The lacrosse team took the field against Kean University on March 19, defeating the Lady Courgars 12-8.
This was the Lady Hawks’ third straight non-conference win. The team began their season with a win against Mount Saint Mary College and Hartwick College.
Third-year Captain Carissa Citro said she felt their achievements are owed to working as a team.
“The defense is really strong, and our attack is very team-oriented,” Citro said. “Our stick skills are much better compared to last year, which allowed the games to move at a faster pace.”
Fourth-year Captain Talia Tesler said the team’s success is due to a strong team effort, a solid defense and positive mental outlook.
“Last season when the other team would score, or we would be down a few goals, we used to lose momentum and drop our heads,” Tesler said. “Now we keep our heads clear and know that we can outwork any team because we can outrun them. We are in better shape.”
Fourth-year attack/midfielder Mariam Ismail scored the first goal of the game at the 2:30 mark against Kean, while Tesler and Citro scored four and five goals, respectively, tallying the remainder of the 12 points.
Third-year goalie Jackie Ulanof defended the net with eight saves.
Head Coach Liz Student has been happy with the outcome of the past three games and the movitivation of the players.
“The team has done a really good job in our non-conference games,” Student said. “We have been raising the level of our play every time we step onto the field.”
The Lady Hawks uffered their first loss of the season in a non-conference game Montclair State University March 25, losing 19-11. Despite this, Tesler said the team has found that the non-conference games have been helping them train for what’s ahead in the season, including their first conference game against Buffalo State March 29.
“These non-conference matches help us prepare for conference play because we are able to see what it is that we need to work on,” Tesler said. “If we have a lot of turnover in one game, we know that the teams we will play in the SUNYAC will cash in on our mistakes – so we know to work on finding the open girl and not throw the ball away.”
Citro said the team is currently getting ready for Buffalo play by improving on their weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
“We need to improve on our transition,” Citro said. “Our attackers and midfielders need to work hard to get open and the defense needs to work on looking up and seeing the open girl sooner. We have been working on this a lot in practice and should be able to do this.”
Student is pleased with the team’s comitment and is looking forward to the rest of the season.
“I am very excited about what the team can accomplish this season,” she said. “It is a great group of student athletes that are working hard in the classroom and on the field.”