The Time Is Now

SELINSGROVE, Pa. — The Susquehanna University women’s lacrosse team is in an unique position as they enter the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs on Wednesday. They have been to the playoffs the past two times they were held and have finished second in the conference for three straight seasons.

The difference this year is that the MAC playoffs have been extended to four teams and the Crusaders are the number one seed and the favorite of the quartet to win its first-ever MAC Championship and automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championships.

The first obstacle to that goal will be a visit from Widener in the MAC semifinals on Wednesday at 4 p.m. on the West Lacrosse Field. Should the Crusaders win, they will host either seven-time defending champion Drew or Scranton in the finals on Saturday.

First-year head coach Sarah Catlin has benefitted from a solid offense and a smothering defense that has held opponents to 10 goals or less in 12 of the Crusaders’ 15 games this season.

Crusader attackers have scored 107 of the team’s 153 goals this season, led by a school single-season record 48 from junior Krista O’Brien (Sykesville, Md./Liberty H.S.). She has also set records in career goals (126) and career points (168) while being named MAC player of the week on April 16 after a four-goal, one-assist performance in a 16-6 win over King’s that clinched the first regular-season championship in the program’s 11-year history. Her highest scoring output of the year was seven goals at Messiah.

Sophomore Kat Geiger (New Hope, Pa./Hun School of Princeton) has contributed a second straight strong season with 23 goals and 30 groundballs, while the freshman duo of Kelly Smith (New Egypt, NJ/Allentown H.S.) and Lesley Sciarrillo (North Caldwell, N.J./West Essex H.S.) has scored 18 goals apiece. Sophomore Lauren Maglietta (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional H.S.) has been the top reserve for on the attack with seven goals and seven assists as well as 27 ground balls.

The junior duo of Katie Sonnefeld (Monkton, Md./Hereford H.S.) and Liz Cipoletti (Fort Salonga, N.Y./Northport H.S.) have controlled Susquehanna’s midfield this year helping the team to 111 successful clears this year and a 704-422 edge in groundballs.

Sonnefeld has led the team in assists this year with 19 helpers to go along with 11 goals while also corralling 74 groundballs and causing 16 turnovers. Cipoletti leads the team in groundballs with 86, ranking 14th in Division III with 4.86 groundballs per game, to go with eight goals and eight assists and 13 caused turnovers.

Helping out in the effort, sophomore Katie Hess (Darnestown, Md./Connelly School of the Holy Child) has picked up 58 groundballs, caused 11 turnovers and scored 11 goals and eight assists. Also, freshman Sarah Crosley (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley H.S.) has scored four goals and two assists off the bench while picking up 19 groundballs.

Defensively, three-time MAC All-Star Erin Powell (Claymont, Del./Ursuline Academy) and freshman Kristin Calabree (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional H.S.) have smothered the opposition throughout the 2001 season.

Powell has collected 71 groundballs and caused a team-high 42 turnovers, while Calabree held MAC scoring leader Liz Baumbach of Scranton (60 goals) scoreless in Susquehanna’s 10-5 win on March 22.

Senior Julie Fischer (North Wales, Pa./North Penn H.S.) has also been a defensive mainstay with 56 groundballs while freshman Cindy Fox (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton H.S.) has picked up 22 groundballs and caused 12 turnovers.

In goal, sophomore Giulia Umile (Blue Bell, Pa./Gwynedd Mercy Academy) has been nothing short of phenomenal for the Crusaders, posting a 7.76 goals against average and a .636 save percentage. She ranks fourth in Division III in save percentage and was the MAC Player of the Week after making a school-record 26 saves against Widener in the teams’ first meeting on March 17, a 6-4 Crusader overtime win.