SELINSGROVE, Pa. — The Susquehanna University women's lacrosse team has established itself as a power in the Middle Atlantic Conference by focusing on the task at hand and relying on the potent offensive attack of its star players.
“It’s very important to me that we take everything one game at a time,” said fourth-year head coach Gina Lucido. "This way we prevent a letdown and remain consistently successful.”
In 2001, the Crusaders will add stingy defense and a deeper bench as they make a push to win their first ever MAC title and improve on last year's squad which was ranked 30th in Division III at year's end by laxpower.com.
“The success of our team in the four years I have been here has given our program great exposure,” Lucido said. “It is testament to the hard work our girls have put into building a quality lacrosse program.”
This season, Susquehanna will rely on offensive juggernaut, junior Krista O'Brien (Sykesville, Md./Liberty H.S.), the transition play of midfielder Liz Cipoletti (Fort Salonga, N.Y./Northport H.S.), the defensive presence of senior Erin Powell (Claymont, Del./Ursuline Academy) and another solid performance from goalie Giulia Umile (Blue Bell, Pa./Gwynedd Mercy Academy) to expose the rest of the nation to Crusader lacrosse and receive an NCAA Tournament bid.
ATTACK
O'Brien proved that her freshman season was no fluke by breaking the school’s single-season record for both goals and points (46G-22A-68P) while earning second-team All MAC honors as a sophomore last year. After tallying 78 goals, 32 assists and 110 points in only two seasons, O'Brien will be a heavily marked player as she looks to establish career records in every offensive category.
“One of the keys this year to our offense is for Krista to use her abilities and experience to open up good looks for the rest of our team,” Lucido said. “Our ‘go-to’ player needs to go to others in order for us to be successful.”
Two of the players O'Brien will be looking to go to will be fellow sophomore Kat Geiger (New Hope, Pa./Hun School) and junior Katie Sonnefeld (Monkton, Md./Hereford H.S.) who all return from an offense that broke the record for goals scored in one campaign at 233 (14.56 goals per game), which included a team-record 22-goal outburst in a 22-6 rout of Dickinson.
Geiger started all 16 games last season and was the team’s third-leading scorer with 42 goals and 10 assists for 52 points (3.25 ppg). She posted the second most goals in a season all-time at Susquehanna, trailing only O’Brien’s 46, and had the fourth-most points. Geiger had multiple goals in each of the first six contests and scored at least one goal in the first 15 – finally seeing her streak end in an 11-10 win over Division II Philadelphia in the season finale.
Not to be outdone, Sonnefeld earned second-team MAC All-Star honors of her own last season as she started all 16 games and scored 30 goals and 15 assists for 45 points (2.81 ppg) to finish fourth on the squad.
Although last year's attack alone surpassed the century mark in goals scored with 118, a supportive midfield will be crucial in getting the ball in their hands this season.
MIDFIELD
Leading a versatile midfield will be the team's best all-around player in Cipoletti.
Last season, she finished second on the team in both interceptions with 14 and groundballs with 54 and ranked fourth in assists with 10. She also scored 11 goals for 21 points as she tied for sixth on the team in scoring (1.31 ppg) including a career-high three goals in a 13-7 win over Western Maryland on April 4. Cipoletti also helped key a Susquehanna defense which was second in the MAC and 13th in the final NCAA Division III rankings in scoring defense (7.69).
“Liz is one of the most complete players we have,” Lucido said. “Her speed, stick skills and enthusiasm really carry our team.”
Helping to bring the ball to the Crusaders’ offense this season in the midfield will be sophomore Katie Hess (Darnestown, Md./Connelly School of the Holy Child).
Hess moves up to a midfield spot after playing her inaugural collegiate season as a defender. In 2001, she earned MAC second-team All-Star honors by ranking fourth on the team in interceptions with nine while also scoring 12 goals and six assists for 18 points (1.13 ppg). She also collected 24 groundballs last season.
Rounding out the starting midfield is the freshman duo of Lesley Sciarrillo (North Caldwell, N.J./West Essex H.S.) and Sarah Crosley (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley H.S.).
“They are just two of a group of very talented younger players which make up this year's squad,” Lucidosaid. “This year’s squad is by far the deepest I have had in my four years here.”
DEFENSE
Last season the Crusaders clamped down on its opponents, improving on an already rigid defense by allowing the fewest goals in school history (7.69 per game), which ranked second in the MAC and 13th in the final NCAA Division III statistics in scoring.
Leading the defense was senior and three-time MAC All-Star Powell.
She was named to the 2000 NCAA Division III Metro Regional All-American Second Team, as selected by regional coaches from the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches’ Association ,and was a first-team MAC All-Star on defense last season after leading the team in interceptions with 17 and finishing third on the team with 40 groundballs. Powell was also a first-team MAC All-Star as a freshman midfielder and a second-team All-Star as a sophomore defender.
Helping to keep the ball out of the net will be fellow senior Julie Fischer (North Wales, Pa./North Penn H.S.) and freshman Cindy Fox (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton H.S.).
Last season, Fischer collected 14 groundballs and intercepted three passes while playing in 13 games. Powell and Fischer have combined to play in 85 career games in their first three campaigns. This wealth of experience should give a good support system for the Crusader defense this season.
“They have played so well over the past three seasons and really helped us last year by taking pressure off Giulia (Umile),” Lucido said.
In her collegiate debut, Umile was a first-team MAC All-Star and capped a record-setting season by being the team’s lone MAC Player of the Week on May 2. She broke the school records for saves in a season with 190, goals-against average at 7.69, and save percentage at .607. Umile was first in the MAC in both goals-against average and save percentage, and ranked 11th in save percentage and 13th in goals-against average in the final NCAA Division III regular season statistics.
She made a career high 18 saves in a 13-8 win at Muhlenberg on April 26, breaking the single-season save record in the process. After making 13 saves and allowing just three goals (.813 save percentage) in the 17-3 rout of MAC rival Messiah on April 28, she had 14 stops in a dramatic 11-10 win over Division II Philadelphia University in the season finale the following day. Umile surrendered just one second half goal vs. Philadelphia while making five saves, shutting out the Rams over the final 15:23 while helping the Crusaders rally from a 9-5 halftime deficit.
THE SCHEDULE
The Crusaders will start off the season with a four-game road stretch which includes games against Catholic, Western Maryland and Goucher before trying their luck in the conference opener at Widener on March 17.
On March 22, Susquehanna opens the home portion of its schedule against Scranton, its only home contest before playing archrival Drew on March 31.
“Drew is a good team, but we have plenty of other good teams to play before that,” Lucido said. “The girls have done a great job of taking things one game at a time for the past few seasons and if we do that again this year we should be successful against whomever we play.”
