SELINSGROVE, Pa. — As spring finally makes its appearance after a month of below-average temperatures, the sights and sounds of lacrosse season will finally make their presence felt on the Susquehanna University campus as both the men's and women's teams prepare for multiple home games over the next 10 days.
The women's squad actually closes out Middle Atlantic Conference action for the season next Tuesday at the West Lacrosse Field when King's visits for a 4:30 p.m. match. The men's team has played just one league contest to date and plays seven of its final nine matches against MAC rivals, including five straight to close their second varsity campaign.
A pair of rookie coaches have led the Crusader lacrosse teams this spring, as Sarah Catlin took over the reins of the women's team on March 13 following the resignation of Gina Lucido, while Ron Miller is in his first season as men's coach in the place of Scott Rynne, who had guided the team since its final club season of 1999.
THE WOMEN’S REPORT
When the Crusader women began the season at 2-2 many might have thought that Susquehanna's storied run in the upper echelon of the MAC was all but over. However after winning two of its last three games, including an 11-8 decision over archrival Drew, the Crusaders have vaulted themselves to 36th in the nation in the Laxpower.com Division III ratings. Susquehanna currently stands with a 4-3 overall record and in second place in the MAC at 3-1 with a chance to host at least the first round of the MAC playoffs.
In the next week, Susquehanna will go a long way in deciding its role in the national and conference playoff picture. After playing at Division II Lock Haven on Tuesday, the Crusaders will finish off their MAC schedule by playing Lycoming, FDU-Madison and King's all in Selinsgrove. The second half of their regular season schedule will force SU to leave home only one more time (Apr. 16 vs. Philadelphia) as they play six of their remaining eight games at home.
Sophomore goalie Giulia Umile (Blue Bell, Pa./Gwynedd Mercy Academy) has been the constant for the team this season. Named the MAC Player of the Week after a school-record 26 saves in a 6-4 overtime win at Widener, Umile has deflected 106 shots and has an 8.33 goals against average and a .639 save percentage. She currently leads the nation with a goalie rating of 67.74 according to lax.com and has been on a hot streak over the past four games, making 67 saves — including 40 in the two overtime games and 20 in the upset win over Drew.
Providing support for Umile on defense, 2000 Regional All-American and senior co-captain Erin Powell (Claymont. Del/Ursuline Academy) has collected 35 groundballs which ranks her second on the team while only committing 11 fouls against the better offensive threats of the competition. Along with Powell, the defense has been led by freshman Cindy Fox (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton H.S.) who has consistently shut down the opponent's top scorer while committing just six fouls this season. After Division III's leading scorer Lauren Manekin of Goucher exploded for five goals in the first 18 minutes, Fox successfully took the task of shutting down Manekin for the rest of the game.
Another freshman drawing rave reviews from Catlin has been defender Kristen Calabree (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional H.S.). In seven games, Calabree has corralled 18 ground balls while marking top opponent forwards as well. Most notably, Calabree held MAC scoring leader Liz Baumbach (34 goals) scoreless in the Crusaders' 10-5 victory over The University of Scranton on March 22.
On the offensive end the Crusaders have been led by junior co-captain Krista O'Brien (Sykesville, Md./Liberty H.S.) with 25 points including 23 goals ranking her sixth in the nation on lax.com. O'Brien has picked up her game in conference play with 14 goals in four games including seven in an overtime loss at Messiah and four in the win over Drew. In the Drew game, O'Brien became the second player in school history to surpass the century mark in goals scored with 101 and is just 11 shy of career goal queen Sandy Jenkin (112 from 1996-99) and eight points from moving overtaking Jenkin in second place on the career points list with 135 (School leader, 162, Dana Makowski, 1997-2000).
O'Brien and the rest of the Crusader offense have been produced primarily from the passing of junior Katie Sonnefeld (Monkton, Md/Hereford H.S.) who leads the team with eight assists including six in the past three games and is second on the team with 12 points.
Two benefactors of Sonnefeld's passing have been the sophomore duo of Kelly Smith (New Egypt, N.J./Allentown H.S.) and Lesley Sciarrillo (North Caldwell, N.J./West Essex H.S.) with eight and seven goals respectively.
Susquehanna has won the battle of the groundballs this season, controlling 313 looseballs to the opponents 183 led by junior tri-captain Liz Cipoletti's (Fort Salonga, N.Y./Northport H.S.) 46 groundballs from the midfield position.
THE MEN’S REPORT
First-year head coach Miller expected that the second season of varsity men's lacrosse would result in an improvement upon last year's 1-12 record. While the team has won just one of its first four games, the signs are obvious that there is no "sophomore jinx" for the program.
Last season, Susquehanna opened the season 0-4 and allowed 20 or more goals in three of four games (84 total) while tallying just 23 goals as a team. This year, the Crusaders have yielded just 47 goals in four games (no more than 18 in any game) and found the back of the net 36 times.
Leading the attack has been sophomore Andy Nadler (Westport, Conn./Staples H.S.), who has fired home a team-high 11 goals after leading the team with 16 goals as a freshman. He notched the first-ever four-goal game by a Susquehanna player in a 16-1 win over Misericordia on March 27 — a game in which the Crusaders set team records for most goals scored and fewest goals allowed.
Nadler, who led the team with 102 ground balls last season, is on pace to surpass that total in 2001 as he has picked up a team-best 38 ground balls in just four games. He is the program's all-time leader in goals (27), assists (16) and points (43).
A pair of freshmen have stepped in and given a much-needed shot in the arm to the Crusader offense. Hale Abramson (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Indian Hills H.S.) has tallied six goals and dished out a team-high six assists for 12 points in four games, while Scott Hodgson (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo H.S.) has added six goals and two assists for eight points.
Abramson set a single-game record with four assists against Misericordia, and has picked up at least one assist in all four games this season. Hodgson scored two goals in each of the Crusaders' first two games and has registered at least one goal in all four games.
Two other freshmen that have contributed offensively are fellow Penn Manor High School graduates Brian Yoder (Conestoga, Pa.) and Pete Dantinne (Millersville, Pa.). Both have scored two goals and one assist this season, with Dantinne doing all of his damage in the victory over Misericordia.
On defense, junior Evan Dresser (Wynnewood, Pa./Lower Merion H.S.) has gobbled up 21 ground balls while junior Dave Howard (Frackville, Pa./North Schuylkill H.S.) has picked up 27 ground balls to rank second on the team to Nadler.
In goal, freshman Todd Marquess (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Charter H.S.) has started all four games and has posted a 12.11 goals against average with a .488 save percentage. He turned away nine shots without a goal against Misericordia to earn his first career win.
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