Women's Lacrosse
Current Season Preview

last updated 03/26/09

KU lacrosse confident, ready for first season in PSAC

The Kutztown University women’s lacrosse team enters the 2009 season filled with excitement.

This season offers up the first conference schedule for the young program that made its return to KU last season after an 18-year hiatus. It also brings in the first official recruiting class for second-year head coach Sarah Greer.

“The incoming freshman class, added with the top players returning from last season, will make this team competitive this season,” Greer said. “We’re going to surprise a lot of teams.”

Last year, the Golden Bears were 2-8, playing as an independent. This year, KU joins the PSAC East and will play 10 divisional contests and three conference crossovers with teams from the PSAC West.

Leading the eight returning players from last season is Carrie Healey (jr. Toms River, N.J./Toms River North), who scored 22 goals and 14 assists in 10 games. She finished first in Division II in caused turnovers with 2.80 per game, 28 in 10 games. She also was eighth in ground balls with 3.9 per game and 31st with 1.4 assists per game. Healey had five goals and two assists against Seton Hill, and a career-high four assists against Wilmington.

“I believe she can be a leader,” Greer said. “I’m hoping to have her continue her success she had last season."

Healey will be joined by returning juniors Janice Kinney (jr. Spring City/Owen J. Roberts) and Jennifer Natalini (jr. Pottstown/Pottsgrove), who combined to record 36 points last season.

Kinney had 14 points, with 13 goals and an assist. She was second on the team with 32 groundballs and 15 caused turnovers.

“Janice worked well with Carrie,” Greer said. “She was more defensive-minded, yet she still contributed 13 goals.”

Natalini scored 11 goals and had an assist for the Golden Bears.

Other returning scorers include Xiomara Marin (sr. West Paterson, N.J./Passaic Valley), Amanda Steczak (jr. Coatesville/Coatesville) and Danielle Shore (jr. Souderton/Souderton Area).

Marin led the trio with five goals and four assists, while Steczak had four goals and Shore had one.

Defender Justine Simonsen (so. Hatboro/Upper Moreland) also returns for KU.

In goal, the Golden Bears will have newcomer Erin Myers (fr. Harrisburg/Central Dauphin) for the starting keeper position.  Myers was named to the Mid-Penn’s first team at Central Dauphin High School.

In the midfield, Rachel Mehaffey (fr. West Deptford/West Deptford) and Leeann Pica (fr. Levittown/Neshaminy) will work alongside Healey.

“Our midfield is really stacked,” Greer said.

Mehaffey, also a member of KU’s 2008 PSAC playoff women’s soccer team, joins the lacrosse team as the leading scorer in West Deptford High School history. As a four-year starter and a two-year captain, she scored 200 goals en route to being named the All-Group II first team and All-Conference first team her junior year.

Pica was an honorable mention in the Suburban One League, a scholar-athlete and an offensive MVP her senior year.

Ally Brehm (fr. Carlisle/Carlisle) also joins KU in the attack.

On defense, Simonsen and Shore will be joined by Megan Schwar (fr. Alpa, N.J./Phillipsburg). Schwar was a three-year captain with four varsity letters as a midfielder for Phillipsburg High School. Schwar, also a field hockey player, was named to the Express-Times first team her junior year and All-Skylands Conference first team as a junior.

“Simonsen and Shore bring back leadership because of their 10 games of experience last season,” Greer said. “Their positioning is much better and that will help us greatly this season.”

Julie Rosenkaimer (fr. Lansdale/North Penn), Bridget Hart (fr. Lanoka Harbor, N.J./Lacey Twp. High School), Samatha Crist (fr. Pottstown/Pottstown) and Brooke Koniow (fr. Phoenixville/Phoenixville) also will join the Golden Bears this season. Rosenkaimer also played field hockey in the fall, recording a goal and two assists for KU.

The Golden Bears will open with two non-conference contests — Seton Hill on March 3 and Georgian Court March 5 — before the PSAC East schedule kicks off with trips to East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg.

“I think we’re going to do well in the conference,” Greer said.