past.
"We have a lot of depth this season," Reese added. "We will have a lot of people on the bench that we can turn to who can take the field with the team not missing a step."
With experience and playmakers on all sides of the field, Maryland will look to return to the postseason for the 19th straight season and make a run to the national championship that has eluded it since 2001.
ATTACK
Maryland usually features one of the most prolific offenses in the nation and this season should be no different. Returning All-American Dana Dobbie, one of the best scorers in the country, leads the offense that ranked eighth in the country in 2007.
The Terps lost their top scorer in Krista Pellizzi who scored 55 goals and and 21 assists, but the top six producers following her all return to College Park.
"Our attack has a lot of experience returning with Katie Princiotto, Casey Magor, and Lauren Cohen," Reese said. "We have a lot of experience on our offensive end while adding several new faces who will step up and be ready to contribute this season."
Cohen had a breakout year in 2007 with 33 goals and 15 assists after scoring just eight points combined in her first two seasons. Both Cohen and Dobbie have strong one-on-one attacking skills and can create offensive opportunities under pressure.
Princiotto also stepped up in 2007 on the offensive end. She was not a stranger to scoring goals as she recorded 21 as a sophomore in 2006, but last year, she led the Terps with 26 assists while still adding in 19 goals.
The experience on attack does not end there though as Magor is back for her final season at Maryland. She started every game she played in last season and she added 33 goals and 13 assists. Magor was productive in every game, scoring a point in all 20 contests.
Maryland will have a lot of depth on attack and will be able to use different schemes and combinations throughout the season. Kate Faas, a transfer from St. Bonaventure, joins the Terps in 2008 and is the reigning Atlantic 10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year after recording 54 goals and 14 assists in just 15 games last season. With Faas' skills, she should immediately impact the team on the offensive end.
Other returners for Maryland include senior Chelsea Kapp, juniors Jenny Collins and Alex Mavris, and sophomore Ali Perkins who all saw time last year. Perkins recorded four goals and six assists, Collins pitched in with two goals, and Mavris had a goal and an assist.
A number of newcomers will also get into the mix on the offensive end with freshmen Ellen Cook and Colleen Dawson. The Terps also have a trio of sister combinations all across the field. On offense, it is Taylor and Meredith Zanelotti. Taylor rejoins the team for the 2008 season while Meredith joins the red and black as a freshman.
"We will have a very balanced scoring attack so all seven of our attackers, no matter the combination, can score," Reese said. "I really believe that we have that with this team. Our offense will be exciting to watch this season."
