W. Lacrosse Opens 1999 Season at UMass

After a season filled with intense games ending in last minute-losses, the Harvard women's lacrosse team is ready to plow through its competition in 1999, starting with UMass on Sunday at Amherst, in the season opener for both teams.

"This year, we are going to have a presence," said junior tri-captain Becca Brown, " No matter who we are playing or what part in the game it is, we will maintain our game."

And what a game they could have.

Along with a talented freshman class loaded with five 1998 high school All-Americans, the Crimson has returning upperclassmen with the experience to set the pace.

Returning to the lineup are junior forwards Kimberly Weeks and Ashley Birch, both of whom were in the top five in scoring for Harvard last year.

Along with the junior tandem, Meg Austin, Jennifer Lee, and sophomore Alli Harper, who led the Crimson in scoring in 1998, will help show the ropes to their speedy freshman forwards.

Freshmen Heather Hussey, Heather Gotha, Katherine Burrage, and Lizzy Frisbie (who currently is out due to a broken wrist) are expected to make an impact on the scoreboard.

The midfield will be directed by tri-captain Laura Dahmen, who will be in charge of whatever rotation Harvard Coach Carole Kleinfelder decides to put in. Kleinfelder has been testing the versatility of sophomores Lauren Corkery, Susie Fiore, Liz Sarles, and Melissa Crandall--all of who are capable of scoring as well as playing defense.

The defense is going to be powered by Brown and classmate Jeanne Ficociello. However, freshmen Hilary Walton and Erin Cutner are counted on to contribute to the backfield.

Going into the last weekend's annual preseason tournament at William and Mary, everyone was a little nervous to see how the lineup would pan out.

The loss of sophomore Courtney Leimkuhler to hip surgery, the expiration of All-Ivy goalie Kate Schutt's eligibility, as well as the graduation of last year's senior force of Holly Rogers, Honor MacNaughton, and Keren Gudeman left many gaps in the lineup.

However, those gaps were filled, especially the one in the net, by sophomore goalie Keltie Donelan. She did not see much action behind Schutt last season, but has made up for that and then some this past fall. She proved this in her stellar play this past weekend.

"We are feeling the absences," Brown said. "But our upperclassmen have stepped up and our freshman are so talented. The shoes are being filled pretty well."

It is just a matter of Kleinfelder putting together the perfect lineup, the best combination, to best utilize this team's talent.

"There is so much skill on this team," Birch said, " we have really high hopes of playing to our potential."

The results will be seen on Sunday against UMass. The game was originally scheduled for tomorrow at Ohiri Field, but due to inclement weather, it is rescheduled. This happened for last year's season opener, and it ended in an overtime loss. The Crimson is hoping to redirect fate this time around.

"Last year was a pretty intense game," Birch said. "We plan on taking it to them from the start."

"It was an emotional loss, something that most of us remember pretty clearly," Brown said. "It is not going to happen again."