UMBC head women's lacrosse coach Courtney Connor is optimistic that her veteran-laden 2009 Retriever squad can right the ship after missing the America East Championships in 2008 for the second year in a row with a 4-12 record.
"After losing just three seniors, although three important seniors, we have a good core group of players coming back, which I think is something good that we can build on," Connor said.
The Retrievers return 14 players with starting experience, including four seniors who have started a combined 138 games over the last three years - attack Abbey Swift, midfielder Kara Dorr, defender Ashley Lancer and goalie Susie Sweeney.
Despite the returning experience, UMBC will have to cope with the loss of Ali Levendusky, a four-time all-conference attacker who scored 53 goals last season and 139 in her career.
Connor does not believe one player alone will replace Levendusky's production; instead, she will look to a number of players, including Swift and Dorr, to generate the team's offense in 2009.
"I think we're a more well-balanced team this year," the coach said. "We have many threats on the field that are comfortable and confident in taking the ball to the cage. It's not going to be just one person to shut down. We have more go-to players, which is huge."
Connor is excited about the depth at each position and the versatility of many of her players to easily slide from one position to another.
"At each spot we have enough depth to go with a different lineup depending on our opponent and who is playing well at that particular time," Connor said. "We just have to find the right combinations. We might be adjusting the starting lineup all year."
Swift will anchor a relatively young attacking unit that will also feature sophomore Erika Braerman and freshman Emily Coady. The 5-foot-11 Swift ranked second on the team last year with 22 goals and will strive for her third straight 20-goal season.
"We always look to Abbey's height and size to shake things up on the field," Connor said. "She's a great cutter and finisher."
The left-handed Braerman is a smart feeder who ranked second on the team with six assists in 2008, while Coady has great speed and a deceptive shot.
Freshman Beth Ann Jancuska had a great fall season and could make an impact this spring, while junior Rachel Pincus' playing time will depend on her recovery from a hip injury that kept her out of most of the 2008 campaign. Sophomore Casie Boltja will battle for playing time, as well.
Connor expects most of the Retrievers' goals this season to come from the midfield, which she believes is the team's biggest strength. She is especially excited about the return of Dorr, who missed nine games last year with a knee injury but has scored 60 goals in her career.
"Kara Dorr is the absolute quarterback on the field," Connor said. "She's a player who we look to on all ends of the field, and the players look to her for leadership."
Junior Amanda Gable is also healthy after missing seven games with injury in 2008, and Connor will look to her to return to her rookie form, when she scored 13 goals.
The team's second-leading returning scorer with 11 goals and 15 points in 2008, sophomore Amanda Pappas will be counted on to pick up where she left off after an outstanding rookie campaign in which she started the last 11 games, while freshman Bria Phillips is a two-time high school All-American from the San Diego area who, like Pappas a year ago, Connor expects to make an immediate impact.
"Bria brings her own style of play, very relaxed and fluid," the coach said. "She is a great dodger and has good speed. She'll be one of our go-to players in the midfield."
Sophomore Ashley Stodter saw limited action a year ago but has tremendous potential as a high school All-American in 2007, and Connor expects her to receive increased playing time in her second season in black and gold.
"Stodter will be getting a lot more time this year and we expect her to make some noise on the offensive end of the field," Connor said. "She is one of our top dodgers and her shot is guaranteed to almost always go in. She's just a very consistent, offensive-minded midfielder."
Sophomore Carrie Paris will make the transition from the defensive end to the offensive midfield this season, while junior Megan Cook, who scored seven goals in nine games before an injury forced her to miss the rest of the season, suffered another blow when she tore her ACL and will miss the entire 2009 campaign.
Junior Sarah Willis and sophomore Meagan Linkous had excellent 2008 campaigns on the defensive end, but Connor can see them sliding into the midfield at times in order to better utilize their speed. Willis is the Retrievers' top returner from a year ago in ground balls (23), draw controls (21) and caused turnovers (14) and also scored four goals.
"Sarah Willis is always looking to beat the attack," Connor said. "She's a very smart defender who can be in any place at any time because she's so quick."
Linkous, the only freshman to start all 16 games last season, earned America East All-Rookie honors after picking up 23 ground balls and scoring seven goals.
"Linkous did a great job for us defensively last year," Connor said. "She's a very solid, tough defender."
Freshman C.J. Durham broke into the starting lineup as a freshman and matched up well with opponents' top scorers, and Connor expects her to reprise that role this season, while Lancer and junior Erika Welck are both excellent communicators on the defensive end.
Junior Tasha Klares, a former UMBC field hockey player, joins the Retrievers this season after a two-year hiatus from lacrosse, but she could find her way into the starting lineup. Freshman Kristen Snyder is extremely fast and can play on either end of the midfield.
"We will look for her in transition to utilize her speed coming out of the backfield and taking it into the offensive end," Connor said.
Sophomore Brooke Richardson and freshman Jessica Harkey also will see ample minutes at the defensive midfield position. Both players are strong and have good speed. Richardson saw limited action last season, but her increased confidence has earned her increased playing time, while Harkey was the District Player of the Year as a high school senior.
Sophomore Kristen Milligan started the first 11 games of the season in 2008 but missed the last five with an injury from which she is still recovering. When healthy, Milligan is a very consistent utility player who can play anywhere on the field.
"She's very smart with her on-field decisions," Connor said. "She's never making mistakes, and her field sense is one of the top on the team."
Once again, Sweeney and junior Kate Quick will battle for the starting goalie job, while sophomore Natalie Rau will serve as their backup. Quick started 10 games last season with Sweeney starting the other six, and they posted comparable per-game statistics.
"Kate is very athletic and agile, while Susie is more technical and always knows where to be," Connor said. "It's a good back-and-forth battle between the two of them. It's always great to be able to have a starting goalie with an outstanding backup."
The Retrievers have another challenging schedule, with four games against teams that earned berths in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, as well as five teams that are ranked in the IWLCA preseason poll - Boston University, Vanderbilt, New Hampshire, Johns Hopkins and Towson. UMBC faces a tough road test right away, traveling to Vanderbilt for the second game of the season (Feb. 21).
"Whenever you play a top 15 opponent, it makes you step up your game," Connor said.
The America East schedule begins March 21 against Stony Brook.
"Just as it is every year, I think the conference will be game-by-game," Connor said. "Our conference is improving each and every year and we have quality teams. It's going to be a battle, but we are prepared for it. We have high goals and expectations, but we have a lot to prove."
The Retrievers kick off their season Saturday, Feb. 14 at Howard. Gametime is scheduled for 1 p.m.
