WILLIAMSTOWN, MA — With 14 returning players and a talented group of eight first-years, the Williams College women’s lacrosse team hopes to combine its talent and skill with its depth and growth and make a run at another conference championship.
No one believes it will be easy, but then again, head
coach Chris Mason already knows she has a team with a strong work
ethic, willing to do what it takes to improve.
Mason, back for her 24th season at the helm of the program, hopes
to get the best out of her 24 players.
“We can be a pretty good team,” she said. “But so can every team in our conference. I think we have some good talent, some good speed, but every game will be a challenge. I honestly feel that any team in the conference could beat any other team in the conference.”
The Ephs will be led by senior tri-captains Julia Nawrocki, Lizzie Burns and Britt Spackman, Spackman (24 goals, 24 assists, 48 points) the Ephs’ leading scorer a year ago, and Nawrocki (14g., 8a.) will anchor the midfield for the club and play a large role in the offensive output. Burns, a Second Team womenslacrosse.com All-America selection last season, will play a key role as a defender.
In addition, senior Antonia Clark, who played as a first-year and sophomore but spent her junior season abroad, returns and will see time at midfield and as a defender.
"I think we have four good seniors in terms of ability and leadership,” Mason said. “And I think we have a very good, big, junior class, so I think we’ll have good depth. The scoring will be spread out, because we have a lot of people who will see plenty of playing time. We think we have more than 12 starters on this team and different people could start in different games.”
Junior attackers Tina Nawrocki and Whitney Thayer will play a role in that spread offense. Both had nice seasons for the Ephs last year, with Tina Nawrocki scoring a team-leading 30 goals and finishing with 39 points and Thayer scoring 21 goals and finishing with 23 points. Junior Tracey Ferriter, fresh over from women’s hockey, will also contribute after scoring 10 goals in the 2008 season.
Another key junior will be defender Quinn Bruggeman. A standout defender, Bruggeman missed nearly all of last season with an injury, but is back and ready to be paired with Burns on defense.
“Quinn and Lizzie give us two dynamic defenders, they’ll be our anchors back there,” Mason said.
Junior midfielders Whitney Kelly (7 goals) and Alice Nelson (10 goals) are expected to help out offensively and defensively. Junior Kate Stephens will see time in the midfield and on defense.
“There are a lot of capable scorers on attack and in the midfield, and even some defenders who could come up and help us offensively,” Mason said.
The midfield will also be bolstered by two sophomores, Allison Page and Anne Marie Burke, both who made an impact last season as first-years.
The other sophomore is goalkeeper Julia Schreiber, who played all 840 minutes in goal for the Ephs in 2008 — many of those minutes injured — and compiled a 1.57 goals against average and a .472 save percentage. The good news is Schreiber is healthy, and this year she has a back-up in first-year Kate Foley, who also comes over from the women’s hockey team.
There are a total of eight first-years on the club, and all are expected to contribute in various ways and means. Taylor Fleishhacker and Margie Fulton will see time at attack, Kaitlin Ellis and Meera Sivalingham in the midfield and Tyler Chapman as a defender.
In addition, first-years Emily Wendell (midfield) and Rebecca Rosenblatt (defender) will play on both the varsity and junior varsity teams.
One difference Mason has already noticed with one scrimmage under the team’s belt is that this team may have harnessed its competitive genes already.
“Last year I think we were very competitive in practice,” Mason said. “But for whatever reason it did not transfer over to our games. This group, I feel like we have a better handle on our competitiveness, based on the one scrimmage we’ve had. They had a little edge to them and I liked it.”
The Ephs open their season Saturday at home against 2008 NESCAC champion Colby. First Face-off is at 12 p.m.
