Feb. 14, 2007

Erie, Pa. - Following the team's first winning season in three years, Mercyhurst women's lacrosse head coach Cecil Pilson has high hopes for his program entering his third year at the helm. The team returns eight starters and 17 letterwinners from last year's 9-8 squad and Pilson added 10 new players who should fill in any gaps.

"Our team will look towards its captains for leadership both on and off the field," Pilson said. "But we also have a talented sophomore class and an incoming freshman class, to go with a few junior transfers, that we expect to make an immediate and significant contribution on the field."

On Defense
Senior Captain Darci Doran (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) is the backbone of a young defensive unit. She tied for the team lead with 16 caused turnovers a year ago and was second on the squad with 40 ground balls. Another senior, Jessica Hale (Cleveland, Ohio/Magnificat), is a former midfielder who has been converted into a solid low defender. Junior transfer Holly Brown (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage HS, Herkimer CC) will be asked to step into this year's low defense as well. She was the leader on defense at No. 3 Herkimer Community College and finished her career by being named to the NJCAA Academic All-America Team and to the NJCAA Championship All-Tournament Team. Sophomore Beth O'Neil (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill Central) started 13 games during a successful freshman year and classmate Elizabeth Wagner (Rush, N.Y./Rush-Henrietta) will move from midfield to play the high defender role for the Lakers. Freshman Kira Ceppaglia (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) will give the team depth on defense in her first season with the Lakers.

Between the Pipes
This season the Lakers will look to sophomore Megan Foley (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) to lead the team between the pipes. Freshman Maeve McGoff (Terrace Park, Ohio/Mariemont) and Jessica Raniero (Lake View, N.Y./Frontier) are new to Lakers' roster this season and are looking to share time between the pipes with Foley. McGoff was named a First Team US Lacrosse High School All-American as a senior and a US Lacrosse High School All-American Honorable Mention as a junior during a successful high school career. Raniero was named to the All-Western New York Lacrosse Team as a senior.

In the Midfield
In the midfield, the Lakers will look to senior assistant captain Lauren Smith (Charlottesville, Va./Covenant School, Bridgewater College) to take the draws and lead a youthful group. Sophomore Kristen Toomey (East Rochester, N.Y./East Rochester) returns this season and will also take the draws and be a key to the Lakers' transition game. Toomey was named the team's midfield Most Valuable Player in 2006, playing in all 17 games. Sophomore Jessie Horeth (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) led the midfield and was third on the team in offensive production a year ago and provides an offensive punch from that position. Sophomore Alicia Guzzo (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) started all 17 games as a freshman and provides a combination of offensive production and defensive composure. Sophomores Angela Schumerth (Culver, Ind./Culver Academy), Bethany Maylone (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia), and Rebecca Heintzman (Hillsboro, Ore./Liberty) all return this season to step into the top three midfield lines to provide the Lakers with additional offensive production and defensive talent from the midfield.

Freshmen Meghan Dwyer (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles), Stephanie Guiffrida (Syracuse, N.Y./ Henninger), and Katie Nagle (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) will all look to step into the Lakers' top three lines as newcomers. Both Dwyer and Guiffrida had very successful high school careers and were members of the Central Empire State Games bronze medal team. Nagle led her high school team to an Ohio State Division II State Championship in 2005 and will be looked at to provide the Lakers with midfield offensive production. Also new to the Lakers this season is freshman Madeline Kelly (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side), who will provide the Lakers with more offensive production and defensive talent from the midfield and give the team great depth.

On the Attack
Offensively, the Lakers' young attack will be led by junior assistant captain Courtney Olevnik (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster). Olevnik moved from the midfield to attack and finished fourth on the team in offensive production, third among attackers. Sophomore Breanna Haggerty (Skaneateles, N.Y./Skaneateles) led the squad in almost every offensive category and was named a US Lacrosse/IWLCA Second Team All-Region Selection and was also named to the Womenslacrosse.com All Rookie Team. Also returning for the Lakers is Senior Keelin Hollenbeck (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee), sophomores Page Christensen (Hollywood, Md./Leonardtown), and sophomore Katy Miller (Painted Post, N.Y./Corning Painted Post West). All three will be looked towards to provide immediate offensive production. Junior transfer Stephanie Berube (Elmont, N.Y./Sewanhaka HS, Herkimer CC) and freshman Kate Smith (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) are newcomers who could produce immediately. Berube was the leader on the attack and in the midfield at No. 3 Herkimer County Community College before transferring to Mercyhurst with her teammate Holly Brown. Smith comes to Mercyhurst with the experience of winning two Maryland Class 2A/3A State Titles with the No. 1 nationally ranked Vikings.

Schedule
The Lakers open the season on the road in Charlotte, North Carolina to play pre-season No. 8 Queens University, Belmont Abbey College, and Pfeiffer University. After returning home for a week, the Lakers will travel to Millersville University before their home-opener against Seton Hill University. Mercyhurst has a tough schedule with only six games in the comfort of Louis J. Tullio Field. The toughest contests this season could come against the defending National Champions Adelphi University, National Semi-Finalists Long Island University - C.W. Post, and crosstown rival Gannon University at home in April.

"We worked very hard in the fall to get every student-athlete on the team playing time to better prepare for the rigors of spring lacrosse," Pilson said. "For our team to be successful, it will require a team effort and strong leadership from the captains to lead this young team."