JULIA TIERNAN/YH Amanda Walton, SY '02, is part of the Elis' offensive powerhouse.

Repeat success resting on underclass talent

It might seem like a cliché, but never has it rang more true: hope springs eternal. "Joining the team after soccer season, I was so impressed with the level of play of not only our freshmen, but also of the upperclassmen," defenseman Megan Strenski, MC '02, said. "This season looks very promising, and I think we all have the right attitudes to reach the next level."

It will prove to be difficult to match or surpass the success of last year's squad, when the team reached the championship game of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament. Nevertheless, this year's team is fully confident in its potential to succeed in the 2000 season. Of the squad's goals for this year, Strenski said simply, "Ivy League champions, qualify for the NCAA Tournament."

Of course, a grueling two months await the team, when practices turn into games and other teams stand ready to check Yale's confidence at every turn. In the beginning of the season, the club will face off against a particularly difficult schedule—one that will likely determine where the club will stand inside and outside of the ECAC. "The league is getting better and better," Coach Amanda O'Leary said. "Dartmouth and Princeton qualify for the tournament every year, and we were on the bubble last year. It's exciting for our league. It's not like other sports—[the ECAC] is a powerhouse."

This season, however, the biggest test may not come from Dartmouth or Princeton, but from the inside challenges the team must overcome. In recent years, the Yale women's lacrosse team has been no stranger to success. Indeed, their track record, including four appearances in the ECAC Tournament in the last six years, speaks for itself. Now, the Bulldogs must develop a new formula for success, for this year's squad is vastly different from last year's team. "This year's team is very young and inexperienced in the goal cage," O'Leary said. "Each year's team brings a different look. There are a lot of different people playing a lot of different positions. It's a matter of how the team will adjust to the changes we make."

The adjustments may prove uncomfortable, especially in the net. Alison Cole, ES '99, who started in goal all four seasons at Yale, graduated last May, leaving a very large pair of cleats to fill. At the moment, there seem to be three viable candidates for the job—last year's insurance goalie Caroline Barber, DC '02, and freshmen Amanda Sisley, JE '03, and Amanda Laws, BK '03. In the upcoming scrimmages, O'Leary must eventually find a permanent solution to the goalie situation. "We need to solidify something in the goal cage," O'Leary said. "I wish there was a clear-cut [person] who has stepped up. Anyone can step up at a particular time, but I'm waiting for someone to step up."

W. Lacrosse

Record: 0-0, 0-0 Ivy Coming Up: Mon., Mar. 13 at Hofstra, 3 p.m.; Wed., Mar. 15 vs. Holy Cross, 3 p.m.; Sat., Mar. 18 vs. Pennsylvania, 1 p.m.

Fortunately for O'Leary, Yale possesses a strong mix of depth and talent in all positions, which will help the transition in goal. Much of this year's squad's experience rests in its defense, which will see more of the services of Katherine Myers, PC '01, who was third on the team in points last year, and Kate Flatley, SY '01, who had 22 goals last season. "This year we are emphasizing aggressive play, more double teams, and in general dictating what offenses can do against us," Strenski said. "I'm anxious to see how effective our more aggressive defense will be against our competition."

Similarly, the team's transition game promises to be strong, despite the fact that O'Leary has not yet permanently placed players in the midfield positions. "We have not solidified our starting midfield," O'Leary explained. "There is going to be a lot of rotation. We're lucky in that [a number of players] can all play attack and defense."

On the other end, the team's offense seems to be in safe hands, particularly those of 1999 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Amanda Walton, SY '02, and Captain Heather Bentley, SY '00. While Walton led the team in scoring last season with 57 goals and six assists, Bentley was not far behind, notching 46 goals. But their production, though lethal, will prove insufficient if the team is unable to count on points from other members of the offense, such as Clarissa Clarke, JE '03, and Sarah Queener, SY '03.

Still, as the squad has discovered in the past, no amount of talent can help a team that is unable to utilize it to the fullest potential. "We need composure," O'Leary said. "We play best when we're composed. We need to feel confident that we're as good as any team we play against. We need to take one game at a time, prepare ourselves, and then move on to the next game. If we can do that, we're definitely going to go far." In goals and on defense, in the midfield, and on offense, the changes are real, as are the promise and the potential of Yale women's lacrosse team.

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