2007 season preview

August 30, 2007

NORTON, MA- When the Wheaton College field hockey team met for the first time this fall, its goals for the season were written out on a classroom chalkboard. Atop the heap of team-related objectives were winning the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament, but eighth-year head coach Rebecca Begley said the larger achievements will be met by first reaching smaller goals.

"We talk a lot about doing tangible things, like holding teams to fewer penalty corners or a certain number of shots," said Begley. "If we do those, then we will probably win. We have to map out the route to winning. The players want to be better than last year, have a better record than last year, to really build on last year's success."

Last season was rife with success, as the Lyons set a school record for wins by going 15-8, including 5-3 in the NEWMAC, and reached their first Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament title game. Advancing to the league semifinals for the first time since 1997 and placing third in the regular season conference standings, the Blue and White shattered a program mark by scoring 59 goals.

"We're still looking to score a lot of goals," said Begley, who admitted to being more defensive-minded due to playing in the backfield as a collegian. "We want to be defensive in the entire field and control the game. It's not just about winning; it's about winning as a result of achieving your individual and team goals. As a team, the players want to click and play well."

Begley welcomes back former Babson College head coach Laurie Magoon for her second season as an assistant, while 2005 Trinity College graduate Patricia Glennon joins the staff in her first college coaching position.

Wheaton's crop of 18 players is split evenly between returners and newcomers, as four seniors will be charged with leading a group that includes eight freshmen. "The seniors are all on board, mentally and priority wise," said Begley of a group that battled through a 5-11 season during its freshman year. "They lead by example. Preseason was so easy from a coaching perspective because I didn't have to remind them of anything, they just did it."

Senior co-captain Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) is invariably a focal point of the discussions about the explosive offense Wheaton maintained in 2006, as she set school records with 47 points and 11 assists while finishing three goals shy of the program mark with 18. A National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-America selection last season, Dimick has earned NFHCA All-New England and NEWMAC All-Conference honors each of the past two falls. As the second-leading career point scorer in program history, she will be back on the forward line this season.

Senior Kim Anson (Washington, CT/Shepaug Valley) has also been chosen to serve as a captain in 2007, as the unheralded backfield anchor has appeared in all of her team's 59 games over the past three seasons. She is the most veteran of Wheaton's defenders and will command a group that includes a handful of sophomores and freshmen in front of a green goalkeeping corps.

Last fall, senior Lyndsie Ryalls (Branford, CT/Branford) drew an All-New England citation and her second all-conference honor after contributing six goals and six assists. Ryalls will appear in the midfield but could also see time at forward, as she ranks third in program history in career points. Classmate Ashley Miller (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) provides a versatile presence, having appeared as a midfielder and back during her first three seasons. As a senior, Miller will make the transition to forward but could also play in the midfield.

Eleven additional field players dot the Wheaton roster, with junior Alisa Ardito (Branford, CT/Branford) the most experienced among them. The forward speedster dished out 10 assists last season, which eclipsed the old school record, while netting five goals of her own. Ardito drew All-New England and all-conference accolades along the way.

Sophomore Alex Block (Saratoga, CA/Saratoga) was third on the squad with seven goals last year and is slated to appear in the midfield this season. Classmates Cassie Abel (Windham, NH/Salem) and Andria Laroche (Skowhegan, ME/Skowhegan Area) drew ample playing time in the backfield right away as freshmen, missing one game between them. The duo will join Anson as starters.

The seven field athletes among the Class of 2011 provide versatility, and some will immediately play. Julia Atwood (Concord, MA/Brooks School) and Haley Chrisos (Beverly, MA/Bishop Fenwick) should see action right away on the forward line, while Margaux Bolte (Belmont, MA/Belmont) could find playing time at all three field positions. Ashley English (Watertown, MA/Watertown) jumps right in as Wheaton's starting sweeper, while Sarah Crowley (Worcester, MA/Bancroft School) is a forward by trade but will see time in the backfield. Jessica Strock (Centerville, MA/Barnstable) will start either on the forward line or in the midfield, while Marisha Gadowski (Quincy, MA/Notre Dame Academy) will compete for playing time in the midfield.

Three keepers with a little more than 84 minutes of total college playing time under their belts have been battling for the starting job this fall, and all three should find opportunities to display their skills. Junior Jackie Riccio (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) has been a reserve keeper for the past two years, while sophomore Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) appeared in four games last fall at Bridgewater State College before transferring to Wheaton last spring, when she won 11 games while pitching for the Blue and White's softball team. Freshman Cameron Abel (Windham, NH/Salem) won two high school state championships while teaming with her sister Cassie in the backfield, and that combination could become a familiar sight during the next three years on Clark Field.

Wheaton's 17-game schedule begins on Friday, August 31, when the Lyons host Salve Regina University in the first of eight straight non-conference games. The Blue and White's league slate kicks off on September 22 when Wheaton travels to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

Three teams that participated in last season's NCAA Tournament appear on the blotter, as the Lyons host Final Four qualifier Bowdoin College on September 9 before facing NEWMAC foes Springfield College and Wellesley College three days apart in mid-October. Bowdoin is ranked third in the NFHCA preseason poll, while Springfield is tied for 15th.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 7/28/08.
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