May 17, 2005

2005 WOMEN'S LACROSSE SEASON IN REVIEW

George Mason persevered through one of its most challenging starts to a season in 2005. With an abundance of senior leadership and young but talented rookies, Mason managed to turn itself around from a 1-6 start, to a surprising and respectable 7-10 overall mark and school record 5-2 slate in the Colonial Athletic Association.

There were several tough losses throughout the year, as evidenced by the Patriots dropping seven of their 10 defeats by three goals or less. But, there were also several highlights, including becoming the only league school to make 12 straight CAA tournament appearances and adding a solid 7-6 victory over arch-rival James Madison on "Senior Night."

Mason began the season at nationally-ranked North Carolina where it dropped a 10-3 decision. The team followed it up with a difficult loss at home against Va. Tech to go to 0-2 on the year for the second consecutive season. Seeking to avoid their first 0-3 start since 1995, the Patriots responded with a hard fought 8-6 victory at George Washington.

Owning a 1-2 record, Mason stared at what had to be the most difficult part of the schedule as the team prepared to face potentially four straight nationally-ranked opponents - three of them on home soil. Beginning with No. 9 Maryland, George Mason took a 7-3 lead at halftime, but watched the Terps battle back to take a 9-7 advantage in the first five minutes of the second half. In one of the most thrilling finishes of the season, the Patriots would trail 9-8 with 19:32 on the clock and then tie the contest at 9-9 with 1:20 remaining. Finally, the Terps managed to pull out the win in four overtimes, scoring the game-winner after almost 73 minutes of play.

Close calls would be the norm all season long as Mason fell by two goals to No. 12 Johns Hopkins and by one goal in overtime to No. 9 Boston University. A setback at Loyola moved George Mason to 1-6 overall for the first time in school history as the team headed into conference play.

Back-to-back wins over league foes Old Dominion and William & Mary saw Mason at 2-0 in the conference for the first time since 2000. A two-point loss at home to Towson was followed by a three-point victory over Delaware, moving the Patriots to 3-1 in the CAA and 4-7 overall.

A loss to No. 5 Virginia and a win at CAA opponent Drexel (5-8 overall) moved Mason to 4-1 in the league. Victories in their final two CAA games would give the Patriots the No. 1 seed and the right to host the upcoming CAA Tournament, but the plan was derailed when Mason dropped a close 12-10 decision at No. 13 Hofstra.

The Patriots closed out their CAA slate with the win against the Dukes to finish in a tie for second-place in the league regular standings at 5-2- marking Mason's highest ever CAA regular season finish and giving the team a school record five conference wins. The Patriots ended the regular season with a victory, heading into the CAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed, where they fell to Towson in the semifinals, thus ending the season at 7-10 overall.

Offensively, four players scored 15 or more goals for the Patriots, including three with 20 or more. While on defense, Mason completed the campaign listed first in the CAA and ranked sixth nationally in caused turnovers per game (11.71). The Patriots also held onto 10th nationally in ground balls per game (25.24).

Among the Patriots to receive post-season awards, senior goalkeeper Meg Dentler highlighted the list after being named to the all-CAA first team and garnering Mason's first-ever CAA Player of the Year honor. Dentler was joined on the first team by teammates junior defender Michele Brady and senior midfielder Brandi Evans. Junior attacker Sarah Bryant and sophomore defender Katie Linnertz earned second-team all-CAA honors.

Dentler, a team co-captain, concludes her career at Mason ranked first in career saves and career save percentage and second overall in career goals-against average. She stopped 55.7 percent of shots faced in 2005 to rank first in the league and seventh nationally. She posted her lowest GAA average in a season at 9.12 and stopped 199 shots as a starter in every contest.

Brady paced the defense with 30 caused turnovers and was instrumental in helping lead the Patriots to their third straight top 10 national finish in caused turnovers per game. She joined Dentler as the only Patriots to play every minute of every game and added 38 ground balls and eight draw controls.

Evans, who started 12 of 15 contests and scored 12 goals, was also a key contributor on the defensive end, recording 36 ground balls, 23 caused turnovers and 21 draw controls. Her all-around effort in four seasons of work for Mason has her ranked 10th in career ground balls, third in career caused turnovers and tied for second in career draw controls.

Bryant led George Mason in scoring with team highs in goals scored (30) and points (35) in 17 appearances with 15 starts. She also had five assists, 31 ground balls, 16 caused turnovers and 19 draw controls and was named to the CAA all-tournament team. Bryant scored the game-winner in three Mason victories and shot 36.6 percent from the field. Linnertz started all 17 games on defense where she totaled 31 ground balls 24 caused turnovers and five draw controls.

Mason's attack unit included veteran Kristy Manas who ends her career ranked fourth all-time in career goals, second in career assists and third in career points. Manas, a co-captain that started 11 of 17 games played, totaled 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points and shot 32.5 percent from the field. She registered 25 ground balls and nine caused turnovers.

Also along the attack were freshmen Laura King, Christina Frank, and Alex Velesz - each of who was selected to the inaugural CAA all-Rookie team - as well as senior Tracy Waterson. King totaled 25 goals and one assist (26 pts) in 11 starts (14 appearances) for the Patriots and shot 40.3 percent from the field. She also collected 14 draw controls and caused 13 turnovers and was selected to the CAA all-tournament team.

Frank, who appeared in all 17 games, posted 21 goals and five assists for 26 points, while Velesz chipped in 25 points (17G, 8A) in starting 16 of 17 contests. Velesz led George Mason in shooting percentage, connecting at 44.7 percent. Waterson made 10 starts and saw action in 14 games, compiling nine goals and two assists for 11 points.

The midfield included senior Jeannine Ohler, sophomores Jess Shelton and Melissa Venturi and freshman Megan Bartlett.

Ohler struggled through illness throughout much of the season and managed to play in 10 games with six starts, where she scored one goal and had two assists. Shelton, who was the Patriots' primary draw controller, started 14 of 16 games and netted two scores to go with 17 draw controls. Venturi totaled 20 points (10G, 10A) in nine starts and 17 appearances and grabbed 15 draw controls. Bartlett saw time in all 17 games, earning the starting nod in the final 15 contests of the year. She scored five points (2G, 3A) with 33 ground balls, 13 caused turnovers and led the team with 27 draw controls.

Defensively, sophomore Melissa Curry and senior Amanda Thornburg helped anchor the backfield. Curry scored one goal and led the Patriots with 41 ground balls and had 26 caused turnovers to go with 19 draw controls. She started every contest, as did Thornburg, who managed 20 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers.

In reserve for Mason were juniors Jennifer Thomas and Robyn Yeatman, sophomores Becky Lee and Mikal Hemingway and freshmen Jenny Tran and Rita Gerdak. Thomas scored two goals in five appearances, while Lee had one goal and one assist in three contests. Tran saw action four times; Yeatman appeared in three games and Hemingway played in two matches. Gerdak backed up Dentler in goal.

Amy Umbach, Mason women's lacrosse all-time leader in wins, concluded her eighth season at the helm in leading the Patriots to a 7-10 overall mark. Mason's second ever head coach, she now stands with a record of 61-70 as the Patriots' leader and has an overall mark of 69-78 in nine years as a collegiate head coach. Her 2005 squad finished ranked in the top 10 nationally in caused turnovers per game under the tutelage of assistant coach Liz Schaffner and allowed only 158 goals, which is the fifth lowest in school history.