The women's lacrosse team thundered through an Ivy League Championship season downing arch rivals and giving many of the nation's top teams a run for their money. Yes, an overall depth of experience and a wealth of rookie talent were the two primary catalysts to this team's success.
But ultimately, the most inspirational members of the women's lacrosse team were the four seniors who lead and supported their teammates in countless ways on and off the fields. To some, they were the fab four. But on paper, these four seniors included the team tri-captains, Kelly Hannigan, Andrea Krumholz, and Kim Mendelson, and Sarah Drake.
Drake found greener pastures
Drake began her lacrosse career at Dartmouth during her junior year, after transferring from Princeton. Feeling a need for a more invigorating and rewarding sports experience, Drake decided on transferring while studying abroad at an art school in Greece during her sophomore spring.
She literally flipped a coin in making her decision.
"I flipped a coin to decide whether or not I would transfer; Dartmouth came up and a feeling of relief swept through me," Drake said. "I was extremely happy with life at Princeton, but the sports programs that I was involved with were not what I had hoped they would be."
While at Princeton, Drake played ice hockey, field hockey, and lacrosse. "Conflicting coaching and playing strategies were the turn-offs from sports at Princeton for me," she said.
What a big difference once she traded the Orange and Black for the Green and White.
"The people and the dynamics of the sports here at Dartmouth have been a wonderful experience," Drake said. "I've loved playing sports for the Big Green."
Drake also plays with Hannigan on the field hockey team during the fall sports season.
"My career as an athlete has been a difficult juggling act, but one that was worth it every step of the way." Drake said. "I can only hope that I proved to be a leader on and off the field for my fellow teammates."
"The team chemistry is phenomenal. I loved the people on the team," Drake said. "We enjoy each other's company which makes everything all the more fun."
Drake, an art history major, is heading to New York City after graduation to start work at Sotheby's, an auction house, in the impressionist department.
Drake contributed not only her leadership and ability to the team, but also her dynamic personality. Kate Graw '00 said she'll best remember Drake as "the 'I want to have fun' senior."
"No matter what happened, Drako always had a smile on her face. She's the one we went to in order to let loose if we were having a bad day or anything; she could always cheer you up," Graw said.
"She has such a good mindset about her, and she always keeps up on our toes," Heather McNulty '99 said.
Hannigan was the "bubbly one"
Hannigan also made her presence on and off the field felt by all on the team. "When I think of her, I think DESIRE. No one wants it more than she does," McNulty said. "She taught me so much on defense this year, a great mentor! She is so positive all of the time, she never gets down and always hustles to keep things moving."
"Oh, she's also known as the Hoover vacuum for all the ground balls she scoops up!" McNulty added.
Graw said she'll remember Hannigan mostly as the "bubbly, light-hearted one who always knew if you were having a bad day and took you aside to talk things out."
"Throughout the season, things could get very stressful with late night practices, and Kelly was there to make sure we could leave everything off the field to concentrate on lacrosse," Graw said.
As Hannigan reflected on her final season, her only regret was that she wouldn't be able to play next year.
"My experience playing lacrosse at Dartmouth has been nothing but positive," she said. "I couldn't have asked for a better season to go out on. I think I will miss the team more than I will miss the actual playing time."
"This season was great and most importantly it was tons of fun," Hannigan said. "The Ivy Championship is definitely something to be very proud of. With each game, the team improved and learned something new."
Hannigan is extremely optimistic about the future of the women's lacrosse team.
"The freshmen did a tremendous job of stepping up and came through for us many times this season with great performances -- as did everyone," she said. "I see great things happening for this team in the next couple of years and wish them the best of luck."
Hannigan will be heading to Princeton, NJ after graduation to teach at the Hun School. Not only will she be teaching, but she will also be coaching the girl's lacrosse team.
Krumholz provided the support
"The main reason why I enjoyed Dartmouth so much is because I played lacrosse," Krumholz said reflecting on her experiences as a part of the Big Green athletics program.
"Being a member of the team made my whole experience awesome," Krumholz said. "I will miss my teammates the most -- the team is phenomenal. I learned so much this year being a captain, and I hope that I left a positive impact on the team."
"I definitely see a bright future in store for this young team," she added.
"Krummy was made for the song, 'All Fired Up' by Pat Benatar," McNulty joked. "You can just see it in her eyes when she wants something; she is very determined."
"Krummy gave me the confidence to be out on the field with her; she always boosted me up and taught me everything that I know about defense out there," McNulty said. "Whenever the team was in trouble, Krummy would come up with a check or a ground ball."
"She is definitely the most intense," Graw said. "She is always the one to go to to get fired up before a game. She's also the one to talk about school stuff and having a lot of work - she is good at managing everything."
What's next for Krumholz? A future at Maryland Medical School. After a year of volunteering with Project Otzma in Israel, she will return to the states to begin her medical training.
Mendelson made the team smile
"Being on the field with Mendelson was an incredible experience!" McNulty said. "Whenever we were down, she got the job done. She'd take the ball down the field, and set things up -- she is always so calm and poised."
"Mendy is so patient with everyone and knows how to make a team work together," McNulty added. "I feel like I can't really express in words who she is and what kind of spark she has out there on the field."
"Mendy is the one we went to with any type of problem we had with the team or just with life in general," Graw said. "She is always happy and lit up with a smile, on and off the field. I looked up to her because of her experience; she took everything in stride, even if things weren't working out on the field, and that makes her work that much harder."
But as much as the team will miss Mendelson, she will miss them even more.
"I am going to miss the bonding among the team the most," Mendelson said. "They are all such dynamic friends."
"The season was a great success even though we didn't earn and NCAA berth," Mendelson said. "It was great to end on such a sweet note. The dynamics of the team were great and provided for great growth."
And personal and team growth is what Mendelson's four years in the Green and White have been all about.
"My sophomore year helped me out the most throughout my experiences here at Dartmouth," she said. "I learned from great captains and was playing well. I tried to emulate those captains' leadership this season in my role as tri-captain."
In the end, Mendelson is grateful to her coach, who has inspired her to lead such a successful group of athletes over four straight seasons. "Amy Patton has been such a great coach throughout my lacrosse career," she said.
Mendelson hopes to work in sports marketing in New York City next year.
Seniors led team to greatness
"The seniors were the ones who inspired me to try my hardest all season," Graw said. "All of the hard work, perseverance and determination that they instilled on us this year will be used as an incentive for next years championships. I can't imagine having a better senior class and leadership to start off my four years at Dartmouth."
"The seniors were the best captains and leaders I have seen in high school and in college," goalie Sarah Carlson '99 said. "They kept the team from falling apart during key games and they were also the reason why we were such a close group on and off the field."
"We all clicked, and it was because of the seniors," McNulty said.
In the end, the victorious season and awesome camaraderie displayed by the women's lacrosse team owes much to the presence of these four loyal seniors.
As sophomore Sarah Halsell said, "They're not only great lacrosse players, but they're also four of my favorite people at Dartmouth."
And that, is perhaps the greatest legacy a squad of seniors could ever bequest upon a team they grew to love.
