2012 Women's Lacrosse Season Preview
2/14/2012 12:39:00 PM | Lacrosse
VIDEO: Coach Kittleman Discusses Her Second Year Leading The Program
The Columbia women's lacrosse team continues their commitment to excellence, as they get ready for the 2012 season. The Lions will look to improve this season behind some key returning players and talented newcomers that make this team 18 strong.
Entering their second year under the leadership of Head Coach Liz Kittleman, Columbia posted a 4-11 overall record and 1-6 in Ivy League play, last season finishing seventh in the Ivy League.
The young Lions team continued to make strides in the 2011 season including earning the first Ivy League home win in program history defeating Yale 10-3.
Columbia graduated six seniors from the 2010-11 team, including Mollie Andreae, Emily Kager, Caitlin Mullins, and last season's team captains Flannery Gallagher and Gabrielle Geronimos. Geronimos stands fourth all time in assists at Columbia with 32.
"Coming in last year we made some very big changes so the whole year had a lot of blind faith to it," Head Coach Liz Kittleman stated. "I think this year the faith is there and they just feel like they actually know where they are going. The players know what we are doing and they know how we do it, " said Kittleman.
Goalkeeper Karlee Blank is back for her senior season after a stellar junior season. The Academic All-Ivy League honoree tallied 156 saves in 15 games last season, which stands at fifth all time for most saves in a season in program history. Blank enters the season with a career total of 296 saves, only two saves from becoming fifth all-time for most saves in Columbia lacrosse history.
Two time All-Ivy League honoree Taylor Gattinella will join Blank in leading the defensive charge for the Lions in her senior season. The senior midfielder led Columbia in ground balls and draw controls for the second consecutive season and continues to remain among the top in the Ivy League in that category. Gattinella's career records put her in the top ten in ground balls at 98 and she has already tied the record for most career draw controls with 112. Defender Amanda Goodhart and midfielder Jenny Schiff round out the senior class for Columbia and will join their class in leading the Lion defensive charge.
The Ivy League leader in points and assists in 2011, junior Kacie Johnson, will look to continue her strong play to spark the Lions' offensive attack. The second team All-Ivy League selection tallied 59 points last season including 37 goals and 22 assists. Johnson stands third in Columbia lacrosse program history with a career 40 assists and her 108 total career points places her eighth all time.
Sophomore midfielder Paige Cuscovitch posted a productive first season starting 14 of 15 games, tallying 20 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. Midfielders Lauren Peirce, Camille Richardson and Ashley Rinere will also embark on their sophomore season adding to the versatility and depth of the Lions.
Columbia added nine newcomers to this season's squad. First-year midfielders Katie Angulo, Kaitlin Brophy, Charlotte Cipolletti, Courtney Cliffe and Stevie Wells, defenders Anjuli DeWakar and Emma Tuzinkiewicz, attacker Sarah Greenberg and sophomore goalkeeper Skylar Dabbar will boost the vigor and depth for the Lions.
"I think our freshman class definitely has some talent and there is no question that there will be some freshmen on the field," said Kittleman.
Columbia will face a competitive 15-game schedule this season with nine games at home and six on the road. The regular season will kick off on Saturday, Feb. 25 as they travel to Washington, D.C. to face American. The Lions will follow with a home opener against Mount St. Mary's on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. on Robert K. Kraft Field.
An intense Ivy Leauge schedule will have the Lions facing three teams ranked in the top 15 of the IWCLA Division I rankings this season, including #8 Princeton at home on Wednesday, March 21, and #11 Penn and #14 Dartmouth on the road.
