Coach Missy Doherty

GREAT GRADES ALL AROUND!!

2008-06-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

Not only did we have a successful season on the field, our performance in the classroom was equally impressive. Our team semester GPA was 3.292, and our team cumulative gpa was an outstanding 3.190. Five women received straight A's... Lauren Cassel, Therese D'Ambrosio, Mary Ellen Elie, Steph Taylor, and Britt Woodfield. And five women were almost there with all A's and one B.. Mandy Corry, Lacey Jennings, Ali Lathroum, Laura Mezzanotte, and Julie Ondrako. It is so great to see the commitment of our student-athletes to excellence both on and off the field! Congrats to a great academic year, and GO TIGERS!!!!!!

GREAT 2008!!

2008-06-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to make another post, I will really try hard to keep you all updated on Tiger news throughout the summer. Our season finished up great and the awards keep rolling in. Congrats to Julie Ondrako and Nikki Marcinik who received Second Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region. And Hillary Fratzke who was First-Team All-Region, and First-Team All-American!!

I am so proud of the season we had, and I'm looking forward to continuing the great tradition of Towson Lacrosse. We recently hosted the Division I Women's Lacrosse Final Four, and it was such a great weekend of lacrosse. There is no better site in the country than Towson for this Championship!!

We are off on the recruiting trail to find the next great TIGERS.. so wish us luck!!

I have turned the comments portion of this blog on, so if you have any positive feedback for the site, I would love to hear!!

Game to be broadcast LIVE!!

2008-05-08T06:23:00.001-07:00

If you are unable to make it up to Syracuse, you can listen in to a live radio broadcast! Please click on the following link on Sunday at 3:30: http://www.wtmd.org/Listenlive/Listenlivepage.htm

GO TIGERS!!!

CAA CHAMPS!!!!!!

2008-05-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

WAHOOOO!! What a great weekend for Tiger Lax!! Last Friday, we defeated George Mason by one point in the CAA semi-final game. It was just a great game, each team played hard and the game came down to the last shot!! Our senior goalie, Mandy Corry, had a tremendous save in the last seconds of play, and it was just the perfect end to a fantastic game. In the championship game on Sunday, we faced William and Mary and played one of our best games of the year. We defeated them 16-7 to take home our 2nd CAA Title in four years. The weekend was such an amazing experience and I'm so proud of the way the players came out and competed!!

With our win, we received a ticket to the NCAA tournament, where we will face Syracuse in the first round. Our game is at 3:30 this Sunday at Syracuse so if you are in the area come check us out!! GO TIGERS!!!

CAA Standings...

2008-04-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

For all those curious CAA minds.....

If William & Mary and Towson are 5-2 and George Mason, Delaware, James Madison and Hofstra are 4-3:
#1 – William & Mary (head-to-head over Towson)
#2 – Towson (head-to-head vs. William & Mary)
#3 – Delaware (2-1 vs. tied opponents (JMU, Hofstra, Mason); head-to-head over James Madison)
#4 – James Madison (2-1 vs. tied opponents (Delaware, Hofstra, Mason); head-to-head vs. Delaware)
George Mason 1-2 vs. tied opponents (Delaware, JMU, Hofstra)
Hofstra 1-2 vs. tied opponents (Delaware, George Mason, JMU)

If William & Mary, Towson and George Mason are 5-2 and Delaware and Hofstra are 4-3:
#1 – William & Mary (2-0 vs. tied opponents (Mason and Towson))
#2 – George Mason (1-1 vs. tied opponents (Towson and William & Mary))
#3 – Towson (0-2 vs. tied opponents (Mason and William & Mary)
#4 – Delaware (head-to-head over Hofstra)
Hofstra (head-to-head vs. Delaware)

If Towson is 5-2 and William & Mary, George Mason, Delaware, James Madison and Hofstra are 4-3:
#1 – Towson
#2 – William & Mary (3-1 vs. tied opponents (Delaware, George Mason, Hofstra, James Madison)
# 3 – Delaware (2-2 vs. tied opponents (George Mason, Hofstra, James Madison, William & Mary), return to three-team tiebreaker, 2-0 vs. tied teams (Hofstra and James Madison)
#4 – James Madison (2-2 vs. tied opponents (Delaware, George Mason, Hofstra, William & Mary), return to three-team tiebreaker, 1-1 vs. tied opponents (Delaware and Hofstra)
Hofstra (2-2 vs. tied opponents (Delaware, George Mason, James Madison, William & Mary), return to three-team tiebreaker, 0-2 vs. tied opponents (Delaware and James Madison)
George Mason (1-3 vs. tied opponents (Delaware, Hofstra, James Madison, William & Mary)

If George Mason and Towson are 5-2 and Delaware, Hofstra and William & Mary are 4-3:
#1 – George Mason (head-to-head over Towson)
#2 – Towson (head-to-head vs. George Mason)
#3 – Hofstra (1-1 vs. tied opponents (Delaware, William & Mary), Win vs. #1 George Mason, head-to-head over William & Mary
#4 – William & Mary (1-1 vs. tied opponents (Delaware and Hofstra), Win vs. #1 George Mason, head-to-head vs. Hofstra
Delaware (1-1 vs. tied opponents (Hofstra and William & Mary), Loss vs. #1 George Mason

A Wonderful Weekend

2008-04-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend! After a disappointing loss to George Mason on Friday, we regrouped to have a great victory over James Madison on Sunday. Sunday was also our senior day, where we honored an extremely talented and amazing class. We attracted a crowd of around 1200 people, and the energy from the stands was GREAT!!! It was the perfect way for the seniors to end their career at Johnny Unitas Stadium. I want to thank all the youth teams that came out and supported us as well.... your cheers mean so much, and we appreciate your support!!

We are looking forward to our last two games, against two tough conference rivals, William and Mary and Old Dominion this Friday and Sunday. We are at the top of the CAA right now at 4-1, and we are really enjoying competing in such a challenging conference. If you want to check some highlights from our Delaware game, click on this website.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJOuX2sSLi8 GO TIGERS!!!!

Busiest Weekend in Baltimore!!!!!

2008-04-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Some people say, "Why plan everything in one weekend??" We say..... "Why NOT???!!!" This weekend is extremely busy, but we have a great chain of events, not to mention two HUGE games. We play George Mason at 6pm on Friday, and James Madison at 1pm on Sunday. Both HOME games, so come check them out if you can. Our bull roast is on Saturday from 5pm-10pm, and if you haven't bought your ticket yet, please contact Sonia at 410-704-2961.... we have almost tripled in numbers from last year, so it should be a great night!!! We are featuring a dunking booth this year, so be ready to sink one of the Towson coaches!!

On Sunday, we have our high school Junior Day, our Senior Game honoring our graduating seniors, and a free clinic after the JMU game. If you would like to bring any youth players to our Sunday game, please come and enjoy the free clinic afterwards!!

It is an exciting time to be a Tiger FAN!! We are currently 9-3 with four games left, and this weekend should be a great indication of where we are in our conference. Come check us out!!! GO TIGERS!!!

GO TIGERS!

2008-03-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

What an exciting season so far!!! We are gearing up for our CAA games, and we are looking forward to our first match-up against Delaware on Sunday. Come check us out!

GO TIGERS!!

6-2....GREAT START

2008-03-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we are half-way through our season and we are off to a great start. We are currently 6-2, and we have had some great wins against Richmond, Loyola, and George Washington. Tomorrow, we play in-state rival Maryland, and then we start our CAA competition!!!! Just as a reminder to all, here are a couple of events that are going on in the next few weeks:

3/30- Game vs Delaware!!

4/11- Home game vs George Mason 6:00pm!!

4/12- BULL ROAST (tickets $40--all you can eat and drink plus a live band!! Proceeds benefit the men's and women's lacrosse team.. contact Sonia Lamonica at slamonica@towson.edu or 410-704-2961 for more information!)

4/13- Junior Day and Free Clinic Day... We will be having a free youth clinic after our JMU game, so please bring your teams out to enjoy a fun day of lacrosse!

Things are super busy, but exciting!! Thanks to all our parents for their support, and we'll see you tomorrow night!

BUSY BUSY BUSY

2008-03-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks! Our season is going extremely well, and we are currently 5-1. We had a tough game against Hopkins, but we fought hard the entire game. This past weekend we beat UMBC, and it was great to see so many players contribute in the game. The team is playing great TOGETHER, and I'm really looking forward to the next couple games (Syracuse and Richmond!!) Our Richmond game last year was EXCITING, and I know that this year will be another challenging match up!! But before that, we have Syracuse.. and I'm sure all our parents from that area are thrilled they have a short drive on Wednesday. If you are in the area, come over and check us out at 1pm in the Dome.. it should be a great game!!

WHAT A GREAT GAME

2008-03-04T06:44:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we beat Loyola 14-9!!! It was a great win for our program, and a true reflection of the hard work and dedication the team has put forth this year. Our entire team has been committed to enjoying every moment, and so far we are off to a great start. Every player on this year's team is playing such an important role, and it is great to have such a united team effort. Congratulations go out this week to Hillary Fratzke for CAA Player of the Week Honors! And of course Mandy Corry gets "Play of the Week" for her awesome last minute save this past Saturday!! We are looking forward to a tough game against American today, and hopefully we'll bring another victory back to Towson!!

FREE COACHES CLINIC 3/11

2008-02-28T11:50:00.000-08:00

I will be hosting a FREE COACHES CLINIC on March 11th, at 6:30 in the Field House. All youth and high school coaches are welcomed to attend!! The clinic will include a DVD presentation of drills, a strategy session, and a question and answer session. Space is limited, so if you plan to attend please reserve your spot by e-mailing me at mdoherty@towson.edu. Thanks, and I hope to see you there!!!

THIS WEEK IN LAX....

2008-02-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who attended our game this past weekend against Mt. St. Mary's! It was a great team win, and we are really excited with how the team is playing. This weekend brings us Loyola, our Baltimore rival, and we are looking forward to another challenging match-up. The game is at 11am at Loyola and will be televised on MASN at 4pm the same day. Hope you all are enjoying the lax weather, and we'll hopefully see you all on SATURDAY!!!!

CLINIC

2008-02-21T07:56:00.000-08:00

This past February, our team partnered with Baltimore County Recreation to run a youth clinic at the Raven's Practice Facility. The clinic benefited Baltimore County Recreation Services, and it turned out to be a tremendous success. The players did an amazing job coaching the young players, and everyone had a great time. It is always fun to get the community involved in Towson Lacrosse, and we are looking forward to having the young players cheer us on at our games this Spring!!!

TOWERLIGHT PREVIEW

2008-02-19T07:06:00.001-08:00

Please check out the following site... http://media.www.thetowerlight.com/media/paper957/sections/20080218SpringSportsPreview.html This is the site of our school paper "The Towerlight" and has two articles on our upcoming season, and some more on the other spring sports at Towson. GO TIGERS!

PENN TOURNAMENT SATURDAY 2/16

2008-02-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

We are really excited to have our first competition of 2008 this Saturday. We will be scrimmaging Georgetown, Penn and Boston University at the University of Pennsylvania, and we are excited to be tested against some of the top teams in the country! If you have the chance to come and see us play, please do!! GO TIGERS!

9:30- 10:50 TOWSON vs PENN

1:55-3:25 Georgtown vs TOWSON

3:30-4:50 TOWSON vs BU

GAME TIME CHANGE!!

2008-02-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

Our Loyola game time has changed. The new time will be 11am, and it will be televised on MASN. The game will air the same day at 4pm, so set your VCR's.. or DVR's!!!! GO TIGERS!!

BULL ROAST 2008!!

2008-01-31T08:49:00.001-08:00

Please save the date for our annual Bull Roast! The event will take place on April 12th, and we are looking forward to seeing you there. We have a great weekend of of lacrosse that weekend.. we play George Mason Friday night and JMU on Sunday! Tickets are $40 which includes food, drink and FUN!! Contact Katie Doolittle at kdoolittle@towson.edu or 410-704-3579 to reserve your table NOW!!
We are also looking for donations for prizes and our silent auction. PLEASE HELP US!! Anything you could give would be extremely appreciated. Thanks a lot and GO TIGERS!!!!!

TOWSON HOSTS THE FINAL FOUR!!

2008-01-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

We are extremely excited to host the 2008 Women's Lacrosse National Championship. We have amazing facilities, and our stadium is one of the best sites I can think of to host the Final Four. Our brand new turf was installed this summer, and it looks amazing. We are hoping to shatter past attendance records, so please spread the word and bring your family and friends for a great weekend of women's lacrosse! For more ticket information, please go to http://www.towsontigers.com/sports/wlacrosse/NCAAWomensLacrosseChampionship.asp

GREAT JOB IN THE CLASSROOM!

2008-01-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

I'm normally very proud of our athletes' performance in the classroom, and this past semester was no exception. As a team, we achieved a 3.062 for the semester, and our overall cumulative team GPA is an outstanding 3.143. We had two players, Laura Mezzanotte and Steph Taylor receive straight A's, and four players received all A's and one B (Mandy Corry, Christine Dougherty, Kelly Patterson and Brit Woodfield). I'm so thrilled with the level of excellence our team achieves in the classroom each semester and I can't wait to see the effort both on and off the field this Spring!

2008-01-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

2008 Tiger Women’s Lacrosse Outlook

Entering her fifth season as the Tigers’ coach, Missy Doherty has a lot of optimism as the Tigers start the 2008 campaign. With 10 starters and 20 letter winners returning from last year’s squad, Doherty feels the excitement surrounding her team as they begin the season.
“There’s a lot of excitement around and we had a pretty successful fall season,” Doherty says. “The players are really excited for the Spring and are committed to making the 2008 season a memorable one.”
One of the Tigers’ goals is to return to the Colonial Athletic Association Championships after missing the postseason with a 6-9 record last year. A major factor in the Tigers’ record last year was a 1-4 record in games decided by a goal, which is something Doherty hopes will get better with experience.
“The thing that helps to alleviate [the one-goal games] is that we are older,” Doherty says. “Our junior class was a big class as freshmen playing-wise and they’ve grown up a lot. Our leadership is now in our older classes, which makes those games bounce your way sometimes as opposed to being a younger team and reacting to things.”
In addition to the junior class, a strong senior class will help to provide leadership for the Tigers this season. Of the Tigers’ six seniors on the roster, five of them were starters last year.
While the Tigers have 14 upperclassmen on the roster this season, they also return a sophomore class which made immediate impacts in its first season. The improvements made by the sophomores will also help the Tigers elevate their game this season.
“They are learning what it takes to be impact players,” says Doherty. “Some of our midfielders have gotten better at defense in the eight-meter area. It’s important for midfielders to and get down to the defensive end and play good defense, so they’re not giving up goals. The sophomores have done a great job with that and a great job of being more aggressive and not holding back as much.”
The Tigers will also welcome a very talented freshman group, which will be expected to make contributions immediately if the team is to be successful.
“I am ready for them to come in and get in the game right away,” the Tigers’ coach says of the newcomers. “I think a couple of them can be impact players.”

Here is a position-by-position look at the 2008 Tigers …

Attack
During the past few seasons, the Tigers have received a majority of their offense from the midfield position. However, with a majority of the attackers returning for the 2008 season, Doherty is ready to see the attack unit produce on offense.
“We’ve been getting a lot of goals from our midfielders over the last couple of years, so I am really looking forward to seeing our low attackers really step up and get goals for us,” she says. “We have nine attackers and three spots for them to play, so it’s going to be very competitive for them at practice.”
Junior Meggie McNamara is the Tigers’ returning leader on attack after a sophomore campaign which saw her score 32 goals while starting every game. Over her first two seasons, the Fayetteville, N.Y. native has scored 70 goals with 10 assists, giving the Tigers a large presence on offense.
“Meggie was one of our leading scorers last year,” says Doherty. “She has really strong moves and is a strong player. Meggie has gotten better at redefending, so we will be looking for even better things from her this season.”
The Tigers will also welcome back a pair of seniors on the attack unit. A native of Glen Ridge, N.J., Ali Alati is coming off her best season as a junior when she scored ten goals with two assists while starting 11 games. A good shooter, she has a strong one-on-one move and has become one of the Tigers’ best redefending attackers.
Meanwhile, Kendie Bauer looks to improve on a junior season which saw her appear in ten games. A smart player with good vision, Bauer is known more for her ability to feed the ball to her teammates. She has scored two goals with ten assists in her three-year career.
Junior Cassie Krause also returns after her best season as a Tiger last year, scoring six goals with an assist in 14 games. According to Doherty, she is a player who can provide good speed on the offensive end.
“We are hoping that Cassie can become one of the team’s premier attackers this season,” says the Tigers’ coach. “She is quick with a good shot and has good attacking moves.” Mary Hammond will also bring good experience and presence to the attacking end. "Mary has been one of the hardest working athletes on the team for the past four years. She is a smart attacker with great stick skills, and we will look for her to be a consistent scorer this year."
The Tigers will also look to Jacie Kendall to provide additional scoring power, and are counting on a strong group of freshmen, including Jess Dunn, who comes to Towson after a successful career at Fallston High School. A three-time first team All-Harford County selection for the Cougars, she led the team with 63 goals as a junior and earned second team All-State honors.
“Jess is a really good attacker and does a good job of putting the ball in the goal,” says Doherty. “She is a quick player who has strong moves on the offensive end.”
Lacey Jennings will also join the Tigers after transferring from Ohio University after its women’s lacrosse program was discontinued. A first team All-City lacrosse player as a junior at Seton Keough High School, Jennings gives the Tigers an added option on the offensive end.

Midfield
Despite the loss of Shannon Witzel to graduation, the Tigers are still strong at the midfield position with seven returning players from last year, including junior co-captain Hillary Fratzke. Named as a second team All-American last year, Fratzke led the Tigers in scoring with 48 goals and 12 assists in addition to providing solid play on the defensive end. One of the top players in the CAA, Fratzke has also become of the nation’s top player with draw controls.
“Hillary does everything well,” says Doherty. “She is a great attack player and has been coming up with some huge caused turnovers with her interceptions and checks. She is a difference maker on our team.”
In addition, co-captain and junior Britt Woodfield returns for her third season with the Tigers after scoring a career-best 19 goals with seven assists in 15 games last year. One of the Tigers’ top midfielders over the last two seasons, she has started 31 of 32 games during that span, which gives Doherty stability at the midfield.
“Britt is all over the field for us,” says the Tigers’ coach. “Anything you ask her to do offensively or defensively, she is willing to do it. She is one of our most solid midfielders.”
Juniors Sarah McCausland and Brianne Minor also give the Tigers added depth and experience at the midfield position. A native of Phoenix, Md., McCausland played in 12 games as a sophomore and has the potential to make big plays for the Tigers. Meanwhile, Minor is looking to come back strong after missing most of last year with a knee injury she suffered in the Tigers’ season opener against American.
“Sarah is one of our more physical midfielders and does a great job of making her presence known,” says Doherty. “Meanwhile, Brianne has been recovering during the Fall and we are hopeful that she will come back in the Spring and be ready to help us on the attacking end.”
Sophomore midfielder Nikki Marcinik will try to improve on an outstanding freshman season which earned her CAA All-Rookie Team honors. A starter in eight games last year, Marcinik scored 12 goals with three assists, including a four-goal effort in the Tigers’ win at George Mason. Doherty feels that the Deale, Md. native has shown great improvement since last year.
“Nikki is probably the player who gets better and better every year,” Doherty says. “She was good as a freshman, especially in our CAA games, but she has come back even better this year, making her a huge asset in the midfield.”
In addition to Marcinik, sophomores Steph Taylor and Lauren McAfee will give the Tigers added experience on the offensive and defensive ends. A native of Denver, Pa., Taylor appeared in ten games as a freshman and scored five goals with two assists. Meanwhile, McAfee played in all 15 games during her rookie campaign, scoring five goals while adding 13 ground balls.
While the Tigers have a great deal of experience in the midfield, they will also look to a strong group of freshmen, including Ali Lathroum. A native of Bishopville, Md., Lathroum led Stephen Decatur High School to the state finals as a junior and the state semi-finals during her senior year. A three-time all-conference selection, she was a four-year starter for the Seahawks who scored over 100 goals with 100 assists in her career, giving the Tigers another strong scoring threat.
“Ali is very athletic,” says Coach Doherty. “She has a lot of potential to do very well at the attacking and defensive ends.”
In addition to Lathroum, MaryEllen Elie will give the Tigers athleticism in the midfield. A three-sport athlete at Orchard Park High School, the Mahtomedi, Minn. native led the Quakers to their first district title in ten years as a junior. A first team All-Western New York selection, Elie is a hard worker who will help the Tigers during the upcoming season.
Freshman Nikki Cory will add depth at midfield after recovering from a knee injury during her senior season at Finksburg High School. The Westminster, Md. native was a three-year letter winner for the Owls who helped Westminster reach the state semi-finals three straight years while earning second team all-conference accolades.
Meanwhile, freshman Kristyn Wheeler will give the Tigers added depth with her speed. A four-year letter winner at Queen Anne’s County High School, the Queen Anne, Md. native led the Lions to the Bayside Conference championship as a sophomore.

Defense
Another one of the Tigers’ strengths this season will be on defense with eight returning letter winners, including three seniors. Despite losing Lindsay Lusignea to graduation, Doherty is optimistic that the defense will be a bright spot for the Tigers this season.
“It’s great to have all of your defenders back for the most part,” says the Tigers’ coach. “We definitely miss having Lindsay, but it’s great to have such a good core group back. With the majority of playing defense being anticipation and knowing what to expect, having people back who have played two to three years is a major asset for us.”
A starter in 12 games last year, senior Laura Mezzanotte was one of the team’s leaders with 21 ground balls and provides the team with leadership on the defensive end. The West Islip, N.Y. native has played in 24 games during her first three seasons.
“Laura is a great shutdown defender and is a good leader on defense for us,” says Coach Doherty. “She does a great job on team slides and in playing team defense.”
The Tigers also welcome back senior co-captain Katie Mollot on defense this season. A three-year starter on defense, Mollot has played in 46 career games while making 35 starts. As a junior, the Holbrook, N.Y. native started 13 of 15 games and was fifth on the team with 22 ground balls. Despite missing most of the Fall season, Doherty feels that Mollot will be ready for the season.
“Katie was injured for most of the Fall, but we are looking forward to getting her back,” the Tigers’ coach says. “She is a strong player and one of our defensive leaders.”
Senior Lauren Cassel returns for her final year with the Tigers after a successful junior season which saw her start 13 of 15 games. She had a career-high three ground balls against American and Drexel and ended the season with 15 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. One of the Tigers’ tallest players, she gives the team an added ability to create turnovers.
Doherty adds, “Lauren is one of our best mark-up defenders in terms of match-ups with the other team. She does a good job of shutting them down and also has a good reach for interceptions.”
Junior Julie Ondrako will also be a major player for the Tigers on defense this year after a very successful sophomore campaign. A starter in 14 games last year, Ondrako was a second team All-CAA pick last season and was third on the team with 35 ground balls. She also had a pair of assists on the offensive end.
“Julie is one of our quickest defenders and we use her in our double teams and pressure defense,” says the Tigers’ coach. “She operates best when we are pressuring the other team a lot. She uses her quickness to get the ball downfield in transition as well.”
The Tigers will also have a quartet of sophomores who will add depth on the defensive end, including Megan Mullis, who has shown great improvement from her freshman year. A strong physical defender, Mullis does a good job of stopping one-on-one plays, according to Coach Doherty.
In addition, second-year players Christine Dougherty, Kelly Patterson and Kara Siegert will add depth to the defense after gaining experience as freshmen.
The Tigers also welcome a pair of talented freshmen to the defensive group for the upcoming season. A native of Hudson, Ohio, Jackie Dysert was a three-sport athlete at Hudson High School who earned honorable mention All-America honors in lacrosse while leading the Explorers to a district championship as a junior.
Meanwhile, Megan Fitzgerald will bring a great deal of experience to the team after serving as an alternate for the United States Under-19 National Team this past summer. A very athletic defender, Fitzgerald was a second team All-County selection as a senior and was a conference all-star. Therese D'Ambrosio will also gain valuable experience this year at defense, and brings a high level of athleticsm and confidence to the defensive end

Goalkeeper
The Tiger defense will be led by a pair of talented goalkeepers in senior Mandy Corry and sophomore Casey Lean while welcoming freshman Kristy Hankinson to the goalkeeper group.
A three-year starter, Corry has started all 51 games of her college career and ranks among the Tigers’ all-time leaders with 513 saves. An all-region pick as a junior, the second-year co-captain provides stability in goal for the Tigers. “Mandy has come up with some big saves in her first three years here and we are looking for her to go out with a bang,” Doherty says.
After redshirting last year, Lean has been a welcome return for Coach Doherty and the Tigers during the Fall season. Despite the fact that she has not seen much playing time during the first two seasons, Doherty is confident that Lean can do the job if called upon. Doherty says, “Casey is a great game goalie and I am glad to see her back in the goal after redshirting last year.”
Meanwhile, Hankinson is an athletic goalkeeper who led the Liberty High School lacrosse team to a pair of conference championships and earned first team all-county and all-conference honors. A two-sport athlete, the Eldersburg, Md. native also played soccer for the Lions.

Looking at the Schedule …
During her first four years as the Tigers’ coach, Doherty has tried to play some of the top non-conference teams in the country as a way to prepare for the CAA and the 2008 schedule is no exception.
The Tigers will face five teams which reached the NCAA Tournament last year, including local rivals Johns Hopkins and Maryland and CAA rival Hofstra. The Tigers will also travel to Richmond and Syracuse during the month of March, which should prepare the team for the CAA schedule.
“We love playing some of the tougher teams out of conference like Loyola, Hopkins and Syracuse,” says Doherty. “Playing some of the top teams in the country gets you ready for the conference and then, hopefully the NCAA Tournament. We want to be one of the top teams and to do that, you have to play the top teams.”
In addition to the NCAA Tournament teams from last year, the Tigers will also face local rivals Loyola, Mount St. Mary’s and UMBC during the non-conference schedule.

2008-01-15T08:59:00.000-08:00