Women's Lacrosse Opens East Coast Conference Play Versus Molloy on Saturday
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 27, 2014) It will be a high noon wild-west showdown this Saturday as the Mercy College women's lacrosse team opens up East Coast Conference play against the Lions of Molloy College at 12:00 p.m.
The Mavericks are looking to open up conference play with a victory and put the rest of conference on notice that they have come to play. Molloy is currently untested after having games against Queens (N.C.) University and Belmont Abbey College cancelled due to Winter Storm Pax slamming the entire East Coast. Molloy is looking to Saturday's matchup as a jumping-off point toward the inaugural ECC Championship.
Mercy fell to the Lions last season out in Rockville Centre, 12-9, as then-junior Kelsey Bub (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. / Walter Panas (Iona College)) scored two goals and then-sophomore Keri Watson (Massapequa Park, N.Y. / Massapequa) scored two goals and had one assist as a late rally by the Mavericks was thwarted. Molloy got hat tricks from three different players in the win.
The Bub barrage was on display on Wednesday to open the 2014 season, as she scored six goals en route to a 19-13 win over Chestnut Hill. Watson is poised to have a breakout season, as she totaled seven points on two goals and five assists. Mercy also received three goals apiece from juniors Marissa Kluber (Wading River, N.Y. / Shoreham-Wading River) and Nicole Kline (Deer Park, N.Y. / Deer Park) and sophomore Nicole Augustine (Kingston, N.Y. / Kingston). A full recap of the Chestnut Hill game can be found here.
Molloy finished the 2013 season with a 9-8 overall record, going 4-3 in the ECC. The Lions have been picked to finish third in the conference in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, but youth will be served with the Lions. Head Coach Tom Campolettano had scheduled the two early games in North Carolina to gauge how his team performed ahead of conference play, but with the cancellations he now has a big question mark concerning how his team will respond in a game situation.
Molloy graduated 10 of 11 starters from the 2013 squad and will need to replace All-ECC First Team selections attack Alexa Toscano, midfielder Kaitlyn Kelly and defender Dainelle Clesi. Clesi was named to the IWLCA All-North Region Second Team as well. The duo of Toscano and Kelly combined for 59 goals and 50 assists, which totaled 109 points. Clesi totaled 36 groundballs, took 45 draw controls and had 30 caused turnovers.
The Lone starter for the Lions is senior Candice Noakes. In 17 games, she finished with 11 goals and 13 assists, which totaled 24 points. Coach Campolettano has tabbed senior Jessicas Teves and Samantha Arlotta as possible starters with upperclassman experience. Teves only appeared in four games, scoring three goals and making one assist. Arlotta's numbers are a little better, but don't jump off the page as she appeared in every game, but only totaled seven goals and four assists.
Molloy's defense replaces All-ECC Second Teamers in Codi Reiser and Nicole Mastrianni. Campolettano has tabbed junior Elyse Orski and sophomores Kelsey Dougherty and Chelsea Bauers as the possible core of the defense. All three were seldom used last season, but will fill holes with experience for the entire reconstruction of the Lions defense.
Come see which one comes out on top as the Mavericks square off with the Lions of Molloy at noon on Saturday. Mercyathletics.com will provide live video streaming through the women's lacrosse schedule page, and in-game updates can also be found at the Mercy Mavericks Twitter page: @MercyMavericks.
