Feb. 27, 2005

2005 GEORGE MASON WOMEN'S LACROSSE SEASON OUTLOOK

Numerous accolades have been given to George Mason women's lacrosse team in its 11-year history.

At least 40 players have been named to the all-Colonial Athletic Association team, eight have garnered CAA all-tournament team accolades, over 20 have received regional and national all-america status, while several have earned all-academic honors. Overall, individual awards have been a mainstay with the Patriot women's lacrosse team since as far back as the squad's first season in 1994.

Recently, however, Mason has been collecting more and more team accolades. Paramount among these is the national respect the Patriots have earned from coaching peers and media across the country, as the Patriots have garnered a national ranking at the end of the season for five of the past six years. And in 2004, Mason was named an Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Team Academic Squad.

What had eluded the Patriots, though, is a team championship. That all changed in 2004, as Mason brought home an overseas title with the Prague Cup Championship, and continued the team honors by showing off their versatility with a George Mason "Lip-Sync" crown during the Patriots' annual student-athlete fall cookout. The next title on the list... the CAA Tournament championship and an NCAA berth.

Ranked or receiving votes in three national preseason polls, could Mason be on the precipice of winning its first league crown and continuing its "championship streak" into 2005?

"I feel like the Prague Cup was a good opportunity for us to play overseas and to get some extra time in as a unit and to play as a team," stated head coach Amy Umbach, who enters her eighth season with the Patriots and owns a 54-60 record. She is 62-68 in nine seasons overall as a head coach.

"It was a great chance for our younger sophomore and junior players to play without the pressure that they may feel during the regular season and to just go out and have fun. Coming away with the championship was icing on the cake. The `lip-sync' title was a good team effort, and shows off the field, that this team is creative and a good group with hidden talents."

Mason's off the field "creativity" and "hidden talents" should translate well on to the field this season. The Patriots welcome back nine starters and 17 letterwinners from last year's 7-10 squad that advanced to its 11th-straight CAA Tournament and concluded the year with a No. 19 national ranking - the same mark they hold at the beginning of this season.

"Certainly, a ranking is something we'd rather be more focused on towards the middle and end of the season," stated Umbach. "But, I do recognize that it means Mason has garnered some respect across the country and that is a great bonus for our team."

Another bonus Mason has is balance, not only on offense and defense, but also on experience. The Patriots' roster includes six seniors, four juniors, eight sophomores and six freshmen. Umbach believes that her team's symetry is both a challenge and a blessing.

"I think working as a unit is something we've been really focusing on in the fall and in the preseason," commented Umbach. "We have a lot of balance within our team so we're trying to utilize that to our fullest potential. Staying healthy is key. With health comes depth, and being able to switch people in and out of the midfield, and to have fresh legs throughout the season.

"When you have depth, you have options. Having options affords us the opportunity to have several different scorers on offense and to create better match ups on defense. That makes for a solid combination. We've been playing well as a unit, and I look forward to seeing that team concept all year." George Mason's team concept begins with its six seniors, and most notably, US Lacrosse and IWLCA All-American goalkeeper Meg Dentler, a four-year starter who enters her final season ranked first in school history in saves and in save percentage. Dentler, a 2005 captain, started every game last year and concluded the campaign with a 9.88 goals-against average, 224 saves (second most in school history) and a 57.0 save percentage.

"Meg's been a pleasure to coach," expressed Umbach. "We can really rely on her big time in games. She's not very emotional, and she's unfazed by anything, which is great for a goalkeeper. Meg displays great consistency, and I think she is demanding a lot of herself this season."

Also entering their final season in the Green and Gold are senior attackers Kristy Manas, Tracy Waterson and Jeannine Ohler, and defenders Brandi Evans and Amanda Thornburg.

"I believe the seniors are collectively, a great group," mentioned Umbach. "We have some great leadership in Kristy, who is a two-time captain. Jeannine and Tracy have gained loads of experience through the years at the attack and should continue to contribute for us this season. Brandi provides a spark on defense, while Amanda is an effective leader on defense as well and a great communicator for us."

Manas is another four-year starter for the Patriots and is a three-time all-CAA second team selection. She led the Patriots in scoring last year with 40 points and in goals scored with 24. She finished second on the team in assists (16). She has a strong work ethic and demands a lot from her teammates.

Waterson appeared in 16 games with seven starts in 2004. One of five players with 20 or more goals (21), she added six assists and tied for third on the team with 27 points.

"Waterson especially stepped up for us last season," stated Umbach. "She's been doing a great job for us in fall ball and in practice so far. I expect her to make things happen and create opportunities in the offensive end."

Ohler started every contest at attack and tied for second on the squad with 21 goals. She was fifth in scoring with 25 points and dished out four assists. She "is someone we're going to look to a lot in our offense," mentioned Umbach.

Evans, a 2004 CAA all-tournament team honoree, has been a stalwart both offensively and defensively for the past two seasons. One of Mason's most versatile players last year, earning six goals and one assist for seven points, while leading the Patriots in ground balls (50), caused turnovers (39) and draw controls (31), Evans will be expected to fill the midfield defender role in 2005.

"Brandi just has a knack for finding the ball and anticipating and intercepting," commented Umbach. "We have holes in the midfield that we need to fill, and Brandi's experience and athleticism allows us to move her into one of those roles."

Thornburg made nine starts on defense with 13 appearances. She is "good at keeping the defense together and providing energy for the team on and off the field," said Umbach, and completed last season with one assist, 10 ground balls and nine caused turnovers.

With an abundance of senior leadership at both ends of the field, Umbach is convinced that the Patriots have a great mix in talent that will pave great dividends over the course of the season.

"We are pretty balanced with our senior class on both ends of the field, if you include Meg defensively," expressed Umbach. "That for us is good for the grooming of our younger players."

Returning to join Manas, Waterson and Ohler at the attack are juniors Sarah Bryant, Jen Thomas, and Robyn Yeatman and freshman Alex Velesz.

"We return the core of our attack which we are excited about," explained Umbach. "Manas is one of our leaders returning. We also have Sarah, who I think will be an even bigger threat this year. Ohler and Waterson should be big contributors again this season. I expect a lot from Alex, who's one of our patient attackers and can control momentum. Jen has worked very hard and Robyn continues to contribute."

Bryant, who was a nice addition to the Patriot roster in 2004 and started all 17 games, ended the year tied for third in scoring with 27 points off the strength of 21 goals and six assists. Sarah "has great moves and is dynamic in her steps to the cage," stated Umbach.

Thomas and Yeatman each appeared in three contests for Mason last season. The duo should see more playing time this year. "Jen has great stick fakes and has worked hard on her ability to put the ball in the back of the net," said Umbach. "Robyn continues to improve each day and will add depth to the attack."

Velesz appeared in only three games last year before an ankle injury sidelined her for the remainder of the season. She returns as a red-shirt freshman and is expected to make an immediate impact after learning the game from the sidelines. "Alex is like the point guard of our offense," commented Umbach. "She's a very smart and deceptive attacker."

Along the midfield, the Patriots will be without the services of four-year starters Stacy Berger and Lisa Hagan as well as 11-game starter Kristen Olson as Mason "looks to add more versatility to the unit." Despite their absence, Umbach is confident that Mason's midfield unit has made the adjustment and will remain strong in 2005.

"Within our transition, we've been focusing on moving the ball and passing," mentioned Umbach. "I feel like this group knows that they don't have to muscle the ball through traffic or run with it down the field. They can work the ball to each other and move it as a unit rather than getting it to one single person to get it done. So, we have some decent speed in the midfield, but the focus will be to transition with more passing."

Leading the midfield will be CAA all-tournament selection sophomore Melissa Venturi, who "has played a lot of midfield for us and is doing a great job at both ends of the field," expressed Umbach. "She's worked really hard on her defense and she is a tremendous scorer as well." Venturi returns after making two starts in 17 appearances in 2004, where she collected 15 goals and five assists for 20 points. Venturi is also the team's primary draw controller from the center circle. She ranked third for the Patriots in that category with 17.

Joining her will be sophomores Becky Lee and Jess Shelton, players "that provide endurance in the midfield, add to our transition game and are solid at both ends of the field," stated Umbach.

Lee, who made two appearances last season, should see more minutes this year. Shelton saw action in nine contests and scored one goal. Also, expect to see Ohler and Bryant in the midfield mix at some point.

George Mason returns its entire starting unit on defense; a line that ended the year ranked second nationally in caused turnovers per game. Second-team all-CAA standout junior Michele Brady leads the unit along with senior [Brandi] Evans. Brady, who started every game, returns a key match-up defender and concluded last season with 30 ground balls and 37 caused turnovers.

Sophomores Melissa Curry and Deona "DeeDee" Donahue are also back on defense as returning starters with [Amanda] Thornburg. Curry, who "will surprise a lot of attackers this year with more experience as a sophomore," saw action in every game in 2004, totaling 30 ground balls and 35 caused turnovers with one assist; while, Donahue appeared in 16 contests with 15 starts and had 31 ground balls, 10 caused turnovers, one goal and one assist. Sophomore Mikal Hemingway, who appeared in two games last season, is also back to add depth to the unit and should see more playing time.

"Our core group is back on defense," expressed Umbach. "Evans will also see a lot of midfield for us. She really knows how to get to the ball and has the ability to run by opponents. Curry and Donahue will also run some midfield and we'll get them more involved in our offensive end, although they're both also two of our primary defenders."

A knee injury sidelined Katie Linnertz for all of 2004, but the sophomore defender is back and she's healthy, which adds even more experience to Umbach's back line. Linnertz started all 17 games as a freshman in 2003 and compiled 32 ground balls and 41 caused turnovers.

"We're pleased to have Katie back into the lineup," stated Umbach. "She's a solid, feisty defender who's dedicated, hard-working, really tenacious and solid as far as positioning and her 1-on-1 skills. We missed Katie last year because she's more of a presence with her size and strength. Amanda did a great job of that last year.

"Now we can use Linnertz and Thornburg as match-up defenders in terms of size along with Brady. They each have different strengths and that will benefit us throughout the season."

George Mason's talented class of newcomers will be called upon to assist the veterans in 2005. High School first-team All-American freshman Laura King headlines the group. Freshmen Christina Frank, Megan Bartlett, Heather O'Neill, and Rita Gerdak also join the team along with sophomore Jenny Tran.

King, who hails from Springfield High School in Springfield, Pa., is a two-time first-team all-county selection at attack and helped lead Springfield to back-to-back district championships, concluding her high school career as Springfield's all-time leader in goals scored.

"Laura will be a key freshman on the offensive end," expressed Umbach. "She will pose a lot of problems for our opponents. She protects her stick well, can dodge and has great vision."

Frank is also slated to play attack for the Patriots. A graduate of C. Milton Wright High School in Maryland, Frank garnered first-team all-Metropolitan accolades from the Baltimore Sun and led her team to the 2004 Maryland state Class 4A-3A championship.

"Christina is also a huge addition to our attack," stated Umbach. "She goes hard to the net and is a good finisher. Once she gets going, I think it will be really hard for defenders to try and make a stop on her."

Bartlett "will see a lot of playing time on defense as a freshman," said Umbach. A native of Voorhees, N.J., Bartlett attended Eastern Regional High School and was a member of its 2004 conference championship team that finished the season ranked 24th in the nation.

"Megan comes from a great high school background. She's a smart player, has good stick skills and has good speed for a defender."

O'Neill is expected to add depth to the attack unit. A hard-working player, she is from Allison Park, Pa. and was a Western Pennsylvania all-star in 2003 and 2004 out of Hampton High School.

Gerdak, a walk-on goalkeeper from Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, Va., received first-team all-district honors as a senior. She will back up Dentler in goal and gives the Patriots offense a different prospective during practice.

"We are fortunate to get another goalie," mentioned Umbach. "Rita has good size and is almost six-feet tall. So, for our attackers who are used to shooting on Meg [Dentler], who's like 5-feet-2, having Rita in the net really provides a different look. She's been doing a great job for us in practice and it gives her an opportunity to learn from Meg."

Tran, an all-area and all-district player from Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Va., has been a surprising addition as a walk-on for the Patriots. A defender, Tran is "the epitome of heart and hustle for our team," stated Umbach. "She's a spark at practice and provides lots of energy."

Although George Mason's roster is balanced, through veteran leadership and newcomer exuberance as well as from an offensive and defensive perspective, its schedule is not.

Umbach continues to challenge her team each season with one of the toughest schedules in the nation. This year is no different. As many as 11 opponents on the Patriots' 16-team schedule have earned preseason votes in various polls.

The schedule kicks off with three consecutive road contests, beginning with a date at nationally-ranked North Carolina on Feb. 27. Following trips to Virginia Tech and George Washington, the Patriots host, for the first time at George Mason Stadium, perennial national power Maryland under the lights on Mar. 16. Two more home games versus ranked opponents Johns Hopkins and Boston University are on tap. Mason takes on top-10 team Loyola in Baltimore on Mar. 30.

"As a coach, I look forward to playing some of the top teams in the country," explained Umbach. "I don't think it's fun to not challenge yourself and to not put yourself on the line everyday. With our schedule, we have a great opportunity to see top-20 and top-10 programs everyday and to try and beat them. I think with our leadership and abilities, there is a good chance that we can do that this season."

Along with Mason, five other CAA teams are ranked or have received votes in the preseason polls. With seven teams in the league, every CAA contest will be crucial to advancing to the four-team conference tournament at the end of April.

"I think the CAA is one of the top leagues in the country," expressed Umbach. "James Madison, William & Mary, Towson, Hofstra, and Delaware are all ranked and are all capable of winning the CAA Tournament, just like we are. One advantage that helps us is that we play most of those teams at home this season."

Mason's CAA slate begins on Apr. 1 on the road at Old Dominion. The Patriots then play four straight at home, including three against CAA opponents, culminating in a match up against defending national champion Virginia on Apr. 13. Two road conference games remain before Mason hosts its final home contest against archrival James Madison under the lights on Apr. 21. The Patriots close out the regular season at local foe American. The CAA Tournament is set for Apr. 30-May 1 at the highest seed.

Umbach is confident that the Patriots can be that highest seed and host the CAA Championships for the first time in school history. In the process, perhaps the team can win the one team championship that has eluded them. With so many options, could this be Umbach's best team she's coached at Mason?

"I would say that this is one of the more solid teams we've had from top to bottom," said Umbach. "We're not flashy, but we play well together. We have great experience in goal, great experience on defense, great experience on offense and several new players that are capable of playing at this level immediately. This team enjoys each other's company on and off the field.

"I just feel like we have several options all over the field. That will be important for us if we want to compete this season."