Lehighsports.com

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Despite the frigid temperatures and snow on the ground, lacrosse season has arrived, and the Mountain Hawks are set to begin their preparations for the 2009 campaign.  First year head coach Jill Redfern met with the team this week to go over organizational items, and the team will hit the practice field for the first time on Tuesday, January 20.  The Mountain Hawks will have the luxury of playing on a brand new surface at the Ulrich Sports Complex, TigerTurf, a state-of-the-art synthetic sport field that was installed during the semester break. 

Following a month away from campus, Lehigh’s players will be pressed to get ready for the season opener February 15.  The Mountain Hawks do return a veteran-laden team this season, but with only a few weeks between now and the opener, they must act fast.  “The first several weeks of practice we will work on stick work, reviewing plays and working very hard on our defense,” explains Redfern.  “The fall season allowed our new class to gain valuable experience working with our returning players. We spent significant time on fundamentals and team strategies and as we begin our practices now, we’ll emphasize communication and slides on defense.”

Sophomore Kindall Healy discussed what she hopes to get accomplished during the first few weeks on the practice field.  “I’d like to be in incredible physical condition, improve my stick skills and to continue to improve my defense.  It is going to be fun to watch the team camaraderie grow as the season progresses, although our team is already extremely close.”

Following a successful fall season, Lehigh’s players were on their own to train during the semester break.  Despite being away from campus and her teammates, Healy was still able to get quite a bit of work done.  “I followed the same regimen that I had during the off-season.  I followed our strength and conditioning packet designed for the break that was given to us by the training staff.”  She continued, “I was able to throw the ball around with a friend of mine in our high school field house, but was not able to actually play.”

Lehigh returns nearly its entire team from last season, including the last three Patriot League Rookies of the Year in senior Sara MacIntyre, junior Inneke Carmola and sophomore Lauren Dykstra.  That trio has combined to score 273 goals during their time in the Brown and White and will join forces to create one of the most potent offensive attacks in the entire Patriot League. 

Senior Sarah Fudin will lead the Lehigh defense, while classmates Meghan Tranter and Tess McGrath patrol the midfield.  Lehigh’s fifth senior, Meagan Tenety is coming off a strong junior season in which she started all 17 games and totaled 43 points and she is another key component of the Mountain Hawks strong attack.  Junior goal keeper Kelsy Ferris is coming off an All-Patriot League season in which she stopped 172 shots in nearly 1,000 minutes of action, while sophomore Allison Thomas was also an All-League choice after a solid start to her Lehigh career with 28 points and 41 ground balls in 2008.

Joining Lehigh’s experienced upper class is a strong and talented freshmen class that will be relied upon to contribute throughout the season.

Leading Lehigh’s every move will be Redfern, who had served as Associate Head Coach of the program for the previous three seasons before being named head coach in June of 2008.  Having been on the coaching staff previously has helped ease the transition for both Redfern and the Mountain Hawks.  “I think consistency year to year is so important and knowing what to expect has been reassuring to the athletes.  My history with the team gives me a clear idea of which aspects of our game need reinvention and which areas are solid.” 

Redfern concluded, “This team is capable of making progress in all areas.  I’m particularly excited to see our transition offense and fast break this season.  The attack unit needs to control the pace of the game and possess the ball for longer periods of time than we did last season.  I’d like to see this team play with more confidence and emotion.” 

Healy added her thoughts on having a new, but familiar head coach.  “Coach Redfern has made the transition extraordinarily smooth.  She has really brought the team together and knows how to make the lacrosse field feel like home.  Having been with the program for several years, Coach Redfern, through years of experience, knows how to unite a team, how to effectively coach and how to provide a support system.  If anyone has any problems or is struggling with something, she knows she can turn to Coach Redfern for help and advice without criticism or judgment.  She’s a special find and we’re very fortunate to have her as our coach.”

Lehigh will have one scrimmage before taking the field for real on Sunday, February 15 versus the Hawks of St. Joseph’s at the Ulrich Sports Complex.  That game is scheduled for a 1:00 start.