York Women's Season Preview
from press release
YORK, PA - The York College women’s lacrosse team enters the 2009 campaign on the heels of the best season in the brief history of the program. Under first-year head coach Jen Dragoni, not only did the 2008 Spartans post the program’s best record at 11-6, but they also eclipsed the double-digit win total for the first time.
“We had a very strong season last year,” said
Dragoni as she enters into her second season at the helm of the
green and white. “It was a great stepping stone for where
this program is headed in the future. The returning players
understand the need to build upon the foundation that has been
created in order to continue our success. This team has completely
bought into that philosophy.”
And this season, the Spartans will have to build with a new-look
roster. Gone are York’s top five scorers from last season,
including two All-Capital Athletic Conference performers.
Additionally the defensive unit will sport multiple fresh faces
with the departure of several talented student-athletes.
“This season is going to be exciting because we will be
calling upon young and fresh new faces to step up and take
over,” Dragoni said concerning the new-look Spartans.
“They are the future of our program and it will be very
rewarding to see each one of them progress throughout the season
and play a major role in the success we will experience.”
The Spartans do return a strong core of players headlined by
All-CAC and All-Metro Region first-team goalkeeper Anne Feustle.
Feustle notched a first-rate performance between the pipes in 2008,
playing each of York’s 1,005 minutes. The three-year starter
recorded a career-best 10.27 goals against average turning away 140
shots throughout the year. A captain in 2009, Feustle will look to
be the backbone of the Spartan defense and put in another
all-league caliber season.
“Anne’s ability to keep us in games is a great
advantage for us,” Dragoni said. “Her technical skills
and immense composure coupled with a great work ethic makes her a
difficult goalkeeper to beat.”
Joining Feustle as captains are senior Megan Bell and junior
Megan Foy, midfielders who will be called upon to bring quality
play to both ends of the field. Bell is York’s top returning
scorer after totaling 18 points on 14 goals and four assists. She
tallied a team-high 60 draw controls to go along with 39 ground
balls in 2008, making her a great asset in obtaining possession for
the green and white.
“Megan (Bell) is absolutely one of our conference’s
best midfielders,” Dragoni said. “She can play defense
against the best attackers. She can score against the best
defenders. Megan will have an opportunity to shine this year and
she has the ability to do just that.”
One of York’s most athletic players, Foy enters the year
looking for a breakout season. Blessed with tremendous speed and
quickness, the junior midfielder has the ability to wreak havoc on
both ends of the field. Defensively, she forces attackers into
precarious positions, wins possession, and transitions well through
the midfield. On the offensive end, her top-notch athleticism
should generate significant offensive pressure on York’s
opponents.
“Meg (Foy) is one of the most athletic players I have ever
seen,” Dragoni raved. “Not only is she athletic, but
she has the ability to translate that athleticism to the lacrosse
field. She is without a doubt, the heart of our team and is primed
for a big year this season.”
Three talented, but unproven, student-athletes are set to join
Bell and Foy in the Spartan midfield. Senior Corey Hawks, who
appeared in eleven games last year, moves up from her traditional
defensive slot to add stability to the midfield. After an
exceptional off-season, Hawks has put herself into a position to be
a significant contributor in the 2009 lineup. Freshmen Ashley
Kanzler and Whitney Kendall are each loaded with potential and
provide quality depth to the Spartan midfield. Kanzler hails from
the lacrosse hotbed of Baltimore, Md., and will look to be a solid
contributor right away. Kendall’s speed and fitness gives
York another excellent athlete to patrol the midfield.
“The upperclassmen will be looked upon to be the heart of
our midfield this season,” Dragoni said. “With some
fresh talent thrown into the mix, our midfield will consist of
players who are fast, strong, and willing to go the extra mile to
get the job done.”
Headlined by Feustle, the Spartans sport a talent-rich defensive
unit that could prove to be one of the CAC’s best. Junior
Kelly Vrana, who posted a breakout year in 2008, will look to up
her level of play once again and become one of the league’s
top defenders. Sophomore Katie Mansell returns to the lineup after
a year of development as a freshman. Fully adjusted to the
collegiate game, Mansell’s quality stick skills and excellent
work ethic should be valuable assets to the Spartan defense. The
green and white also welcome two new student-athletes to the
defensive ranks, junior Courtney Heller and sophomore Brittany
Geraghty. Heller embarks on her Spartan career after transferring
in for this season. A physically strong player, Heller will be
called upon to play a significant role in the 2009 defensive unit.
Geraghty brings her hard-working attitude to the lineup and should
provide York with great defensive depth as she continues to
improve.
“Our defense is expected to be the strong point of our
team this season,” Dragoni remarked. “With a veteran in
the cage as well as smart, talented, and strong players in front of
her, our defense should prove to be very difficult to score on this
season.”
On the attacking end, the Spartan squad consists of young talent
that will be called upon to make big strides right away. Sophomore
Molly Kerrigan, an aggressive and strong player, could prove to be
one of York’s top attacking threats this season. After a year
of development behind some of the most talented offensive players
in program history, Kerrigan will look to translate that intangible
experience into tangible goals for 2009. Fellow sophomore Katie
Bowers will provide additional experience on offense. A tough
player with a fearless attitude, Bowers should generate numerous
scoring opportunities for herself and teammates. A pair of freshmen
in Meaghan Doak and Rachel Klado will look to add quality play in
the attack. Doak is another newcomer loaded with potential who
should see significant minutes early in her career. Klado, an
attacker dedicated to honing her craft, will give York solid
offensive depth.
“Our attack is going to have a different look this
year,” Dragoni said. “We have a talented young group,
each with a ton of potential ahead of them, and they will be
expected to step up and play a major role in scoring goals and
winning games for us this season.”
If the Spartans are to improve on last season’s 11-6 campaign, they will have to do so against some of the toughest competition in all of Division III. York will face a schedule that amassed a cumulative mark of 150-119 last year, while ten of 16 teams had records over .500. The traditionally strong CAC powers Salisbury, who made the Final Four last year, and St. Mary’s are once again listed among the best teams in the nation. Lacrosse Magazine recently rated the Sea Gulls as the country’s third best squad heading into 2009 while the Seahawks are currently 15th in the preseason poll.
“The old saying definitely holds true here; to be the best
you have to beat the best,” Dragoni
commented on the tough 2009 slate. “We want to be up there
with those top teams on a consistent basis, and that is where I
believe we can be if we continue to work hard.”
The Spartans will begin that ascent up the national ladder on
Saturday, February 21, when the Green and White travel to
Elizabethtown for a 1:00 pm tilt.
