FERNANDO URIBE
Staff Writer
The Pepperdine women’s lacrosse team has come a long way in the past few years. Four seasons ago, the fledging club team had only nine members and struggled to field enough women. Gradually, however, the team has grown to become one of the more successful club sport programs at Pepperdine.
Ending the 2006-2007 season ranked No.-20 in the country, the team had high expectations for the upcoming season with talented freshman recruits and the hiring of new coaches, Kate Hicks and Juliet Mittleman, after former Head Coach Paul Ramsey was not asked back to continue coaching the team. In the fall of 2007, the team was moved up to the Division I Central League, the strongest division in the country.
“We are no longer the underdogs and now must prove that we deserve to be called one of the top lacrosse programs in the country,” said Alexis Padis, senior captain and team president.
The jump to Division I has come with some early setbacks. Last weekend, the Waves dropped two difficult matches against No.-1 Cal Poly and No.-7 UCLA.
On Saturday, the Waves looked to prove their talent against Cal Poly at Alumni Park. The game was tied, 7-7, until the devastating injury of senior captain and defensive leader, Alison Britain, with four minutes left in the first half. Britain, a four-year team veteran, took a hit to the head and neck that resulted in the paramedics being called. While the team fought hard, the blow to team morale was too difficult to overcome and the Waves eventually lost, 17-9.
Pepperdine followed its loss with another defeat Sunday at UCLA. The team kept the game close, but eventually fell, 13-8.
Coming off a weekend of two tough losses and costly injuries, many opponents are already writing off Pepperdine’s season. However, that is not the mentality of this tenacious and young team.
“The girls have amazing hustle, heart and commitment to the program,” Hicks said. “Every game they are only going to improve.”
Early standouts include freshman starting center Courtney Schneck and freshman attacker Emily McKenzie, who each had two goals against Cal Poly.
With these new talents, team captains Britain and Padis, offensive standouts and a solid veteran defense, the team looks to be a contender for postseason play.
New coaches Hicks and Mittleman bring both experience and knowledge to the team. Hicks was a four-year starter, an All-American midfielder and a two time captain while playing at Duke University from 1998 to 2001. During her career, Hicks helped Duke reach its first winning season and its first appearance in the NCAA Final Four. Meanwhile, Mittleman played attack on the club lacrosse team at Brown University.
“Having coaches that are truly committed to the sport helps a great deal,” Britain said. “It just raises our awareness and our level of play.”
The women have a lot of work ahead of them, yet the wake-up call in the beginning of the season only serves as motivation to work harder.
From March 14-15 at Alumni Park, Pepperdine will host elite programs including University of Minnesota, Northeastern, and Cal Berkeley.
02-14-2008
