ITHACA, N.Y. -- While many programs would lower expectations after losing six starters, including a pair of All-Americans and the school's all-time leading scorer, the Cornell women's lacrosse is anxious to start the upcoming 2009 campaign.
After a 2008 season that saw the Big Red finish second in the ultra-competitive Ivy League and come within a breath of an NCAA tournament bid, some would understand the mentality that 2009 should be a rebuilding year. With the team's top three scorers among those lost to graduation from a core that helped the Big Red capture its first Ivy League title in 2006, outsiders would have little trouble counting Cornell out.
Head coach Jenny Graap '86 sees things just a little differently.
"We'll rely on our four seniors to pass on the tradition and the pride of our program. They need to incorporate the younger kids quickly. I think the freshman class is a very dynamic group, a talented group and a very unified group. This fall was really enjoyable, and I couldn't be more pleased with where we are starting from."
The cupboard is far from bare, as Cornell welcomes the return of six starters, including All-Ivy players Kelly Hansen and Tissy O'Connor, as well as junior goalkeeper Kristen Reese, and leading returning scorers Libby Johnson and Kathryn Dewey. The departure of All-Americans Courtney Farrell and Katherine Simmons will also allow for a number of the team's 21 freshmen and sophomores to step into bigger roles. Senior captains Deirdre Lafferty and Jessica Wiegand will direct a four-player senior class ready to help the Big Red compete for an Ivy League title.
As always, the Big Red will again challenge themselves with a schedule that will be one of the toughest in the country. Seven of the 15 scheduled contests will come against teams that were ranked in the final 2007 IWLCA Top 20 poll. Non-league games against ranked teams from New Hampshire, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Vanderbilt highlight the schedule and give the Big Red opportunities to boost its NCAA resume.
The Ivy League will again be one of the toughest conferences in the country. Both Penn and Princeton open the season in the preseason top six nationally, with the Quakers coming off an appearance int he national title game. Both Dartmouth and Yale were also ranked during the 2007 campaign, while the Big Green is in the 2009 preseason rankings.
THE ATTACK
The Big Red will feature a new look attack with the graduation of All-American Courtney Farrell, the program's all-time leading scorer, as well as the multi-talented Charlotte Schmidlapp. Despite their loss, Cornell will have a multitude of weapons and should be able to provide balanced scoring and versatile offensive sets.
The lone senior in the mix will be Halsey Diakow, who emerged late in her junior season as a scoring option. The skilled feeder saw limited action in her first two seasons, but became a consistent weapon late in 2008. Diakow recorded points in five of the team's final six games as part of Cornell's 5-1 run. In her 11 contests, Diakow scored five goals and three assists with a career-best three-point effort against Columbia. With a healthy senior year, she will be expected to provide even more punch.
Junior Kathryn Dewey has been a productive player in each of her first two seasons, but the possibility of a breakout 2009 campaign is very real. An imposing athlete around the crease with great size, she will also have a chance to be a major factor on the draw circle. Dewey will look to build on a 23-goal, seven-assist season as a sophomore, including five hat trick performances in her 15 starts.
Another important scorer from a season ago, sophomore Libby Johnson, emerged as one of the top young players in the Ancient Eight. While she will play a larger role in the midfield as a sophomore, her attacking skills will be needed after a strong 20-goal, 11-assist freshman campaign, good for fourth on the team. Johnson is a multi-dimensional player who can not only score and create for teammates, but also re-defend on the ride and run the midfield when needed.
Sophomores Claire Poza and Elizabeth Tillotson return as more experienced players and will attempt to break into the lineup. Poza emerged during the offseason and has a great chance to join the rotation in her second year. The two-time IWLCA high school All-American is an excellent feeder thanks to her field vision and understanding of the offense. Tillotson brings great height to the line attack and is a hard worker who has shown significant improvement in her one season with the program.
Freshmen Kelly Giesecke, Jessi Steinberg and Shannon Tierney will also join the attacking corps for 2009. Of the group, Steinberg may have the best opportunity to immediately join the rotation as one of the top scorers during the fall season. A highly-touted recruit, she is mentally tough and is a true scorer. Both Giesecke and Tierney have brought new energy to the attack and will press for game day playing time.
THE MIDFIELD
All-American Katherine Simmons and All-Region pick Noelle Dowd are both gone, but versatile midfielders dot the roster to pick up some of the slack. Team co-captain Jessica Wiegand and senior Tissy O'Connor lead a group that also features juniors Lindsey Kane and Kaitlyn Giles, sophomores Heather Garson and Michelle Winglee and freshmen Katie Kirk, Julie Klatzkin, Olivia Knotts and Shannon McHugh.
Wiegand opened the 2008 campaign strong before suffering a season-ending injury off the field that cost her the final nine games of the year. Despite her bad luck, her multi-faceted game and strong leadership skills on and off the field will allow her to be a major contributor to a solid midfield group. Wiegand is a natural scorer and one of the team's top competitors.
A true midfielder capable of being a key scorer and already one of the team's most pesky defenders, O'Connor is a candidate for league, regional and national honors. She is not only the team's top returner in ground balls (23), draw controls (25) and caused turnovers (12), but O'Connor broke out as a scorer late in the 2008 season as part of a seven-goal, three-assist season. The 5-4 sparkplug posted nine points in the team's final seven games in helping the Big Red to a 5-2 record down the stretch with wins over a pair of ranked teams during the span.
Maybe no one on the team is as physically and mentally strong as Kane, whose competitiveness drives the Big Red midfield to a different level. A skilled and aggressive player who can also slide in the back, Kane does a lot of the dirty work and brings great emotion to the field.
Giles could emerge as a junior after seeing limited action a season ago. A transfer from Brown, she has spent a season getting acclimated to Cornell's style of play and showed in the fall that she could have a breakout campaign. She will challenge for a starting position.
Winglee's athleticism got her on the field as a freshman, but consistent effort on the defensive end could elevate her to an All-Ivy type campaign in 2009. A good offensive player, she has boundless energy and great recovery speed.
Another player who has suffered through injuries is Garson, whose development has been hampered by not being on the field. The talent she showed in high school was undeniable
Both Kirk and McHugh made great impressions during the fall season and could earn playing time as rookies. Kirk is a classic middie who really is strong defensively and will have the ability to mark top offensive players. McHugh leans towards the attack and has the ability to score with her great speed and poise. Knotts has great stick skills and is poised on both ends of the field. Klatzkin has vast potential and is extremely confident on the offensive end.
THE DEFENSE
Getting back to basics on defense will be the goal in 2009. After ranking among the national leaders in scoring defense for a span of five seasons, the Big Red will try to get back into that position. The backfield will seemingly be the team's biggest strength entering the year, as Graap will be able to call on multiple experienced players to carry the load.
Senior co-captain Deirdre Lafferty is a hard-nosed, tough defender who is regularly asked to mark offensive players much bigger. Lafferty uses her speed and craftiness to hold the opposition at bay, and her productivity and competitiveness will rub off on a defense that is looking to improve on its 9.4 goals allowed per game from a season ago.
Hansen will bring her tenacious defensive skills back to East Hill after earning second-team All-Ivy honors a season ago. She has great recovery speed and will again be expected to mark one of the opposition's top scorers every contest. She ranked among the team leaders in ground balls and caused turnovers in 2008. Hansen will not only be looked at as one of the leaders in the back, but also as one of the top defenders in the Ancient Eight.
Junior Morgan Hale is another returner who can run the midfield or step back and make a mark in the defensive backfield. She saw action in all 16 games a season ago with six starts and was credited with 14 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Hale's presence on the field will be a key to Cornell's success in 2009.
Junior Alexa Shimizu and sophomores Norah Kennedy, Jane Peters and Cara Grealy will all attempt to get field action this year. Shimizu also has skills to play line attack, while Grealy has battled injuries throughout her time at Cornell. Peters is one of the fastest players on the roster, while Kennedy showed the ability in the fall to be capable of joining the regular rotation.
Several freshman will also try and join the party. Beth Halayko, Caroline Helmer, Kristen Hise, Mia McKie and Ali O'Neil will be getting acquainted with the team's defensive schemes as they attempt to break into the lineup. Halayko and Helmer played key roles during the fall and enter the spring with an opportunity to crack the rotation. Halayko brings good size and aggressiveness, while Helmer is tremendously confident and steady with great timing and poise. Hise is the fastest player on the team and is developing her all-around skills, while McKie earned significant experience while training with the Haudenausaunee national team. O'Neil is an aggressive, physical defender whose parents both played lacrosse for the Big Red.
THE GOALKEEPERS
Incumbent starter Kristen Reese developed into one of the top goalkeepers in the Ivy League over the second half of the 2008 season. She will be pushed by freshman Kyla Dambach, who was a first-team All-American at Mendham HS in New Jersey.
Reese emerged as a started midway through her sophomore campaign as the Big Red made a charge up the Ivy League standings, ending the season with a 5-3 record while stopping 45 percent of opposing shot attempts, good for third in the Ivy League. Her 10.05 goals against average also ranked among the team leaders, as did her six saves per contest. Reese's ability to create havoc outside the crease, clear the ball and consistently make saves allow her an opportunity to build on those skills and develop into an All-Ivy type player.
Dambach brings a different look in the cage as a lefthander and has shown great poise. She is outstanding at standing in the crease and making the big save, and has shown the ability to contribute while further developing her stick and clearing skills. She will push Reese throughout the year and is likely to earn some time in the net.
