A Stanford win tonight against the undefeated Terps would be a monumental upset. But a decent performance from the Cardinal against what is arguably the nation’s most prestigious program could serve as an important barometer of the West Coast’s improvement.
For teams on the West Coast, the struggle for visibility isn’t new. The NCAA held its first women’s lacrosse championship in 1982. In the 28 years since, only one West Coast team played in the tournament.
Before Northwestern won the title in 2005, no school west of Penn has ever played in the national championship game. Even now, the Wildcats still mark the farthest west the trophy has traveled.
The states of Maryland, Virginia and New York became hotbeds for high school talent, meaning area schools continued to grow in strength.
Meanwhile, without a team receiving national recognition, West Coast schools struggled to create an interest for the sport, hurting the growth of talent.
To get the sport rolling, several former East Coast players made the trek out west. Jill Malko, who graduated from Boston University in 1985, founded a lacrosse club at St. Mary’s (Calif.) and helped the Cal club team achieve varsity sport status in 1998.
Michele Uhlfelder, who played for the Terps between 1987 and 1991, guided her Stanford program to a top-20 ranking in 2003, the first time a West Coast team garnered a national ranking. She also led the Cardinal to a NCAA Tournament berth in 2006, the first time a West Coast team broke into the field.
Reese was also a pioneer. The former Terps’ player took her first head coaching position at Denver in 2004, making the plunge to the lightly regarded MPSF.
Recruiting became Reese’s biggest fear. But her concerns quickly vanished. She combined East Coast recruits looking for playing time with West Coast recruits, who, while still learning the game, were still capable.
“That’s one thing that really opened my eyes when I was out coaching at Denver,” Reese said. “There were so many more kids playing at youth levels throughout Colorado and the West Coast.”
After two losing seasons, Reese guided the Pioneers to a program-best 15-5 record. The success led her back to College Park, where she secured one of the best women’s lacrosse coaching positions in the country.
Using Reese and others as precedents, many former players decided to start their coaching careers out west because the opportunities came easier. This year, the MPSF conference includes seven Division I programs: Cal, Denver, Fresno State, Oregon, St. Mary’s (Calif.) and UC Davis. Stanford coach Amy Bokker actually left George Mason for the chance to go west in 2009.
“There’s a lot of growth,” Brittany Jones said. “A lot of people from the East Coast are migrating out there to make the sport grow, and it’s really taking off.”
Players from the west, such as the Jones sisters and Terps’ freshman Anne Morgan Yeatman, started picking up the game and forcing college coaches to expand recruiting. But players out west are still at a disadvantage compared to East Coast players, from coaching to playing opportunities.
“A lot of California is raw, athletic players without the stick skills of the east,” Brandi Jones said.
The gap is closing, though.
“It’s just coming along at a different pace,” Reese said. “There is a lot of want for information out there right now. They want to get good coaches and players to go out west to help the game continue to grow.”
Unlike many players in this area, the Jones sisters had no access to outside youth leagues growing up and were limited to their high school program only. But when they went home this past summer, the sport looked different.
“We go back, and we coach teams in elementary, middle and high schools,” Brittany Jones said. “It’s so great that we can go back and coach these younger girls and get them interested in the game.”
Despite the gradual growth, the west still lacks the east’s exposure.
“The area is growing, but the kids aren’t seen as much as they are back east,” Reese said. “It’s hard for us to go out there now and see kids, but we see them over the summer when they are traveling to camps.”
Across the map, Reese sees the sport continuing to balance itself out.
“We’re in a different day and time now in lacrosse,” Reese said. “There are so many more kids playing at the high school and youth levels. There are so many more talented players that are going to different colleges, and I think that’s why we see so many good teams in the NCAA.”
A Stanford win tonight against the undefeated Terps would be a monumental upset. But a decent performance from the Cardinal against what is arguably the nation’s most prestigious program could serve as an important barometer of the West Coast’s improvement.
“It’s great for the sport of lacrosse, but it makes my job more challenging,” Reese said. “Anyone can beat anyone on any given day now, which is exciting but also nerve-racking.”
http://www.diamondbackonline.com/sports/women-s-lacrosse-team-prepares-for-rare-west-coast-opponent-1.1280320
Team captain Sylvia Warren, a four-year starter and three-time state champion at Seattle’s Lakeside School, was named US Lacrosse – Washington High School Player of the Week in Girls Division I for March 15 – 21.
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