|
Small College Scoop: Beaver Fever
April 17, 2008
by Jac Coyne, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff The Babson women's lacrosse team had two winning seasons in the previous nine prior to last year's stunning 15-3 campaign and berth in the NCAA second round. The Beavers had a pair of 10-8 campaigns and a second place conference finish during that span, but were a consistent also-ran in New England. As a result the Beavers' sustainability as a national, if at least regional, power has been met with some skepticism. And the Babson players know it. "Their motto this year is: `Prove it,'" said Kully Reardon, who is in her seventh year with Babson. "They don't want anyone thinking last year was a fluke." Mission accomplished so far. Heading into Thursday's game against No. 17 Tufts, Babson is 11-1 and ranked 10th in the country. If they can get by the Jumbos, the Beavers will likely finish the season with a 16-1 mark and a possible home date in the NCAA tournament. Babson is a game better than last year because they are playing with a confidence bolstered by last year's performance. There is an edge to this team; the players aren't just thrilled with the ride. This allowed them to avenge one of their two regular season losses from 2007, a 13-12 overtime victory over No. 12 Trinity. "We were never really trailing, but it was a hard-fought battle and coming out of that game in overtime with a win really jumpstarted them," said Reardon of the Trinity triumph. "It didn't make them believe we could play with the best teams, but we are the best team. It wasn't, `Oh, my gosh! It's great that we got a win against Trinity.' We should have won because we were the better team."
This attitude has been fostered by leaders molded by the heat of last year's playoff run. Senior Anita Martignetti, who is the school's all-time leader in assists and second in both goals and points, and juniors Jackie Godfrey and Lindsay Bucci, who have both pushed past the 100-goal mark, form a no-nonsense leadership corps that spurs the younger members of the team.
"Last year, we knew we were good, but it took some time," said Reardon. "This year, they went into the season knowing they were good. That just perpetuated the attitude that losing is not option...except for that one game." The one game was a 12-8 home loss to No. 9 Amherst, a setback that Reardon views as an overall benefit to the team because it illustrates the perils every team faces no matter how talented or focused. "They tried too hard and they over-analyzed Amherst and they didn't concentrate on themselves," said Reardon. "I was really happy to be honest - after a couple of hours, anyway - that we ended up losing that game because that was the only indication we had that we did over-think things. We tried too hard not to lose instead of trying to win. "My mission is to make sure they don't try too hard because trying to prove in game-in and game-out can be exhausting." Helping Reardon's mission has been the play of rookie Sarah Macary. Described by Reardon as the first true goalie she's had in seven years, Macary has provided the Beavers an athletic player between the pipes. She's been through trials in her freshman campaign, but she is stopping free position shots and starting the Babson break with pinpoint half-field passes. "Sarah gets ground balls that she really has no business getting and she's bouncing around and giving the attacker the feeling that it will be hard getting the ball behind her," said Reardon. Babson was seeded into the second round of the NCAA tournament last spring but were one and done. Mary Washington, a nearly perennial tourney participant, jumped all over the Beavers from the start en route to an 18-14 win. Reardon's club wasn't the first, or last team, to not fare well in its first dance in the spotlight, but Babson is itching for another chance. "If we are lucky enough to get there, I think the upperclassmen will know what to expect and we won't be a deer caught in the headlights," said Reardon. "They'll again want to prove it. Prove they are a top team and they are not just happy to be there."
Doors Opening, Closing The victory, which was followed by a win over Wheeling Jesuit on Wednesday, pushes Mercyhurst to 7-3 overall and, more importantly, 3-1 in the East Coast Conference. That currently puts the Lakers in the third place in the ECC, a game ahead of Post (1-2) and behind Dowling (3-0) and NYIT (3-0). It's a long way from the start of the season for `Hurst when they stumbled out to a 2-3 beginning, including a 17-1 demolition by Le Moyne. No. 2 NYIT appears to be the favorite for the Central bid to the NCAAs while Dowling has the inside track for the wild card bid, especially with a head-to-head victory over Mercyhurst. However, Dowling still must play No. 8 Adelphi, Post and NYIT and if the Golden Lions can't win two out of three, suddenly the Lakers could be in a good spot for the wild card. If this was the case, it would bring in some other possibilities from other regions, including Wingate, which will likely have a 13-2 record and a head-to-head victory over Mercyhurst. While doors are opening in men's D-II, there was a hard slam of one on the women's side. West Chester nailed down the second South bid with a second victory over PSAC conference rival Lock Haven on Wednesday, 18-12. That should put a wrap on the postseason, with Limestone filling out the South bracket with C.W. Post and Adelphi representing the North.
Slides & Rides -This season started off with such promise for Colorado College. The Tigers started the season with an impressive win over Colorado State - a serious contender for the MCLA Division I title - followed by surprising win over Washington & Lee. There have been very few highlights since. Losses to RPI, Mt. Ida, Kenyon and Wooster have essentially eliminated CC from Pool B contention. There is one more Hail Mary shot - a win over No. 14 Denison on Friday - but even that may not be enough. -Speaking of Pool B, there is only one lock at this point, and that'd be the aforementioned Denison team. Fellow NCAC schools Kenyon (8-1), Wooster (7-2), Ohio Wesleyan (7-4) are all in the hunt right now along with Goucher (9-3) and Scranton (11-3) from the Landmark. There's enough head-to-head action to fill in the puzzle pieces in a couple of weeks. On the women's side, College of New Jersey, Rowan and Claremont appear to be in the driver's seat. Have an idea for the Small College Scoop? Email Jac Coyne.
PREVIOUS SCOOPS | ||||||
|
|||||||
