No debate: these eight have been great
4/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Abbott, along with her seven freshmen teammates at the time – Suzanne Aronowitz, Meredith Carso, Ashley Manion, Rebecca Morley, Susan Schoelle, Ella Studdiford and Emily Studdiford – were presented with a rare opportunity to help build their team and learn life lessons that they would carry with them into the future. “One of the most significant aspects of a team’s future is the mentality of its youngest class,” says Abbott.
Struggling through a losing stretch and coaching turnover, the women attribute the first two years to helping them to become stronger and more resilient. The skills that these eight women were forced to develop helped each one to become better athletes and individuals.
“The changing of coaches has been the biggest challenge I have had to overcome,” says Ella Studdiford, a journalism major who plays on attack. “It has been unfortunate that with the talent and dedication that our seniors have had for the past four years, that we have not been under the same coaching staff.”
Emily Studdiford, a psychology major and Ella’s twin who also plays attack, says, “Each coach has a different personality and style of coaching. It has been tough to adjust each year. After two losing seasons, it was also hard to focus and play hard, but I’m glad we have stuck with it.”
Current head coach Jim Shreve describes the eight seniors as the “stabilizing nucleus of the team.” Citing their character, work ethic and leadership, both on and off the field, Shreve says, “They have been through so much change together that they have formed a unique and close bond. They have learned to rely on each other and have developed a belief that they can and will find a way to persevere by staying close.”
Things began to turn around for the team their junior year, when they made the Patriot League playoffs and were recognized as the number one turnaround team in NCAA Division I lacrosse.
“Last year’s Patriot League tournament was a highlight of my lacrosse career,” says Susan Schoelle, a marketing major who plays defense. “Most importantly, all the girls on the team have a great bond that is irreplaceable. I will miss that the most.”
As their four years comes to a close, these eight women, who will all graduate this May, have weathered a few storms, but have left the Lehigh lacrosse program stronger that it was when they arrived. The unusually large senior class of eight has left an indelible mark on the program through their leadership, teamwork and friendship. While academics, Division I sports and other factors drew them to Lehigh’s campus, it is the lessons learned, both on and off the field, that will stay with them when they leave.
“I’ve learned that you have to take each day as it comes and not dwell on the past,” says Ashley Manion, a finance major who plays defense. “You need to be looking ahead, because if you look back, you might end up backtracking in the process.”
Meredith Carso, an accounting major who plays midfield, says, “Make sure that every day you realize the sum of your endeavors.”
Story by Sarah Suh, Lehigh University Relations.
