The 2009 Wittenberg women's lacrosse team has plenty of reason for optimism as they search for the program's first winning season since 2003 and a return to North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and NCAA Division III postseason play. Third-year head coach and former Wittenberg standout Kati Robbins helped the Tigers turn the corner in 2008, doubling the team's win total from the previous season and leading Wittenberg to its first conference win in three years, while narrowly missing chances to upend several other conference powers.
The 2009 roster is stocked with experience and talent, including a six-person senior class led by 2008 leading scorer Lizzie Amorello (Sutton, Mass./Worcester Academy). An attacker, Amorello poured in 33 goals to go along with eight assists to lead the Tigers with 41 points. Her goal total ranked her among the conference leaders and earned her second-team All-NCAC recognition.
Senior midfielder Cait Mather (Mason, Ohio/Mason) started all 13 games for the Tigers in 2008, and her 12 goals was among the team leaders, while her 23 ground balls were good for third on the team. Another senior, two-sport standoutBeth Vonderbrink (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame), will anchor the Tiger defense this spring, coming off a year in which she earned honorable mention All-NCAC recognition. Also a starter on the field hockey team, Vonderbrink added three goals and two assists to the Wittenberg women's lacrosse attack last year. Fellow senior Hannah Fox (Carmel, Ind./Cathedral) joins Vonderbrink on the back line, as the Tigers look to improve upon a defense that allowed 10.3 goals per contest, the second stingiest in the league.
Rounding out the senior class, the Tigers have midfielder Megan Meige (Columbus, Ohio/DeSales), who led the team with 13 assists in 2008, and Hannah Cupples (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster), who played a key role for the Tigers after appearing in all 13 games a year ago.
There is proven talent in the other classes as well, including sophomore defenderHannah Walsh (Rochester, NY/Brighton), who started 10 games and earned second-team All-NCAC and second-team All-West Region honors from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association. Sophomore midfielderMaggie Amorello (Sutton, Mass./Worcester Academy), another two-sport standout, also landed an All-NCAC nod from 2008. An all-conference defender in soccer, Amorello picked up an honorable mention award in women's lacrosse in 2008 after scoring 14 goals while starting all 13 games.
In goal, the Tigers turn to junior Bonnie Kenney (Lutherville, Md./Park School), who played all 780 minutes in goal for the Tigers, earning a .430 save percentage, during the 2008 season.
A pair of sophomores look to push the Wittenberg offense to the next level asJordan Beauchamp (Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) and Lisa Blahut (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles) return after sensational freshmen campaigns. In addition, juniors Andrea Berry (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville North) andJoelle Ghanem (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman), who both started every game in 2008, and junior Chelsea Sickmann (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy), who contributed 10 goals in 10 games in her first season in the Red & White, return to the lineup.
The list of returning letterwinners in 2008 also includes juniors Lauren Stets (Westerville, Ohio/North) and Erika Brandewie (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore), and sophomores Bridget O'Brien (Delaware, Ohio/Olentangy), Ashley Klingelhoefer (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster), Kate Zane (Hilliard, Ohio/Davidson) and Amanda Trepanier (Naperville, Ill./Central). In addition, a 10-player freshman class bolsters perhaps the deepest Wittenberg squad in recent years.
Written By: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant
Photo By: Brad Tucker