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2012 Bears women's lacrosse season preview

Posted 2/29/12

2011 was a season of near misses for the SUNY Potsdam women’s lacrosse team. The Bears posted a 5-11 overall record and a 1-7 SUNYAC mark. Potsdam lost four games by three goals or less, including …

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2012 Bears women's lacrosse season preview

Posted

2011 was a season of near misses for the SUNY Potsdam women’s lacrosse team. The Bears posted a 5-11 overall record and a 1-7 SUNYAC mark. Potsdam lost four games by three goals or less, including two games in overtime. 10th-year head coach Lauren Bruce and first-year assistant Amanda Smith hope to use those games as motivation in 2012 and take advantage of the experience gained from playing in close, pressure filled conditions.

“This preseason we’ve stressed these types of situations in practice,” said Bruce. “We’ve watched the game tapes from our close games last season. We expect to be in close games this year and we think our experience and preparation for them will help us come out on top this season.”

Experience will be a key factor in Potsdam’s success in 2012. The Bears have 15 letterwinners back and just five new faces. Potsdam will need the combination to step forward and fill the voids in the midfield left by the graduations of All-SUNYAC selection Kathleen Frear and Samantha Brown and the departure of Lisa Seidel.

The Bears return a veteran offense, possibly the most potent the program has ever had. Six of the top seven scorers return in 2012, including three of Potsdam’s top 11 all-time scorers. Senior All-SUNYAC attack Carly Richards is back as the Bears’ all-time leading scorer with 134 goals and 60 assists for 194 points. Richards led Potsdam with 63 points (42 goals, 21 assists) last season. Senior attack Maribeth Simmons was right behind Richards with 49 points (36g, 13a). Simmons ranks seventh on the Bears scoring list with 76 points (56g, 20a). Senior attack Sierra Langkammerer rounds out the powerful trio. She finished third in scoring last season with 40 points (35g, 5a). Langkammerer’s breakout year moved her to 11th on the program’s scoring list with 62 points (55g, 7a).

Three seniors and a junior will serve as the Bears’ captains this season. Seniors Richards, Kaci Milligan and Aubrey Macintosh along with junior Whitney Boshart have been selected by their teammates to lead the team.

"We are lucky to have some great leaders on the team this year. They lead by example,” Bruce said. “I have high expectations for them come game time, when we need composure and confidence from our captains and seniors to finish with a win."

Attack

Richards, Simmons and Langkammerer will be counted on heavily to put points on the board again this season. Juniors Boshart and Julie Perna are back to support the big three. Boshart was Potsdam’s fourth-leading scorer with 19 points (16g, 3a). She started all 16 games last season and collected 19 ground balls. Perna played 11 games with one start, scoring two goals and totaling six ground balls. The new addition to the attack is junior Denise Johns who transferred from Onondaga Community College. Johns gives the Bears another scoring threat as she found the net 47 times in her two seasons with the Lazers.

“We’re excited to have Denise,” Bruce said. “ She brings proven collegiate experience and maturity as a junior.”

Midfield

Three veterans are back to lead a young midfield core. Macintosh returns as another offensive threat with 15 goals last season. She also totaled 14 ground balls and six caused turnovers. Senior Lizzy Penree played in all 16 games with 10 starts in her first season at Potsdam. She recorded eight points (7g, 1a), collected 15 ground balls, and caused four turnovers. Sophomore Caitlin Matalavage also saw action in every game last season, grabbed 10 ground balls and forced five turnovers.

The four newcomers will be expected to grow up quickly in order to shore up an inexperienced midfield. It will be the jobs of freshman Emily Petit and Margaret Wall to attempt to fill the holes left by Frear and Seidel.

“We’re expecting a lot from Emily and Margaret,” said Bruce. “The were brought into to be defensive midfielders and we have high hopes for them.”

Freshman Lina Herrera and Katie Putnam also look to make in impact in the midfield.

Defense

Bruce brought in her assistant Smith to improve the defense. Smith, an IWLCA All-American defender, holds the school record for caused turnovers at Division II Pfeiffer University.

“Amanda is using her expertise as a defender to develop our young players at a faster pace this preseason,” said Bruce.

All five members of Potsdam’s defense return with collegiate experience. Juniors Brittany Coffey, Shannon Miller and Stephanie White were part of the Bears defense last season. Coffey started every game in 2011 and totaled eight ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Miller started 14 of the 15 games she played in with 17 ground balls and seven caused turnovers. White saw action in two games a year ago.

The other two defenders aren’t exactly new faces. Junior Erika Olsowske (1g, 4 gb, 4ct) moves from the midfield, where she played all 16 games in 2011, to take on a new role this year. Completing the defensive group is junior Renee McKay who is back with the Bears after a season studying abroad in China. McKay played in 11 games for the Bears in 2010.

Goal

Both Milligan and sophomore Jen Chmiel are back to battle for time between pipes this season. Milligan enters her fourth campaign among Potsdam’s all-time leaders in wins, goals against average, saves, save percentage, games played and minutes. Last season, she started all 16 games for Potsdam with a 5-11 record, a 13.11 g.a.a. and a .427 save percentage. Chmiel saw time in six games during her rookie season. She made 11 saves in 116 minutes.

Bruce is excited about the potential of the tandem.

“Kaci’s experience has given her great composure in goal and she’s been mentor to Jen,” said Bruce. “Both have improved during the preseason because they are pushing each other for the starting job.”

Schedule

The Bears open their 2012 campaign with a home contest against Utica at 1 p.m. this Saturday, March 3. They follow it up with the always hard fought rivalry game at Clarkson on March 8. Potsdam will then escape the cold with three contests in West Palm Beach, Fla. The Bears face Mt. St. Vincent in a non-conference game on March 12 and then participate in the Spring Fling Tournament on March 13 and 15. Potsdam returns to conference play on March 31 to begin the gauntlet of SUNYAC foes and battle for a playoff spot.