Girls Lacrosse Ready to Take Big Strides Forward

As the weather warms up, the start of spring sports at Watchung Hills Regional High School is right around the corner.  Today, we'll take a look at the Warriors girls lacrosse team.

Overview

Coming off a difficult season, the Warriors are hoping their strong understanding of the game will help them to improve on the field.  With good midfield speed and strong leadership at both ends of the field, head coach Lisa Atkins is looking for improvement from last year’s performance.  Improving their settled defense and establishing a dominant offensive attack are two of the keys to the Warriors having a good season.

Last season’s results

The Warriors finished up with a 4-13 regular season record and did not qualify for the state playoffs.

Keep your eye on

Kelsey Dreyer, Midfield (Jr.) – 1^st team all conference last season, has already given a verbal commitment to USC (Southern California).  A magnificent talent in all areas, Dreyer has an excellent understanding of the game with a lot of experience.

Jordanna Gregorio, Attack (Sr.) – Her 2^nd year as a varsity starter, Gregorio is a great leader who hustles and never gives up.

Candace McCarthy, Midfield (Sr.) – Will start the season hurt, but is expected to be “a key in the midfield connection”, according to Atkins.

Marissa Goldstein, Defense (Sr.) – Her 2^nd yr as a varsity starter, Goldstein is the defensive leader of the group.

Brittany Santos, Midfield (Sr.) – 2^nd team all conference last season; Santos is one of the fastest players on the team.

They’ll Miss

Emily Kesselmeyer, Midfield – Last year’s 2^nd leading scorer, Kesselmeyer now attends Marist.

Kelsey Rolwood, Attack – A key presence upfront for last year’s team, Rolwood is studying at the University of South Carolina.

Stephanie Schmidt, Goalkeeper – The last line of defense for the Warriors in 2010, Schmidt is attending the University of Delaware.

Sarah Goetz, Defense – A captain on last year’s squad, Goetz now studies at Messiah.

Izzy Santore, Defense/Midfield – A versatile player for Coach Atkins, Santore is now attending Sacred Heart.

Coach’s Take

“(Our goal is to) run with the big teams.  We’re in a very difficult conference.  We’ve never been able to stay with some of the stronger teams for the length of an entire game.  I like what I see in the preseason.  The girls are working very hard and they’re more knowledgeable than I’ve had in the past.” - Atkins

They said it

“It means a lot (to be a captain).  Me and Candace (McCarthy) were captains for field hockey as well, so we have some experience with leading.  We work as a team.  Our job is to push the girls as hard as possible to have a successful season.” - Gregorio

 

Name

#

Year

Position

Andersen, Kaitlyn

19

Junior

Midfield/Defense

Barnet, Leah

9

Junior

Attack

Blake, Brianna

6

Junior

Attack/Midfield

Deutsch, Hayley

16

Junior

Goalkeeper

Dreyer, Kelsey

15

Junior

Midfield

Dobin, Rachel

13

Senior

Attack

Finnegan, Kathleen

18

Junior

Defense

Goldstein, Marissa

20

Senior

Defense

Gregorio, Jannia

14

Senior

Defense/Midfield

Gregorio, Jordanna

21

Senior

Attack

Hachey, Amy

11

Senior

Attack

Lazo, Whitney

3

Sophomore

Attack/Midfield

Lizza, Sophia

5

Senior

Attack

Loper, Caity

17

Junior

Defense

McCarthy, Candace

4

Senior

Midfield

Novak, Courtney

10

Sophomore

Defense

Novek, Carly

12

Senior

Attack

Regan, Amy

8

Junior

Defense

Santos, Brittany

7

Senior

Midfield

Silva, Nicole

22

Junior

Attack