2009 Lacrosse Preview

BLOOMSBURG- Bloomsburg University's lacrosse team opens their season at Sports Stadium on Friday at 4:00 p.m. The Huskies head coach, Leah Quigley Carr, enters her third year with the Huskies. After making the PSAC playoffs her first two years of coaching, Carr looks to advance beyond the opening round of playoffs.

The Huskies biggest strength this season is their veteran group of returners who bring experience, determination and leadership to the team. With the returners and a strong recruited freshmen class, the Huskies will be able to put the pieces together to make a solid winning team.

RETURNERS

The heart of the team will revolve around the four senior captains of the team: Kelsey Quigley (Lansdale/Methacton), Sam Alexander (Willow Grove/Upper Moreland), Cara McGroarty (Pottstown/Pottsgrove), and Andrea Schweitzer (Pine Island, NY/Vernon Twp.).

Leading the midfield will be Quigley, Alexander and McGroarty. Quigley has been working hard during the off season to prepare herself for the upcoming year. Her stick skills and physical presence has improved tremendously which will make her very difficult to defend off the attack. Alexander is a stellar performer who is a constant threat to every opponent's defense. Her speed and aggressiveness always creates havoc against the opposing team's defense. McGroarty will be the catalyst for the team both defensively and offensively. A leader by example, McGroarty plays the game with passion and enthusiasm. Her speed and aggressiveness are regarded as the corner stone of the program.

Leading the defensive end will be Schweitzer, who hampered by injury last season, will play a prominent roll on the field reenergizing the defense. A natural, vocal leader, both on and off the field, Schweitzer will be the voice the team will follow.

The lone junior returning for the Huskies is midfielder Kim Springman (Downingtown/Bishop Shanahan). A versatile player, she possesses the ability to maneuver past her opponents. Her refined stick skills and her decision making will be featured this season.

Among the returning sophomores for the Huskies are defenders Ashley Bowers (Springfield/Springfield), Kelly Logue (West Chester/East), Kayla Efaw (Cypress, TX/Cy-Fair), Courtney Martin (West Chester/Garnet Valley), and Rebecca Belmonte (Seaford, NY/Plainedge). An All-American as a freshman, Bowers' fierce aggressive defense will play an important role in the team's success. Her mental approach has taken her game to the next level and will make her one of the strong leaders on defense. Logue is fast and fearless in the back and will add a spark to the Huskies defense. Her speed and stick skills will play a prominent role in the Huskies transition game. Efaw will be a part of the defensive core for the Huskies. Her defensive prowess and speed will make her a major component in transition. Martin and Belmonte have improved their game in the off season will compete for minutes this season.

Sophomore Tia Mazzie (Barto/Boyertown) returns to the midfield, while Kylie Matthews (Gilbertsville/Boyertown) returns to the attack. Mazzie is a quick, strong, tenacious and highly skilled player who has a dominating presence in the midfield. Her determination to win is unmatched and will be one of the key players in the midfield this season. Matthews is a deceptive attacker with a great shot. Her strong stick skills and her ability to create shots will be a key component of the Huskies success.

NEWCOMERS

Among the newcomers for Bloomsburg are a group of five incoming freshmen. Michelle Mentzer (Coatesville/Coatesville) and Brieann Wolfe (Perkasie/Pennridge) will compete for minutes in the Huskies attack, while Allie Kakareka (Royersford/Spring-ford) and Lindsay Kupferschmidt (Royersford/Spring-ford) will contend for time in the midfield. Sam King (Elkton, MD/Northeast) will be looking to contribute on defense.

Also joining the Huskies is former field hockey player, junior goalkeeper Allison Ziants (Winfield/Selinsgrove) and transfer Kelsey Schwan (Burnt Hills, NY/West Chester). Ziants finished out her field hockey career playing in 57 games and had 162 career saves. She is making a quick transition of goalkeeping skills from field hockey into lacrosse and will be an important part of the Huskies defense. Schwan, a transfer from West Chester has a strong shot on net and will be a threat on the attack.

OVERALL

The PSAC has been split into East and West divisions this year. Bloomsburg, a member of the Eastern Division will face its biggest challenge from 2008 PSAC and National Champions, West Chester. "The important crossover games to win will be Lock Haven and Mercyhurst" said Carr, "Those three games will be a test for us and will set the pace for the season."

With a strong nucleus of returning players with great experience and skills and a competitive group of newcomers, Bloomsburg has the look of a contending team once again in the conference.

"Our first goal this season is to win the Eastern division," added Carr. "If we can do that, then we can compete for the PSAC Championship."