Feb. 26, 2003
Poughkeepsie, NY - This season Marist is looking to recapture their 2000 MAAC title. Under Head coach, Megan McGonagle, the Red Foxes are looking to better last year's fourth place finish and to make it to its fourth consecutive MAAC Tournament appearance.
The Marist women's lacrosse team has been picked to place second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) this season. In preseason polls, the Red Foxes finished with 40 points, just eight points behind last season's MAAC Champions, LeMoyne College, who had 48.
MAAC preseason team picks Brandi Petersen (Syracuse, NY) and Lauren O'Keefe (West Chester, PA) are ready to lead the Red Foxes to victory this season. Both had successful campaigns in 2002. Peterson led Marist with 28 goals and ended the season with a team high, 33, in her rookie season with the Foxes. She was also named 2002 MAAC Rookie of the Year. O'Keefe started 15 of Marist's 16 games and is looked to be an offensive contributor at midfield this season.
Peterson will be joined by senior co-captains Liz Hanley and Molly Hanley (Simsbury, CT), juniors Maria Reoch (Shirley, NY), Maria Stehn (Massapequa, NY), Suzanne Gmoser (Dix Hills), sophomore Lauren Sherman (Media, PA) and freshmen Tara Mullins (Holmdel, NJ) on attack for the Red Foxes.
Both Hanley's are coming off injuries from last season, however, they are looked to provide Marist with strong offense. Liz Hanley played in seven contests scoring one goal on eight shots.
Other consistent offensive threats lie in Reoch, nine goals and five assists, Stehn, 13 goals and two assists, and Gmoser, five goals, in 2002. Sherman has great stick handling skills and is an aggressive member of the attack. Last season she netted 12 goals and had 16 points. These players will contribute heavily to Marist's offensive attack in the 2003 season.
Along with a strong attack, Marist's midfield will be more stable and experienced this season. Their speed will be a key in Marist's victories.
The midfield will look to co-captain Kelly Sullivan (Lindenhurst, NJ) for her leadership and consistent play. Katie Tutak (North Tonawanda, NY), who played all 16 games last season and scored six goals and one assist, and Taylor Conger (Salt Lake City, UT) will continue to add their offense to the team this season.
The great speed of the Red Fox sophomore midfielders, Lauren Serge (Albany, NY), Christine Connell (Westbury, NY) and Francesca DiLorenzo (Nyack, NY) will give Marist a strong midfield to add not only offense, but defense to the Red Foxes team as well. The five freshmen will provide depth to the Marist midfield, giving Marist many options.
Marist's defense must step up this season because of the loss of seniors Alison Reilley and Beth Miller. Junior Cynthia Adarian (Old Westbury, NY) and sophomore Patricia Leahy (New Hyde Park, NY) will be leading the Marist defense with their strong presence and vocal leadership. Adarian played all 16 games last season contributing to the team with 16 ground balls and five draw controls. Leahy had one goal and two assists in the six games she played. Marist is looking for immediate impact from vocal freshman, Kate Haberbusch (Montclair, NJ), to complete the defense.
Sophomore Heather Ripp (Lake Ronkonkoma, NY) will tend to the net for Marist again this season. As last season's goalie she made 184 saves and had a 9.94 goals against average (GAA). Her incredible vision and quickness is going to be a main factor in Marist's competitiveness this season.
The Marist women's lacrosse team is well equipped with strong, fast and experienced players in all areas of the field. This will help power the Red Foxes to a successful season.
Marist's women's lacrosse kicks off their season Tuesday, March 4th when they travel to take on SUNY-Albany at 3:30 PM.
