Albany Goalie Conquers Steep Learning Curve
by Chris R. Vaccaro | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online
|
| Ashley Ross, a former all-conference field hockey goalie, has backstopped the Albany women's lacrosse team to an America East regular season title in just her second season playing the sport. |
Ashley Ross’ bio on the University of Albany women’s
lacrosse Web site starts with two striking lines, “Expected
to start at goalkeeper this season ... played lacrosse for the
first time on the high school or collegiate level last
year.”
If that doesn’t force you to make a double take, not much
will.
Ross, a graduate student at Albany, was a three-time
all-conference goalie in field hockey and led the Great Danes to
their first-ever America East Conference title and NCAA tournament
appearance in 2008. She finished her career as the school’s
leader in wins (45) and shutouts (15).
So how did she go from one Division I sport to the next?
Former Albany women’s lacrosse assistant Jen Sykes is the
wife of Albany field hockey coach Phil Sykes. One thing led to
another, the coaches on both teams spoke volumes about her
athleticism and she was on the lacrosse team.
“I was watching her since her freshman year,” said Albany lacrosse coach Lindsey Hart. “I knew she was really competitive. She’s so athletic and quick and has an eye for the ball.”
Two freshmen quit during Ross’ junior year, and the senior
keeper on the team then was set to graduate. Without recruiting
another goalie -- and without expecting the others to quit -- Hart
was stuck. She approached Ross, and the rest is history.
As a November walk-on, Ross made four appearances and allowed five
goals and made three saves during the 2009 season, something very
different from her 1.42 goals against average in field hockey. The
sports are different -- lacrosse is more hand-oriented with a
multitude of shots being fired from any which way, while field
hockey revolves around the feet.
“I had to get used to getting scored on,” she said. “I wasn’t that great starting out.”
Ross' first appearance on the lacrosse field was during a scrimmage against Dartmouth. She wasn’t supposed to start, but there was a quick personnel change before the game because of a player being disciplined. Albany was down 20-0 at half.
“I picked up a stick two weeks prior to that,” she joked now.
Ross, who has led Albany to a 13-2 record and sports a 7.92 goals against average this season, has improved drastically from her rookie moments.
“She was very good at getting her body behind the ball and she has good quick natural instinct,” Hart said. “She learned what was going on in front of her and how to plan her angles a little bit better. Her making big saves early has given us more opportunities during games.”
Just as her lacrosse career is heating up, it’s nearing an end. Still, Ross has unfinished business in the America East, which she’ll take care of Thursday when the top-seeded Great Danes host UMBC in a semifinal game at 1 p.m.
“It’s a good sport because anything can happen on
any given day,” she said. “It’s really growing on
me.”
America East Women's Lacrosse Notes
Albany snapped Boston
University’s 28-game conference win streak with a
12-11 win over the Terriers… New Hampshire’s
Kate Keagins was named AEC Player of the Week for her 11
points in two games last week: six goals and five assists. She
recorded a career-high nine points in an 18-10 win over
Vermont… UMBC freshman midfielder
Lindsay Cox earned AEC Rookie of the Week honors
for scoring a career-high four goals on five shots in a 19-9 win
over Binghamton May 1… Ashley
Stodter scored four goals in the UMBC
victory, which helped clinch a trip to the four-team AEC tourney
for the first time since 2006.
