Posted: Mar 14, 2014
The 2014 season is underway and expectations are set high for this team. We have a tough opening to our schedule and the girls have responded by picking up the intensity at practice and pushing each other to be the best they can be. Our theme for this year is "Better Together" we can do so much more when we work together as a team. Last year's finish in the ODAC was not at all the goal for our team and the returning players are determined to not let that happen again. Our overall record was 9-8 and our conference record was 8-2.
Coach Hurley and I have been working hard in the office studying film and coming up with a new game plan for this team. With a new look on attack and the defensive end we are hoping to bring the element of surprise to our opponents. Setting the standard high and having the girls respond will allow us to accomplish our goals for the 2014 season.
This year, among a number of great players returning, we bring back three All-ODAC performers, one of which was a USILA All-American. Allison Bonanno comes back to the squad, as a IWLCA All-Chesapeake Region selection, as well as a First Team All-ODAC pick. She led the ODAC last year in assists with 69, 30 more than the second place student-athlete. She set an ODAC record for assists in a game, dishing out 12 in a win over Randolph-Macon last March.
Also returning to the team is Darragh Evarts. Evarts, a junior, was a USILA Third Team All-American and a First Team All-ODAC selection. She ranked second on the team in total points with 88, leading the team in scoring with 71 goals.
We open our season with three consecutive games against nationally-ranked teams. We will first play #1 Salisbury on February 16th at Sea Gull Stadium. The Sea Gulls won their second NCAA Championship in four years last spring. On February 22nd, we will play #16 Christopher Newport in Newport News. The Captains finished the season 18-3, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Our third and fourth games of the season will be played in Puerto Rico, during our Spring Break trip. We will play #15 St. John Fisher on March 3rd. The Cardinals had a 15-4 season in 2013, winning its second straight Empire 8 Championship. We will follow up with Misericordia University on March 5th.
We will start ODAC play on March 12th as Lynchburg comes to play at Kerr Stadium, which also serves as our home opener. On March 26th, we will travel to Lexington to take on rival Washington and Lee.
Alumni Weekend!
During Alumni Weekend, we will host the "Alumni Game" following our practice at 6:30 PM on Friday, April 11. This will be a special event as we will be able to play under the lights at Kerr Stadium! On that Saturday morning, we will host Randolph for a morning game that starts at 11:00 AM. You'll be able to support us in action early before the Alumni Weekend festivities begin, which includes our Maroon Club reception during the men's lacrosse game from 2-5 PM.
The reception is for Maroon Club members only so if you are interested in joining, please contact Brad Moore at (540) 375-2344 or by email at moore@roanoke.edu. If you would like to pay online to become a member, click HERE. For more information about the Maroon Club, please visit our website by clicking HERE. Your gift can go to support the women's lacrosse program!
Attention Maroon Club members!
For our alumni who are Maroon Club members, be on the lookout for the Maroon Club newsletter which will be coming out in early March. It will highlight the winter season along with each of our nine spring sports and talk about the events coming up, including the Maroon Club golf outing April 11 at Roanoke Country Club. For more information about the golf outing, please click HERE.
Thank You!
I want to conclude by saying THANK YOU to our supporters of the Maroon Club to the women's lacrosse program. The equipment we received, the spring break trip to Puerto Rico, the team meals on the road could not be possible without the help of our parents, alumni and friends of the program.
Our conference is growing in success in women's lacrosse. It was evident with the addition of Shenandoah, the continued improvements from Randolph-Macon and Lynchburg, and the emergence of Guilford with a remarkable season. While Washington and Lee and Roanoke have enjoyed the success historically, other teams are getting better and we want to remain at the top of our league. We need your support to continue our rise as one of the premier women's lacrosse programs in the country!
Thank you for your continued support of the Roanoke College Women's Lacrosse program!
Mary Schwartz
Schwartz@roanoke.edu
