After a tough 2016 season, the women’s lacrosse team returns primed to defy the odds in facing an extremely competitive schedule. The Garnet’s 2017 schedule includes Gettysburg and Franklin & Marshall, powerhouses of the Centennial Conference. Having finished just 1-8 in conference play last season and 5-11 overall, the team is out to make a name for themselves as a conference contender.
This year’s team is disproportionately young with one senior, four juniors, two sophomores and 12 freshman. Solid upperclassmen leadership will be essential to keeping such a young team composed throughout the season. The experience of Head Coach Karen Brobee, who enters her 25th season, will also be a tremendous asset in grooming the freshmen.
Attacker Tess Wild ’19 shared some of her thoughts on the upcoming season with the team’s influx of youth.
“We’re really excited about this season,” Wild said. “With a significant portion of our team consisting of freshmen, we have a lot of room for potential and improvement as the season goes on and they gain experience.”
Months of hard work in the offseason, including regular weightlifting and conditioning sessions, have put the Garnet in an excellent position to succeed.
“We got the chance to work together on the field during our fall season, and got to know each other through our lifting and agility sessions in the offseason,” says Wild. “During the offseason, the entirety of our junior class was abroad, so it’s definitely good to have the full team back now.”
Impact players for the Garnet this season include Elizabeth Wainwright ’19, who netted 16 goals and 6 assists last season, Wild who had 16 goals and 9 assists, and Briana Narzikul ’17 who led the team with 26 goals and 4 assists last spring. Narzikul was also named to 2016 All-Centennial Second, a prestigious recognition. Defensively, the Garnet will rely on Christina Labows ’18, who played in all 16 games last season and will start either Lily Fornof ’20 or Betsy Cohen ’20 in the net.
When asked about goals for this 2017 season, Wild had this to say:
“Following a promising opening in our scrimmage versus Scranton University, we have high expectations for this season and are hoping to have a winning record.”
Last season, the Garnet were only outscored by an average of just 1.3 goals per game, including three losses, to Cabrini, Ursinus, and McDaniel, each by one goal. The women will face all three of those opponents this season, along with notable matchups against Widener University and nearby rival Haverford College.
The team’s season opener is Friday, March 3rd, when they will take on DeSales College at home at 6:00 pm. Then, the team will head south to Hilton Head, SC, for a matchup against Cazenovia College over spring break. Conference play will begin in late March.
2017 Women’s Lacrosse Preview
