Promising 2002 season awaits the Lady Jays

The Johns Hopkins Women's Lacrosse team has shown steady improvement in each of their seasons since they became a Division I program. In 1999, their first season in Div. I, they finished with a 10-4 record, but did not qualify for post-season play. The next year they improved to 12-6, which good enough for the post-season. They went on to advance to the ECAC Finals. Last season, Hopkins finished 11-6 and went on to win the ECAC Championship with an 18-12 victory over the University of Pennsylvania.

Hopkins is 33-16 (.663) in three years at the Division I level and 250-154-4 overall in their 26 seasons at Homewood. Their 250th win to end last season gave them their first title.

Their goals for this year are higher for this year, namely an appearance in the NCAA tournament. Currently ranked No. 14 in the U.S. Lacrosse Preseason Poll, the team hopes to break into the top 10 this year. These goals are high for such a new Div. I program, but the team certainly has the talent this year to accomplish them.

The Lady Jays are returning at nearly full strength from last season, retaining 10 of their 11 top scorers. Most prominent of these players figure to be seniors Jamie Larrimore and Erin Wellner. Larrimore was a force on offense last year, leading Hopkins with 44 goals, 72 ground balls and 54 draw controls. She finished in the top six nationally in the last two categories. She is joined up front by her co-captain Wellner, who led Hopkins last year with 63 points and 21 assists.

"Jamie is the most explosive player on the team and the toughest to defend, and she is a terrific shooter," Tucker remarked. "Jamie and Erin are a very lethal duo. The two of them are a tremendous combination out on the field."

While the squad is going to rely heavily on their more experienced players, several underclassmen are expected to contribute immediately to take some of the pressure off veterans like Larrimore and Wellner. Talented freshman attackers Leah Onda and Erin Riordan, as well as starting freshman defender Lacey-Leigh Hentz hope to fill this role.

Junior Meghan Burnett, who finished fourth on the team last season with 25 points on 18 goals and seven assists, will start on the JHU attack.

"Meghan's game is more suited to our new up-tempo style, and she could have a breakthrough year after two solid seasons," Tucker said.

Hopkins plans on running a more up-tempo style this season. "We are going to run the ball a lot this year," Tucker said. "We have good speed in the midfield, so we will look to push the ball on offense and play extremely aggressive defense."

The up-tempo style that Hopkins employs necessitates a talented and athletic midfield, which the Blue Jays possess in starters Heidi Pearce, Christy Peterson, and Anne Crisafulli. The explosive Pearce, who burst onto the scene as a freshman to start every game and finish third on the team with 46 points last year, will spark the transition game and be a go-to player on offense.

"Heidi is one of the most talented players to come into the Johns Hopkins women's program, and we are really looking for big things from her this season," Tucker noted.

Even though the defense lost three starters from last year, the unit still should be very strong.

Senior Caroline Miller, the only returning defender who started on a regular basis last season, will lead the defensive unit. Miller, who started 16 of 17 games a year ago and collected 41 ground balls, is a physical and aggressive player who is one of the best defenders on the team.

"Caroline has grown tremendously in our program and on the defensive end of the field," Tucker added. "She is a confident ballhandler, and she plays with a tremendous amount of passion and intensity."

After seeing action in all but one game in the Hopkins midfield last season and scoring six goals, sophomore Katie Stevenson will move back to defense in 2002. Stevenson earned a starting position with a strong showing in the off-season and last fall. "We are very comfortable with the ball in Katie's stick, and she has such speed and versatility that we can use her to shut down key opponents," Tucker said.

Kate Gilland, another sophomore who will move to the Blue Jay defense after playing in the midfield as a freshman, will also start in the backfield.

In goal the Lady Jays should be strong this year as well, with junior Jen McDonald returning after starting in all the matches last year. She is joined by freshman Catherine Sawyer, who will be used as a backup and could see sometime in goal while splitting time with McDonald. Having two solid goalkeepers might prove important for Coach Tucker this season.

McDonald was named MVP of the ECAC Championship last year after making 13 saves against Penn. "Jen has matured tremendously over her first two years, and we have high expectations for her to run our defense this season," Tucker noted. "Jen can spark our offense by coming up with big plays in goal."

This year Hopkins will compete in the new American Lacrosse Conference and face seven teams ranked in the preseason top 20 polls. These include powerhouses like Maryland, Duke and North Carolina. JHU was recently ranked second in a preseason conference poll, placing them just behind Penn State. Penn State is the only member to participate in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. The Lady Jays have all the components for a successful season, now that they have proven their place in Division I. The Hopkins Lacrosse tradition of excellence is not just about the men's team anymore.