Spring Break
Lady Jays strive for even better record
| |
| |
|
The 2007 season looks promising for the women's lacrosse team, following a largely successful season that saw the Lady Jays keep a 12-4 record. Although they missed out a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament last year, there are high hopes for the new squad.
The Jays are currently ranked ninth in Lacrosse Magazine's preseason poll, and face a tough season ahead of them. They will play 16 games in total, including 9 at home. During this trying schedule, the team will face some of the top squads in the nation, including five that went to the NCAA tournament last season.
The strongest challenge to Hopkins will probably be from Northwestern University, the current titleholders and two-time defending champions.
The Lady Jays began their season with a busy week, garnering a thrilling win against George Washington on Feb. 21 -- which, like the men's team's opener, was the earliest in our school's history.
After the team crushed George Washington 13-7, with four goals and three assists from the on-fire Mary Key, they went on to beat George Mason 9-7. Key also added four goals and two assists in that game, getting her season off to a rip-roaring start.
The two wins are an auspicious start to what could prove to be a difficult series of away games. The team will play away from home for five consecutive game, beginning with a showdown against the Princeton Tigers this Saturday, March 3 -- a team they defeated in 2006 during a nationally televised game that saw a 8-7 finish by the Jays.
Ohio is next on the schedule, as the team takes on Ohio State in the American Lacrosse Conference. They then travel east to square off against Georgetown and the University of Maryland, two dangerous opponents with powerhouse records.
The team will return to Homewood on March 24 for games against Oregon, Penn and Denver. Back in the American Lacrosse Conference, they will face Vanderbilt, before facing UMBC at home. The schedule concludes with three exciting games against NCAA Tournament teams Virginia, Northwestern and Towson.
Even with a schedule full of tough challenges, the team is optimistic about their changes. This season's roster features a mixture of young talent, with a stellar class of incoming freshmen players and veteran players. The six senior players returning to the squad, including top scorer Mary Key, will have 229 games' worth of experience between them.
Key will be central to the extremely experienced Blue Jays offense, which will especially benefit from the eight returners. This solid group of seniors scored 152 out of the team's 205 games last season, or over 70 percent. Key, one of the three captains this year, has led the NCAA in scoring for the past two seasons, with 262 career points and 95 assists.
Also vital to the team's offensive line will be senior captain Alex Nolan, who is known for her unselfish style on the field and her success as a playmaker for her teammates. Last season, she had seven goals and 11 assists. Nolan will be backed up by fellow playmaker Sarah Walsh, a fifth-year senior who finished second in scoring last season.
Be the first to comment on this story