“Our goal is to make the NCAA Tournament and eventually win an NCAA championship,”
“The coaching staff this year is really working to increase the lacrosse IQ of every player on the team,” Sherry said. “We are implementing a much more flexible and free-flowing style of play on both ends of the field which will allow the players to begin trusting their instincts more as they develop their decision-making processes this year. As coaches, we want to give our players the tools they need to be successful and to prepare them for the split-second choices that they will need to make in game situations.”
http://www.cstv.com/printable/schools/cal/sports/w-lacros/spec-rel/010908aab.html
A new coaching staff brings a renewed sense of optimism to the California lacrosse program in 2008. First-year head coach Theresa Sherry, an assistant coach last year under Jill Malko, the only other head coach in Cal lacrosse history, has a fresh outlook on the Golden Bears buoyed by a playing career that included two NCAA championships at Princeton, an Under-19 World Championship and U.S. national team success.
At 25, Sherry is the youngest head coach of any sports team at Cal and one of the youngest lacrosse head coaches in the nation. The young coaching staff includes first-year assistant coaches Cassie Abel (Colorado College ’05) and Julia Southard (Brown ’05).
The Bears’ new brain trust hopes to build on the foundation that Malko created and to improve on a 7-10 overall record in 2007. Cal also posted a 2-3 record in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, which earned the Bears a No. 4 seed in last spring’s MPSF Championship. Highlights for the 2007 squad included a 14-5 victory over eventual NCAA Tournament participant Le Moyne and a five-goal performance by Laura Cavallo in an 18-9 win over Saint Mary’s in her last game at Memorial Stadium.
The 2008 Bears have big shoes to fill with the graduation of some significant contributors, including Cavallo, who left as Cal’s all-time leading scorer, and No. 2 all-time scorer Liz Reifsnyder. The Bears also lost 2007 seniors Hilary Lynch, a rock in goal the past four years; Kathryn Lindler, Cal’s top one-on-one defender; attacker-turned-defender Jocelyn Paul; and Meghan Bushnell, a co-captain and solid defender.
Sherry believes the Bears will rebound.
“The coaching staff this year is really working to increase the lacrosse IQ of every player on the team,” Sherry said. “We are implementing a much more flexible and free-flowing style of play on both ends of the field which will allow the players to begin trusting their instincts more as they develop their decision-making processes this year. As coaches, we want to give our players the tools they need to be successful and to prepare them for the split-second choices that they will need to make in game situations.”
One big key for the season will be the play of the sophomores and freshmen. There are 14 underclassmen out of the 26 players on the Cal roster.
“We need the underclassmen to help us with our depth this year, regardless of whether they are starting games or not,” Sherry said. “We are hoping to go 15 to 17 people deep without the level dropping off when we make personnel changes or encounter injuries throughout the season. It is my belief that upperclassmen leadership determines the direction of a team, but the precociousness of underclassmen determines how far a team can go in the postseason.”
Among the upperclassmen, look for senior Danni Zuralow and junior Madeleine Dale to lead the attack. Zuralow was Cal’s third-leading scorer with 40 points (27 goals, 13 assists) after Cavallo and Reifsnyder and tied Reifsnyder for No. 3 goalscoring honors. Dale was fourth in the scoring column (31 points) and ranked second in goals (28) behind Cavallo. A feisty competitor, Dale was also second in draw controls (33) and third in ground balls (28) for the Bears last season.
Another strong option on the attack for Cal is senior Brittany Aungier, who played limited minutes last year due to injury. In 2005, Aungier was Cal’s top-scoring freshman with 25 points (15 goals, 10 assists).
“A lot of players who do not have a ton of game experience will have to be ready to step into leadership roles on the attack this year,” Sherry said. “Players who have seen time will also have to step out of their comfort zones. Danni and Madeleine will have to work to be more consistent in their go-to roles.”
“Elizabeth `T’ Jahp and Sam Price have been playing great throughout fall ball, and we are hoping that they can do some damage for us this spring,” Sherry said. “We also expect Tighe Hutchins to be a good playmaker for team, along with fellow sophomores Alyse Kennedy and Katie Felber. Catie O’Mahoney, who saw limited playing time last year due to injury and sickness, is another sophomore who will see time on the attacking end. A former line defender, O’Mahoney has been tearing it up on the attack this fall and will be making the position switch for good.
“The freshmen attackers will be a boost to our level of play as well. We are really hoping that they can step in and make an impact right away this year.”
While the Bears lost key players at both ends of the field, the midfield unit is essentially intact. Cristen Andrews and Mary Downs, returning starters from 2007, will anchor the midfield in their senior season, while junior Ghillie Little, who started in nine of 17 games played, should have a broader role in midfield this year.
“We’re really looking for DennaFaye Herald and Alex Tickner to step up as well,” Sherry added.
Herald, a 5-11 sophomore, started 14 of 16 games her freshman year, while Tickner scored 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) as a freshman.
Many of Cal’s midfielders will have dual roles on the defense. Downs and Andrews will need to continue to be anchors back there, but Sherry is hoping for Herald and Little and juniors Kiki Kalkstein and Stephanie Smith to handle more of the defensive chores, allowing Andrews and Downs to concentrate on midfield.
In goal, junior Morgan Dyson and freshman Allie Shropshire will battle for the starting spot. The 5-1 Dyson played in 14 games the previous two seasons. The 5-3 Shropshire has played for the U.S. under-19 national team and was an alternate on the U.S. squad that won the 2007 U-19 World Championship this past summer.
“We have two solid options in Morgan Dyson and Allie Shropshire,” Sherry said.
“Morgan has the quickness and athleticism, and Allie gives us a good presence in the goal as well as a special ability to move outside the cage and be a significant part of our defense with her interceptions.”
Cal boasts another challenging schedule in 2008 that includes three-time defending NCAA champion Northwestern, which will travel to Berkeley for Cal’s season opener on Feb. 17. This marks the fourth straight year that the Bears will play the Wildcats. In the Brine East-West Challenge, a March 6-8 tournament in Southern California, Cal will take on Notre Dame, which was nationally ranked for much of last season, and Temple, which has appeared in 16 NCAA Tournaments and won two national crowns. The Bears also host 2007 NCAA Tournament team Pennsylvania – a team that ended last season ranked second in the nation – at Memorial Stadium on March 11.
“Our goal is to make the NCAA Tournament and eventually win an NCAA championship,” Sherry said. “It is important for us to play the best during the regular season in order to prepare for the type of competition present in the tournament in May. At this point we do not have an automatic bid, so it’s necessary to play a strong national schedule and earn a ranking. Opening up against Northwestern is the challenge we are looking for to give us the ability to break into the national scene.”
The Bears will play most of their home games early, with six of their first eight games scheduled for Memorial Stadium. Conversely, Cal will play seven straight road games before ending the regular season with an April 26 match against MPSF foe Denver.
After battling the Pioneers, Cal will host the 2008 MPSF Championship May 3-5 in Berkeley. While no postseason bid is attached to the conference title this year, the Bears hope to protect “our house,” according to Sherry.
“That’s a huge motivator,” she added. “We will be in front of the home crowd. It’s a great opportunity and we need to take advantage of it. We have strong motivation to win the tournament every year, but we have renewed energy this year with the new staff and the new group of players that we have out there. I think that this team will take a lot of pride in having the conference tournament on campus.”
laxbuzz
