by Conner Gilbert, C'09For the 2008 Saint Vincent College women’s lacrosse team, the future is now. Eleven out of the 27 players on the roster are freshmen, and head coach Tom Harbert expects them to be the core of the team over the next several years. “We have a large class of freshmen students, and that young crew of athletes will be the nucleus for the women’s lacrosse team by the time we are eligible for the NCAA playoffs,” said Harbert. “They have to keep on grooming themselves and getting better.” But just because the team is rich in young talent doesn’t mean that they can’t win now. The squad is coming off a successful 7-4 season last year, the first winning season in the young program’s history. This time around, there is no reason to expect a drop-off. “I gave the analogy last year that we were a bunch of snowflakes, and put together we have a snowball,” said Harbert. “This year I’m pleased with the way the girls are conditioning and working toward a goal.” The team expects to be led by senior Lauren Eller, who is coming off a 28 goal season last year. “Lauren was our second leading scorer last year, and she is really the quarterback of our offense,” said Harbert. “Without her, you can see the offense isn’t as coherent as it could be. We need her.” Although Eller has missed some time in the preseason with a shoulder injury, she is expected to be healthy by the start of the regular season. Her presence on the field should pose a major challenge for the Lady Bearcats’ opponents.
“She should be a dominant threat to any opposing team with her speed and strong shot,” said Harbert, who compared Eller to the St. Vincent women’s lacrosse 2nd all-time goal scorer. “She is following in Jenna Moon’s footsteps.” Talented freshman Liz Louison-Basile, who possesses strong stick skills, is also expected to get significant playing time offensively. The team’s defense will be led by junior Samantha Suranic. In goal will be junior Erica Lisi, with freshmen Meghan Reiser and Megan Vargo also competing for playing time. The team’s four captains are Eller, Megan Sekinger, Aubree Mancuso, and Sarah Peranteau. “The captains do an excellent job of helping the girls,” said Harbert. While the coaches are still finalizing starters during the preseason, Harbert knows that just because a player might not start does not mean they will not play. “Everyone is going to see action,” he said. “You’re only as good as your bench.” While Harbert is careful to predict anything concrete about the upcoming year, he hopes that his team can use last year’s success as a stepping stone. “Hopefully we can re-enact what we did last year,” Harbert said.
With a balanced mix of young talent and upperclassman leadership, the 2008 women’s lacrosse team is poised for second-consecutive winning season. “We will have a considerable amount of freshmen in starting positions relying on veteran players to stabilize the offense and defense,” said Harbert. “We have the potential of being pretty good this year. This is a nice team, and I’m really pleased.”
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