All Eyes on Adelphi-C.W. Post Rematch
by Paul Ohanian | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
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Adelphi's Rachel Ray, who leads Division II with 63 assist, is one of the reasons the Panthers are favored to go all the way this weekend at the final four in Salem, Va. © Joe Rogate |
With opening-round wins by C.W. Post and Loch Haven last
weekend, pairings are now set for the NCAA Division II women's
lacrosse final four Saturday in Salem, Va.
The first national semifinal (11 a.m.) pits PSAC champion Loch
Haven against Limestone, champion of the Carolinas Conference. The
teams meet for the second time this season, with Limestone
winning 11-10 on March 6.
The second semifinal (2 p.m.) features East Coast Conference
heavyweights Adelphi and C.W. Post meeting for the second time in
14 days. Adelphi defeated Post 14-9 on May 2 to clinch the ECC
championship.
Winners square off Sunday at noon in the national championship
game.
Conensus has the winner of the Adelphi-C.W. Post clash emerging as
the national champion, based on the dominance of the two teams this
season.
Adelphi has steamrolled through its schedule virtually
unchallenged. The Panthers rallied in the second half to beat
Dowling 14-10 on April 22 after trailing 7-4 at halftime, and used
a 4-0 run in the second half to break away from Post after leading
by just one goal at halftime. Other than that, it's been cruise
control.
C.W. Post has been nearly as good, if not overpowering. The
Pioneers opened the season with a 16-11 loss at Division I Davidson
before reeling off 15 straight wins, a streak that came to a close
in the Adelphi game. At least one coach whose team has played both
this season says don't count Post out.
"They're ready for the rematch," said Jen Fallon, whose New Haven
squad lost 16-7 at Post last weekend. "They are clicking on all
cylinders right now, and I think they're motivated by the earlier
loss to Adelphi."
Ironically, motivation fueled by an earlier loss has also powered
Adelphi for most of the year. The Panthers, undefeated last year
heading into the national semifinal, were upset 9-4 by Post. That
score has remained on display on the team's locker room door
throughout the 2009 campaign as a daily reminder of opportunity
lost.
"They're the team to beat," said Rollins coach Dennis Short, who
has played against or scouted each of the four teams this season.
"Adelphi has the better athletes. They're outstanding."
Here's a closer look at each of the final four teams:
Adelphi (16-0)
Best Wins: 14-9 at C.W. Post, 18-6 vs. New
Haven, 14-10 at Dowling
Strengths: The Panthers have lots of speed and an
offense that keeps coming. Senior Rachel Ray leads the nation with
63 assists and is one of seven players with at least 20 goals this
season. Combined with a high-pressure defense, Adelphi has
outscored opponents by 250 goals this year (322-72). The Panthers
are making their fifth semifinal appearance in the last six years,
so the postseason pressure is nothing new for them.
Achilles Heel: The schedule has not been the most
challenging (SOS ranked 26th) and the lack of competitive games may
come back to haunt them in a tight battle. Also, C.W. Post is quite
familiar with Adelphi's style and will not be intimidated.
C.W. Post (16-2)
Best Wins: New Haven twice (14-11 and 16-7),
Lock Haven 18-13, at Stonehill 18-16.
Strengths: The Pioneers are really good at what
they do and have nearly as much offensive firepower as Adelphi.
Seniors Jaclyn Napoli and Katie Hogan are a dynamic scoring duo,
with 65 and 62 goals this year, respectively. Napoli netted seven
goals in last Saturday's NCAA tournament victory over New Haven.
Goalie Sam Powers is on top of her game and made 14 saves in the
win.
Achilles Heel: Post lost a lot of talent from
last year's national runner-up squad, yet has put all the pieces
together once again for another title run. The lack of playoff
experience among the new starters did not appear to be an issue in
last week's victory, but could be a factor as the postseason stakes
get higher.
Limestone (17-2)
Best Wins: Loch Haven 11-10, Belmont Abbey
12-6.
Strengths: The Saints have lots of postseason
experience and are making their third final four appearance in four
years. They're a good shooting team and spread the wealth on
offense with six 30-plus goal scorers. Paced by their midfield,
which is led by senior difference-maker Lauren Wise, the Saints
have the ability to dictate tempo to their liking.
Achilles Heel: The biggest question mark is the
quality of its opponents. Limestone dominated its conference, but
played just four games outside its league. A regular season-ending
loss to Dowling, which finished behind both Adelphi and C.W. Post
in the ECC standings, was certainly not the confidence-builder
needed heading into the postseason.
Loch Haven (17-3)
Best Wins: Mercyhurst twice (17-11 and 18-16), West Chester 13-10, Gannon twice (9-8 and 19-16)
Strengths: The Eagles have good karma this season, as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of the program's 1979 national championship. With victories over defending national champion West Chester and Mercyhurst in the last two games, confidence is riding high. A tough schedule has prepared this team for the postseason, and the early-season loss to Limestone should provide plenty of motivation in the rematch.
Achilles Heel: While the offense certainly knows how to score goals, the defense is somewhat suspect. Lock Haven has allowed double-digit goals 12 times this season, including in its last eight games. The Eagles also have a tendency to draw a lot of cards. They'll need to be more disciplined to emerge as the champion.
