Seniors poised to lead Mountain Hawks
9/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Lehigh’s 2002 season started off promising. The young team without a single senior won its first two games, but the youth began to show, as the Mountain Hawks stumbled to a seventh place league finish. The team has reason to be optimistic about 2003, as everyone who saw significant time returns for first year coach Julie Mazer. This year’s addition features five seniors as well as a large sophomore class that gained valuable experience as freshmen.
"Our seniors will provide strong leadership," Mazer noted. "Without any seniors last season, I think that was an area where our team will be much improved. Another thing that’s going to help is that so many sophomores played a lot as freshmen and have valuable experience."
The offense should only get better, every player who scored a point will be back this season. Senior captain Blaire Goodwin will once again lead the Mountain Hawk attack. Goodwin, a second team All-Patriot League selection, led the team with nine goals scored and 18 points. Sophomore Maureen Harrington will try to build on one of the best freshman campaigns in school history, when she was second on the squad with four goals and nine points. Harrington was named the Patriot League’s Rookie of the Week after scoring a pair of goals, including the game-winner, on a penalty stroke against LaSalle. Junior Kristi Miller scored a pair of goals and added two assists, after scoring four goals as a freshman.
"Blaire and Maureen should form a very dangerous combo for us," Mazer said. "They should be one of the more formidable duos in the league."
Juniors Sheila Clabby and Christina Getz and sophomores Marissa Iannarone, and Chelsea Singer will all look to expand their roles up front this season. Battling for time will be the incoming class of Elizabeth Berretta, Brooke High, Molly Labonte, and Kelsey Smith.
Seniors Emily Beil, a team captain, and Lisa Nichols and junior Krista Jamieson should see most of the action in the midfield. Nichols led the team with four assists and served as the as the corner hitter on offense. Jamieson also saw time on the defensive end during her sophomore campaign. Their familiarity with one another should improve the team’s transition defense. In reserve in the midfield are sophomores Chelsea Erdmanis, Melissa Fricke, and Amy Whipple. High and fellow newcomers Moira Garrity and Jen Schmeltze will also look to contribute in the midfield.
Lehigh’s third captain, senior Jenna Walsh, classmate Kirsten Wyche, and junior Dana Griffin return. Walsh joined Goodwin on the Patriot League’s second team, while Jamieson started every game in which she appeared. Backing them up on the Lehigh defense will be sophomores Mary Beth Kuenne and Lindsay Jenschke. Jenschke earned Patriot League Rookie honors after assisting on the game-winning goal in Lehigh’s win over Siena. Newcomers Garrity and Schmeltze have a chance to contribute from the start on the back line as well.
One of this season’s strengths should be the Mountain Hawks’ goaltending. Junior Jeanine Hoff and sophomore Meghan Gove each proved worthy of starting and should again split time in cage this season. Hoff received recognition as the league’s Defensive Player of the Week after shutting out Siena. She also stopped 82% of all shots she faced, including a career high 16 against Lafayette. Gove put some solid numbers on the board in her first season, as well, including a shutout victory over La Salle.
Mazer is pleased with what she has seen so far. "Everyone worked very hard this spring and we will continue to build on that and continue to make progress."
Lehigh will once again play its home games on the lighted turf at the Ulrich Sports Complex. The Mountain Hawks’ home field features lights, a press box, permanent seating for 1,200 fans, a gated entrance, and a concession stand. In addition to the always-challenging Patriot League schedule, Lehigh will play a number of challenging non-conference opponents, including a contest against perennial power Connecticut.