Cara Romanowski

Wittenberg Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Nancy Beck didn't want this day to come, but it's here and she and her team are embracing it - the Tigers must play a season without Kati Robbins for the first time in four years. Named the NCAC Offensive Player of the Year, Robbins scored 46 goals and added a school- and NCAC-record 40 assists in leading the Tigers to a 9-7 record and a 4-3 mark in the conference. But she and third-leading scorer Jennie Stone graduated last year, leaving holes in the lineup that are more like craters.

That said, the Tigers do have a lot of talent returning, especially on the offensive side of the field. Most notably, second-leading scorer and 2001 first-team All-NCAC performer Cara Romanowski (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) figures to get even more opportunities after finding the back of the net a team-best 47 times in 2001. She will be joined by several potent offensive players, including junior Mollie Stone (Damascus, Md./Damascus), who had 12 points in 2001, and sophomore Kate Williston (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster), who was fourth on the team with 11 goals and 14 points.

On defense, Wittenberg must replace graduated standout Danielle Paglino, the school record-holder for career ground balls, and several other key performers. Top returners include Lindsay Law (Columbus, Ohio/Dublin Scioto), the only player to play every minute of every game in 2001, and sophomore Katie Babcock (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney).

The Tigers kick things off next week with a challenging trip to Florida in which they play Regis and Salve Regina in Panama City. Their home opener is Monday, March 18 against Puget Sound.