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2007 Women's Lacrosse Season Preview
February 26, 2007 | Women's Lacrosse
The 2006 NCAA tournament performance of the Princeton women's lacrosse team was certainly inspiring to anyone who witnessed those two thrillers against Virginia and Dartmouth.
The better news is this: as inspiring as those games were to the Tigers then, they're even more inspiring to Princeton now.
“In terms of our play in the NCAA tournament, I think you can see the possibilities for this group this season,” says head coach Chris Sailer, now in her 21st season on the bench. “Last year it took us a while to know how good we could be. Now we have that mentality right from the beginning.”
Besides that mentality, Princeton also has the kind of experience it lacked last season.
A midfield that was a question mark a year ago is now without question one of the top groups in the country. An attack group that centered on All-America Kathleen Miller at the beginning of 2006 was a much more balanced unit by season's end. And goalie Colleen O'Boyle certainly proved she was more than capable in a starting role, saving maybe her best two games for those NCAA nailbiters against Virginia and Dartmouth.
And of course Princeton has Sailer, whose 259 career victories entering the year will be the most of any Division I coach patrolling the sidelines this season. The veteran coach of the Tigers is as excited for the 2007 season as she's been for any of her 21 years at Princeton.
“I've been extremely pleased with our consistency and hard work leading into the season,” Sailer says. “Our players want to be back in the national title mix after getting so close at the end of last year.”
LEADING THE WAY
Princeton's tri-captains have each found their way to leadership positions differently. But each of them, seniors Kathleen Miller, Colleen O'Boyle and Caitlin Reimers, are great stories in their own right.
Miller is without question one of the most skilled players in team history, and her final numbers could leave her among the top five scorers all-time at Princeton. She has 92 goals and 41 assists in three seasons, including a team-high 55 points last season, numbers that probably would be even higher if not for numerous injuries.
The Virginia native and 2006 third-team All-America suffered yet another injury in 2006, this time an ankle tear that required surgery in September, but should be healthy for the 2007 season. She can be a prolific scorer, as evidenced by her six goals at Brown last season, but she also has the field vision that should leave her second all-time at Princeton in assists by season's end.
O'Boyle began the 2006 season as the team's backup goalie. She finished the year as one of the team's most clutch players, especially considering she was the only experienced goalkeeper on the roster. Starting each of the team's final nine games, she allowed more than eight goals in just one of them as the Tigers closed the season with a flourish.
Her two big saves in the final minutes helped Princeton beat Virginia in the NCAA tournament, and by season's end she was as important a player as any on the Princeton roster. An excellent stopper, O'Boyle will look to improve her ballhandling and become a more vocal leader in the cage as a senior.
By more than one measure, Reimers is Princeton's most experienced player. The two-time team captain has started all 56 games of her Tiger career, 44 of which have been wins. She has played both defense, in her first two years, and midfield, last season, and she's played both of those positions well enough to earn a starting role.
In addition to her speed in the transition game, Reimers' strength has always been her defensive ability, and she will likely play as a line defender as a senior. With the loss of stellar defenders Lauren Vance and Caitlin Abidin to graduation, Sailer will look to Reimers to provide the senior leadership needed to produce the kind of shutdown defense the Tigers often provided in 2006.
MIDFIELD MAGIC
Princeton enters the 2007 season with one of most versatile and athletic midfield units in the country. And the best part about that is that the group will return as a whole in 2008 as well.
Katie Lewis-Lamonica, now a junior, has been an outstanding two-way player from the first game of her freshman season. The team leader with 38 goals a year ago, she was a first-team all-region pick as a sophomore. Lewis-Lamonica might also be her team's best one-on-one defender, and she is often matched up against one of the opposition's top scoring threats. She is also one of just two college juniors who are current members of the U.S. Elite Women's Lacrosse Team.
Lewis-Lamonica was the 2005 Ivy Rookie of the Year. The top rookie in the Ivy League in 2006 was Holly McGarvie, a two-sport star who was simply sensational all over the field as a freshman. McGarvie started every game and led the Tigers in draw controls with 44 and ground balls with 46. She finished third on the team with 22 goals and second on the Tigers with 20 caused turnovers. Her ability both to earn and finish free-position opportunities showed a toughness on the field that belied her experience.
Classmate Katie Cox also started every game for Princeton in the midfield as a freshman, scoring 11 goals and adding six assists. A smart player who can play anywhere on the field, Cox had a terrific fall season and is primed for a breakout sophomore year thanks to her off-ball skills and field vision.
Sophomore Kristin Schwab, another two-sport star, had a stellar debut in 2006 before suffering a season-ending knee injury after just six games. In those six games, all of which came against top-15 teams, Schwab scored 13 goals on just 15 shots and also had 10 ground balls.
Yet another super second-year player, Anne Murray, will see time in the midfield after a big second half of the 2006 season put her into the mix. Junior Courtney Bird saw limited action last season but has a chance to be a key contributor to the midfield this year.
VETERAN PRESENCE ON ATTACK
Miller, who switched to attack from midfield prior to her junior season, would be a No. 1 option at that spot for just about any team in the country. But the Tigers can also count on a number of veterans to add scoring punch when needed.
Two of the biggest surprises during Princeton's late-season run were attackers Ashley Amo and Alison Murray, both of whom are now juniors. Each not only contributed to big wins but provided huge goals in key situations.
Amo, who started the last six games, finished with 12 goals in 2006, including 11 goals in the last eight games of the season and three goals in the NCAA win at Virginia. An excellent presence and finisher around the cage, she will be a starter again as the 2007 season begins.
Murray began her Princeton career, and even played much of last season, as a defender. But a move to an attacking spot late in the season proved to be a huge boost for the Tigers. She had four goals in the NCAA tournament, including three at Dartmouth, and ended the year as one of seven Princeton players with 10 or more goals.
Senior Mary Minshall, who started two games last season, has been a consistent presence in the Tiger attack since her freshman season. Her experience on the front line will greatly add to the Tigers' attack rotation this season.
Sophomore Christine Casaceli played in every game but two as a freshman and showed a goal-scoring flair, finishing the year with eight goals. Her late goal in the regular-season finale against Maryland showcased her skills, and she enters the 2007 season as a candidate for a starting spot on attack.
Senior Alex Gangler had six goals in 2006, including three in a win at Loyola, and is a proven commodity for Princeton when the Tigers need a goal. Freshman Kristin Morrison, a prolific goal scorer in high school at Friends Academy on Long Island, may have the hardest shot on the team and should contribute, potentially as a starter, as a first-year player.
Sophomore Sarah Steele, who had three goals in six appearances last season, also returns to the Princeton attack in 2007.
FAMILIAR NAMES, NEW PLACES
Princeton's defensive unit lost a pair of all-region players in Abidin and Vance, but the Tigers hope to make up for those losses by shifting some experienced players to the defensive end of the field.
In addition to Reimers, who should spend most of her time on defense in 2007, senior Christine Dobrosky will make the move to that position this season. Dobrosky is an excellent athlete who will provide a veteran presence protecting the Princeton cage.
Junior Norris Novak has been a starter for much of her first two years at Princeton, and she earned second-team all-regional honors on defense a year ago. Novak, who had 34 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers as a sophomore, is now firmly entrenched as a leader of the team's back line and is a candidate for
All-America and All-Ivy honors.
Sophomore Marie McKenna, who was a starter for much of last season on defense and played in every game, will miss the early part of the 2007 season after suffering a knee injury in the fall. McKenna, who finished among the team leaders with 23 ground balls as a freshman, will hopefully be ready to play by April.
Two freshman players also have the chance to be key contributors on the defensive unit. Sarah Vance, Lauren's younger sister, has displayed a similar athletic style on defense that makes her a potential starter at the position. Katie Rogers, from Westchester County, was a high-scoring midfielder in high school but will likely be a defender at Princeton after a strong fall season.
Sophomore Marine Graham is a much-improved player from a year ago who will contribute to the defensive unit, as will converted attacker Caity Manzo.
MORE FROM THE CLASS OF 2010
Two of Princeton's freshmen, like sophomores McGarvie and Schwab, are also members of the Ivy League champion field hockey team.
Kaitlyn Perrelle, who plays goalie in lacrosse, was the Ivy League Field Hockey Rookie of the Year as a defender in that sport. Kaitlin Donovan played in every game but one for the field hockey team.
Midfielders Emery Maine, also a standout prep squash player, and Jenna Washabaugh also join the Tigers in 2007. Attacker Emily Tiernan was both a lacrosse and ice hockey standout while attending Holton-Arms School outside Washington, D.C.
ON SCHEDULE
The Tigers, ranked No. 6 in the IWLCA preseason poll and in the top five in two other polls, will play six of the other nine IWLCA top 10 teams this season, including three in the first four weeks of the year in Johns Hopkins, Duke and Virginia.
All in all, Princeton will play 10 of the 20 teams in that preseason poll.
Princeton, which earned a share of the Ivy League championship along with Cornell in 2006, will begin its league season against the Big Red in an early-season showdown in Ithaca March 31. The Tigers' matchup with rival Dartmouth is April 21 in Hanover.
The regular season will end with a big-time matchup at Class of 1952 Stadium on May 6 when Georgetown visits. The teams had previously met earlier in the year during the past several seasons. Princeton will also play local rival Rutgers for the first time since the 2001 season.
The national semifinals and championship game take place May 25 and 27 at Penn's Franklin Field, a place the Tigers will also visit for a regular-season game against the Quakers April 18. Princeton has made the NCAA tournament nine consecutive years and is one of only two teams to have reached the quarterfinals in each of the six seasons the Division I championship has featured a 16-team format.
The better news is this: as inspiring as those games were to the Tigers then, they're even more inspiring to Princeton now.
“In terms of our play in the NCAA tournament, I think you can see the possibilities for this group this season,” says head coach Chris Sailer, now in her 21st season on the bench. “Last year it took us a while to know how good we could be. Now we have that mentality right from the beginning.”
Besides that mentality, Princeton also has the kind of experience it lacked last season.
A midfield that was a question mark a year ago is now without question one of the top groups in the country. An attack group that centered on All-America Kathleen Miller at the beginning of 2006 was a much more balanced unit by season's end. And goalie Colleen O'Boyle certainly proved she was more than capable in a starting role, saving maybe her best two games for those NCAA nailbiters against Virginia and Dartmouth.
And of course Princeton has Sailer, whose 259 career victories entering the year will be the most of any Division I coach patrolling the sidelines this season. The veteran coach of the Tigers is as excited for the 2007 season as she's been for any of her 21 years at Princeton.
“I've been extremely pleased with our consistency and hard work leading into the season,” Sailer says. “Our players want to be back in the national title mix after getting so close at the end of last year.”
LEADING THE WAY
Princeton's tri-captains have each found their way to leadership positions differently. But each of them, seniors Kathleen Miller, Colleen O'Boyle and Caitlin Reimers, are great stories in their own right.
Miller is without question one of the most skilled players in team history, and her final numbers could leave her among the top five scorers all-time at Princeton. She has 92 goals and 41 assists in three seasons, including a team-high 55 points last season, numbers that probably would be even higher if not for numerous injuries.
The Virginia native and 2006 third-team All-America suffered yet another injury in 2006, this time an ankle tear that required surgery in September, but should be healthy for the 2007 season. She can be a prolific scorer, as evidenced by her six goals at Brown last season, but she also has the field vision that should leave her second all-time at Princeton in assists by season's end.
O'Boyle began the 2006 season as the team's backup goalie. She finished the year as one of the team's most clutch players, especially considering she was the only experienced goalkeeper on the roster. Starting each of the team's final nine games, she allowed more than eight goals in just one of them as the Tigers closed the season with a flourish.
Her two big saves in the final minutes helped Princeton beat Virginia in the NCAA tournament, and by season's end she was as important a player as any on the Princeton roster. An excellent stopper, O'Boyle will look to improve her ballhandling and become a more vocal leader in the cage as a senior.
By more than one measure, Reimers is Princeton's most experienced player. The two-time team captain has started all 56 games of her Tiger career, 44 of which have been wins. She has played both defense, in her first two years, and midfield, last season, and she's played both of those positions well enough to earn a starting role.
In addition to her speed in the transition game, Reimers' strength has always been her defensive ability, and she will likely play as a line defender as a senior. With the loss of stellar defenders Lauren Vance and Caitlin Abidin to graduation, Sailer will look to Reimers to provide the senior leadership needed to produce the kind of shutdown defense the Tigers often provided in 2006.
MIDFIELD MAGIC
Princeton enters the 2007 season with one of most versatile and athletic midfield units in the country. And the best part about that is that the group will return as a whole in 2008 as well.
Katie Lewis-Lamonica, now a junior, has been an outstanding two-way player from the first game of her freshman season. The team leader with 38 goals a year ago, she was a first-team all-region pick as a sophomore. Lewis-Lamonica might also be her team's best one-on-one defender, and she is often matched up against one of the opposition's top scoring threats. She is also one of just two college juniors who are current members of the U.S. Elite Women's Lacrosse Team.
Lewis-Lamonica was the 2005 Ivy Rookie of the Year. The top rookie in the Ivy League in 2006 was Holly McGarvie, a two-sport star who was simply sensational all over the field as a freshman. McGarvie started every game and led the Tigers in draw controls with 44 and ground balls with 46. She finished third on the team with 22 goals and second on the Tigers with 20 caused turnovers. Her ability both to earn and finish free-position opportunities showed a toughness on the field that belied her experience.
Classmate Katie Cox also started every game for Princeton in the midfield as a freshman, scoring 11 goals and adding six assists. A smart player who can play anywhere on the field, Cox had a terrific fall season and is primed for a breakout sophomore year thanks to her off-ball skills and field vision.
Sophomore Kristin Schwab, another two-sport star, had a stellar debut in 2006 before suffering a season-ending knee injury after just six games. In those six games, all of which came against top-15 teams, Schwab scored 13 goals on just 15 shots and also had 10 ground balls.
Yet another super second-year player, Anne Murray, will see time in the midfield after a big second half of the 2006 season put her into the mix. Junior Courtney Bird saw limited action last season but has a chance to be a key contributor to the midfield this year.
VETERAN PRESENCE ON ATTACK
Miller, who switched to attack from midfield prior to her junior season, would be a No. 1 option at that spot for just about any team in the country. But the Tigers can also count on a number of veterans to add scoring punch when needed.
Two of the biggest surprises during Princeton's late-season run were attackers Ashley Amo and Alison Murray, both of whom are now juniors. Each not only contributed to big wins but provided huge goals in key situations.
Amo, who started the last six games, finished with 12 goals in 2006, including 11 goals in the last eight games of the season and three goals in the NCAA win at Virginia. An excellent presence and finisher around the cage, she will be a starter again as the 2007 season begins.
Murray began her Princeton career, and even played much of last season, as a defender. But a move to an attacking spot late in the season proved to be a huge boost for the Tigers. She had four goals in the NCAA tournament, including three at Dartmouth, and ended the year as one of seven Princeton players with 10 or more goals.
Senior Mary Minshall, who started two games last season, has been a consistent presence in the Tiger attack since her freshman season. Her experience on the front line will greatly add to the Tigers' attack rotation this season.
Sophomore Christine Casaceli played in every game but two as a freshman and showed a goal-scoring flair, finishing the year with eight goals. Her late goal in the regular-season finale against Maryland showcased her skills, and she enters the 2007 season as a candidate for a starting spot on attack.
Senior Alex Gangler had six goals in 2006, including three in a win at Loyola, and is a proven commodity for Princeton when the Tigers need a goal. Freshman Kristin Morrison, a prolific goal scorer in high school at Friends Academy on Long Island, may have the hardest shot on the team and should contribute, potentially as a starter, as a first-year player.
Sophomore Sarah Steele, who had three goals in six appearances last season, also returns to the Princeton attack in 2007.
FAMILIAR NAMES, NEW PLACES
Princeton's defensive unit lost a pair of all-region players in Abidin and Vance, but the Tigers hope to make up for those losses by shifting some experienced players to the defensive end of the field.
In addition to Reimers, who should spend most of her time on defense in 2007, senior Christine Dobrosky will make the move to that position this season. Dobrosky is an excellent athlete who will provide a veteran presence protecting the Princeton cage.
Junior Norris Novak has been a starter for much of her first two years at Princeton, and she earned second-team all-regional honors on defense a year ago. Novak, who had 34 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers as a sophomore, is now firmly entrenched as a leader of the team's back line and is a candidate for
All-America and All-Ivy honors.
Sophomore Marie McKenna, who was a starter for much of last season on defense and played in every game, will miss the early part of the 2007 season after suffering a knee injury in the fall. McKenna, who finished among the team leaders with 23 ground balls as a freshman, will hopefully be ready to play by April.
Two freshman players also have the chance to be key contributors on the defensive unit. Sarah Vance, Lauren's younger sister, has displayed a similar athletic style on defense that makes her a potential starter at the position. Katie Rogers, from Westchester County, was a high-scoring midfielder in high school but will likely be a defender at Princeton after a strong fall season.
Sophomore Marine Graham is a much-improved player from a year ago who will contribute to the defensive unit, as will converted attacker Caity Manzo.
MORE FROM THE CLASS OF 2010
Two of Princeton's freshmen, like sophomores McGarvie and Schwab, are also members of the Ivy League champion field hockey team.
Kaitlyn Perrelle, who plays goalie in lacrosse, was the Ivy League Field Hockey Rookie of the Year as a defender in that sport. Kaitlin Donovan played in every game but one for the field hockey team.
Midfielders Emery Maine, also a standout prep squash player, and Jenna Washabaugh also join the Tigers in 2007. Attacker Emily Tiernan was both a lacrosse and ice hockey standout while attending Holton-Arms School outside Washington, D.C.
ON SCHEDULE
The Tigers, ranked No. 6 in the IWLCA preseason poll and in the top five in two other polls, will play six of the other nine IWLCA top 10 teams this season, including three in the first four weeks of the year in Johns Hopkins, Duke and Virginia.
All in all, Princeton will play 10 of the 20 teams in that preseason poll.
Princeton, which earned a share of the Ivy League championship along with Cornell in 2006, will begin its league season against the Big Red in an early-season showdown in Ithaca March 31. The Tigers' matchup with rival Dartmouth is April 21 in Hanover.
The regular season will end with a big-time matchup at Class of 1952 Stadium on May 6 when Georgetown visits. The teams had previously met earlier in the year during the past several seasons. Princeton will also play local rival Rutgers for the first time since the 2001 season.
The national semifinals and championship game take place May 25 and 27 at Penn's Franklin Field, a place the Tigers will also visit for a regular-season game against the Quakers April 18. Princeton has made the NCAA tournament nine consecutive years and is one of only two teams to have reached the quarterfinals in each of the six seasons the Division I championship has featured a 16-team format.
Friday, May 08
Friday, April 17
Thursday, March 05
Wednesday, February 18