Daily Archives: May 6, 2009

Stanford’s first-year women’s lacrosse coach Amy Bokker didn’t have a let-down speech planned. Bokker, whose Cardinal won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season title and tournament, was certain Stanford would qualify for the 16-team NCAA tournament. As another feather in the Cardinal’s cap, it had traveled to Philadelphia on Saturday to shock No. 3-ranked Penn 8-6. It is believed to be the highest-ranked team ever defeated by a Stanford women’s lacrosse team. Yet, when the NCAA pairings were announced Sunday, the Cardinal was left out in the cold. Players sat stunned as they watched the wide television screen at Jimmy V’s Cafe on campus.

“We beat Penn, the No. 3 team in the nation,” Bokker said. “They hadn’t lost at home in two years. I thought that had sealed the deal for us. We were coming into the tournament with a lot of momentum. I’m realistic. I don’t get myself too worked up about these things. I felt we had a strong shot.”

With eight at-large bids available, Bokker figured the Cardinal was competing with Virginia and Vanderbilt for two of the spots. Stanford did not play either team this year.

“I felt the worst for the seniors,” Bokker said. “It was devastating for them. They had done so much to turn this program around.”

Seniors Jamie Nesbitt, Maris Perlman and Melissa Vogelsong were part of the only Stanford team to make an NCAA tourney, which was back in 2006. Senior Vikki Fanslow was a redshirt on that freshman team, her career an injury-riddled one. Fanslow injured herself right around spring break this season, sidelining her for the year. Perlman tore an ACL in the match against Cal on Senior Day. Vogelsong, a co-captain, battled injuries throughout her career, including undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in midseason this year. Senior Bess Siegfried, a co-captain, returns for a fifth-year in 2010.

For what it’s worth, the MPSF winner gets an automatic berth into the NCAA field next year. Little good that is to the four girls Bokker loses to graduation. However, 25 players, including junior Lauren Schmidt — the MPSF player of the year — returns.

“I told my team that this should light a fire in our bellies for next year,” Bokker said. “I’m proud of what they did this season.”

The Cardinal finished the year 14-4 overall, 6-0 in league, winning its fifth straight MPSF title.

Stanford second-year men’s lacrosse coach Drew Virk witnessed his team’s 14-7 loss to Cal Paly in the first round of the four-team Western Collegiate Lacrosse League tourney at Novato High on Saturday. Cal Poly went on to beat Sonoma State 17-9 on Sunday to receive the automatic bid into the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association tournament. Sonoma State also qualified. Stanford, ranked No. 20 before last weekend’s tourney, was shut out of the national tournament for a seventh straight year.

“There was a slim chance we would get in,” Virk said. “But, we lost to Cal Poly and Sonoma State during league. Cal Poly is a pretty solid team.”

The Cardinal defeated Cal this season, the first time in five years that Stanford had defeated the Bears in men’s lacrosse. Virk loses eight seniors off a roster of 28, including top defenseman Nick Streets and starting goalie Amit Vasudev. Freshman attacker Sam Roner will lead a strong offense next year.

“We’ll have to rebuild on defense,” Virk said. “We’re going to be very good on offense.”

Zachary Ciesinski, a Gunn-Palo Alto product, is expected to fill Vasudev’s shoes in goal.

“Ciesinski has the potential to be a great player,” Virk said. “He’s our No. 1 goalie now.”

Virk is hopeful that some new blood will enter the program, which was 9-4 overall this season, 6-2 in the WCLL. Virk was tabbed WCLL coach of the year.

“We beat Cal 10-9 on Admit Day,” Virk said. “I had about 10 prospects coming up to me to ask me where they should go to college. We should have five or six new players to help us.”

Pre-tourney speeches could much more pleasant for Bokker and Virk in 2010.

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