Each captain was selected to lead the team in a vote by their teammates held on Jan. 19. Leading the team on the sidelines is Janine Tucker, who is entering her 11th season as head coach. Assisting Tucker are coaches, Lellie Cherry Swords and Tricia Dabrowski.
Krom, a defender, started all 16 games for the Lady Jays last season. She was a main part of a defensive unit which ranked 10th in the nation with 7.81 goals allowed per game.
"Rachel brings a ton of energy and enthusiasm to each and every practice and game, and her teammates feed off of that," commented Tucker. "I am thrilled that she was voted a team captain."
A defensive power, Krom recorded 33 ground balls last season, in addition to her five draw controls and eight caused turnovers. Krom also recorded her first career point by assisting Erin Dennis' goal in last seasons 15-4 route of George Washington. Krom, considered as an emotional leader, hopes to, as captain, "work hard to keep our team consistent by keeping a positive mindset and taking it one day at a time."
Krom is elated to have been elected to represent the Lady Jays this year, "It was truly an honor to be elected captain by my teammates. I really appreciate that they look up to me as a leader and that they have confidence in me as one."
Pearce, who was recently selected to the American Lacrosse Conference Preseason All-Conference Team, was voted as an All-American Lacrosse Conference Second Team in 2003. She also started in all 16 games for the Blue Jays last season.
Pearce, an excellent midfielder, ranked second on the team with 24 goals, 15 assists, and 39 points. She also led Hopkins and was fourth in the league with 54 ground balls, a major reason for the Blue Jays success last season.
Pearce, also ranked sixth in the league with 1.00 assists per game. Pearce, who is captain for the second time in as many years "never thought that [being elected captain] would ever happen, but I am honored that my teammates chose me to represent them."
"Heidi is one of the most talented players to come through this program and I look forward to her outstanding leadership this season," said Tucker, "It has a lot to do with how she leads by example on and off the field and her compassionate and constructive personality."
Heidi hopes to lead the team to win the Conference and make it to the NCAA tournament. "I think that we have to focus on taking care of each game individually and in order to do so, we must improve our consistency."
Janine Tucker took over the women's program in August of 1993. And has successfully guided the team in its transition from Division III to Division I. With a record of 122-45 and a winning percentage of .731, Tucker has become the winningest coach in Hopkins women's lacrosse history.
Tucker led the team to an 11-5 season last year and a 4-2 in Conference record. Hopkins finished the season ranked No. 17 in the Brine/IWLCA Poll; the fourth straight year JHU had ended the season ranked in the top 20. Tucker has led Hopkins to win 10 or more games in each of her past 10 seasons.
Tucker has been involved with the promotion of women's lacrosse through multiple speaking engagements and coaching clinics. She is the director of not only the Johns Hopkins All-Star Girl's Lacrosse Camp, which takes place over the summer, but she is also the co-director of another summer camp, the Elite 300 camp. In addition to promoting the progress of the sport through camps, Tucker also co-wrote a book entitled, "The Baffled Parents' Guide To Coaching Women's Lacrosse," which was published in February 2003.
Lellie Cherry Swords, is in her third season as one of the assistant coaches of the Lady Jays staff. Swords was a volunteer assistant in her first season with Hopkins before being promoted to a full-time assistant the following August. Her duties as assistant include being the recruiting coordinator and works primarily with the Hopkins defense on the field.
Tricia Dabrowski, in her second season on the Hopkins coaching staff, works primarily with the Lady Jay goalkeepers. Off the field Dabrowski will continue to assist in all game planning, recruiting, and scouting. Dabrowski, a 2002 graduate of Loyola College was a three-time Brine/IWLCA All-American goalkeeper for the nationally ranked Greyhounds.
This year Hopkins will face seven other nationally ranked teams and will look to its leaders to bring home an NCAA championship. The Blue Jays open the season on Feb. 27 when the Jays face its American Lacrosse Conference rival, Davidson.
