2008 Woodie Awards
Women's lacrosse advances to NEC tournament
Kristyn Nicastro
Issue date: 4/27/06 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
Women's lacrosse dominated the Northeast Conference, rattling off six wins in its last eight games, posting its best-ever record in conference play at 6-1, and clinching a spot in the NEC Tournament. After a one year absence the Pioneers will revisit the playoffs on May 5 and 7, at the site of the regular season champion.
This is the Pioneers' eighth year competing in the NEC, qualifying for the tournament five times and posting a 78-64 Division I record. The team has obtained 10 wins in each of the last three years and has not had a losing season since 1998.
Women's lacrosse had a daunting start to the 2006 season, consecutively falling short in its first seven games. The Pioneers rallied to overcome these losses and become a tighter unit; demonstrating its untouchable fortitude, the team clinched the second place spot in the NEC, its highest seeding in its five playoff appearances.
"Everyone outside our team and coaches doubted us and never thought we'd make it this far. But after being ranked sixth in the preseason poll, we stand here ranked second, and we just never gave up on ourselves," Brianna Bubeck, a junior from Bethlehem, N.Y., said.
The women's lacrosse team worked and improved together with its variety of dedicated players who fiercely competed on the field.
The team's powerful defense, led by goalie Candice Celebre, shut down many of its opponents' key players, playing a fundamental role in defeating its competitors. Jess McDonough, a junior from Carmel, N.Y., believes that Celebre's performance is a major factor in the defense's strength.
"[She] comes up big when we need her the most," McDonough said.
The team's attack is composed of talented players who work together in an effort to eliminate the game of their opponents and reach victory. Each attack on the field contributes to the outcome of every competition.
"Our attack is composed of so much talent that when we work together you never know who is going to take the lead and have a blow out game that day, because the next day it's a different attacker," midfielder Maureen Hohn, a junior from Lutherville, Md., said.
But women's lacrosse's greatest asset can be considered its team unity, with players recognizing each other's strengths and weaknesses in order to play more as a team. The team worked together to turn the season around, with leadership coming from everyone at different times.
"I think the chemistry on the team is great. As you can tell from our statistics we can't win without each other," Celebre said. "There is not one girl on this team that stands above the rest. Everyone is a threat and that is the key to our success."
"We've had good days and we've had bad days, but in the end our team has proven we can come back from any bad day," Hohn said.
Women's lacrosse continues to fight hard, proving that it possesses the talent and heart to dominate any competition that comes its way.
This is the Pioneers' eighth year competing in the NEC, qualifying for the tournament five times and posting a 78-64 Division I record. The team has obtained 10 wins in each of the last three years and has not had a losing season since 1998.
Women's lacrosse had a daunting start to the 2006 season, consecutively falling short in its first seven games. The Pioneers rallied to overcome these losses and become a tighter unit; demonstrating its untouchable fortitude, the team clinched the second place spot in the NEC, its highest seeding in its five playoff appearances.
"Everyone outside our team and coaches doubted us and never thought we'd make it this far. But after being ranked sixth in the preseason poll, we stand here ranked second, and we just never gave up on ourselves," Brianna Bubeck, a junior from Bethlehem, N.Y., said.
The women's lacrosse team worked and improved together with its variety of dedicated players who fiercely competed on the field.
The team's powerful defense, led by goalie Candice Celebre, shut down many of its opponents' key players, playing a fundamental role in defeating its competitors. Jess McDonough, a junior from Carmel, N.Y., believes that Celebre's performance is a major factor in the defense's strength.
"[She] comes up big when we need her the most," McDonough said.
The team's attack is composed of talented players who work together in an effort to eliminate the game of their opponents and reach victory. Each attack on the field contributes to the outcome of every competition.
"Our attack is composed of so much talent that when we work together you never know who is going to take the lead and have a blow out game that day, because the next day it's a different attacker," midfielder Maureen Hohn, a junior from Lutherville, Md., said.
But women's lacrosse's greatest asset can be considered its team unity, with players recognizing each other's strengths and weaknesses in order to play more as a team. The team worked together to turn the season around, with leadership coming from everyone at different times.
"I think the chemistry on the team is great. As you can tell from our statistics we can't win without each other," Celebre said. "There is not one girl on this team that stands above the rest. Everyone is a threat and that is the key to our success."
"We've had good days and we've had bad days, but in the end our team has proven we can come back from any bad day," Hohn said.
Women's lacrosse continues to fight hard, proving that it possesses the talent and heart to dominate any competition that comes its way.