A new season gets underway for the Dartmouth women's lacrosse team this Saturday afternoon at Scully-Fahey Field, as the University of New Hampshire Wildcats pay a visit to Hanover for a 1 p.m. match-up. Traditionally considered perennial contenders for the Ivy League crown, expectations will be no different this year, as the Big Green laxers will open their spring campaign ranked 12th nationally in the Brine/IWLCA preseason poll.
While the prestige of a preseason national ranking is certainly appreciated, members of this year's squad are quick to point out that such recognition at this juncture will have little bearing on the outcome of their season.
"We don't pay too much attention to the rankings, we try to just play one game at a time and focus on ourselves and what we need to do to win each game," co-captain Whitney Jamison '03 said.
The lone senior on this year's squad and the team's leading returning scorer, Jamison will be heavily counted upon to provide much of the leadership necessary to maintaining such focus. The Big Green will enter the new season with a team composed of 16 freshmen and sophomores on its 23-member roster. But where they may be lacking in experience, they anticipate being more than compensated for in talent.
"This year we are an extremely young team, but we have unlimited potential and I can't wait to see how it will play out over the course of the season," Jamison said.
One person who will be expected to help Jamison shoulder the scoring load and also provide valuable experience is Lana Smith '04, who will take on the responsibilities of a co-captain on this year's squad. Molly Jenkins '04 and Katieann Christian '05 should also help provide some of the team's scoring punch.
On the defensive side, the Big Green will look to Rowan Smith '04, Kate Killen '04 and Sarah Sanborn '05 to provide leadership and organization while keeping the opponents attacking players in check.
This season will also introduce a freshman class to the Big Green roster, which is said to be among the most talented in the nation. Among those who will be expected to have an immediate impact will be two goalkeepers, Devin Wills '06 and Kelly Roy '06, who will push one another for time in the net.
The youthful Big Green squad looks forward to facing some difficult challenges in the coming season, featuring games that will pit them against eight other schools ranked in the top 15. With four of these schools coming from the Ivy League, we can expect to see stiff competition and an exciting race for the conference title.
The non-conference schedule should prove to be equally challenging, as the women's laxers will continue rivalries with some familiar foes from the South hailing from the highly regarded ACC. This year will see Maryland visit the Big Green for a home contest on March 18. Then, in preparation for NCAA tournament play, the Big Green will close out the regular season with a weekend trip where they will play at the likes of North Carolina and Duke.
With a young team facing the challenges of an arduous schedule, the hope is that the Big Green will gain some valuable experience through the rigors of the regular season that will pay off come the post season. Virtually every game will provide the team with a new opportunity to prove themselves as a national powerhouse.
The Big Green women anxiously await their first of such opportunities with their game versus UNH this Saturday. The recipients of several votes in the preseason national rankings, the Wildcats come to Scully-Fahey Field with expectations of their own for the coming season and should prove to be a competitive opponent for the Big Green.
