George Washington University Athletics
2016 GW Lacrosse Season Outlook
2/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
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Feb. 15, 2016
The George Washington lacrosse team returns to action this week with its sights set on a return to the Atlantic 10 Championship. The Colonials begin their second season under head coach Tracy Coyne, who aims to return GW to the conference tournament for the first time in three seasons.
"We are so far ahead of where we were (last year)," said Coyne. "When we went out to our first practice in the fall, we could see our impact from a coaching standpoint. To see how much they have progressed was really exciting."
Despite graduating seven seniors last spring, the Colonials return an experienced roster that features eight juniors, seven seniors and a graduate student. Coyne will need a number of those upperclassmen to step up in 2016 to fill the void left by some key losses, which include leading scorers Rachel Mia and Jamie Bumgardner, defensive anchor Jenn Seitz and starting goalkeeper Mackenzie Jones.
Mia and Bumgardner combined for 63 goals and 32 assists last season, but a number of players are ready to make up for the lost offense. Junior Bailey Forcier had a breakout sophomore campaign, ranking second on the team with 24 goals while leading the Colonials with 24 draw controls in her first season as a starter, and her classmate, Michaela Lynch, was third with 21 tallies.
"Bailey came on last year, and I think she's ready to step into that role," said Coyne. "From a true attacking standpoint, Michaela has been working a lot on her shot and I'm hoping that converts for her." Coyne is also looking for senior Hallie Walker and junior Cassidy Shollenberger to move into starting roles on the attack, while sophomore Camaryn Kerns should play increased minutes, as well, after seeing limited action as a rookie. In addition, sophomore Amy Cunningham had a good fall and could also see more time this year.
"Hallie does a great job behind the goal in terms of organizing and settling the team down, and I think she thrives in that role," she said. "Cassidy is doing great. She was working on developing last year, and I think she's really found her groove. I've been really pleased with how she's been practicing, and I think she'll be a nice addition to our lineup. Camaryn is really crafty with her stick, and I'm hoping she'll get into the mix and make some things happen for us."
Coyne also expects offensive contributions from a number of midfielders, including seniors Olivia Boudreau, Gabbi Hull and Julia Lawson.
In her first season as a full-time starter, Boudreau ranked sixth in the Atlantic 10 with 19 assists and was second on the team with 23 ground balls. Hull won 20 draw controls and scored 12 goals, including a hat trick at George Mason and two more tallies at Massachusetts in the final weekend of the season. Lawson will transition from the defensive end to be more offensive-minded, adding to the six goals she scored last year.
"We have a very strong midfield," said Coyne. "Olivia did nice things for us last year and she's in a position to hopefully do even more. Gabbi had some huge games for us at the end of the season. We are really pleased with Julia -- she had a good fall and really helped us off the draw."
Junior Shea Cassidy and sophomore Brooke Sands should also play key roles as offensive midfielders. Cassidy recorded nine goals, 22 draw controls and 14 ground balls a year ago, while Sands earned a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team with eight goals on the season.
Grad student Jacqui Stevens, returning for her fifth year, will transition from defense to midfield. In her first season as a full-time starter in 2015, Stevens registered 20 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers, but Coach Coyne will look for some offensive contributions from the team co-captain this year, as well.
GW will rely on a core group of veteran defenders in seniors Becca Taub and Ellie Glasgow and junior Natlalie Maher to lead the Colonials' backline. Glasgow has the most experience in the group after starting 15 games last season and recording 19 ground balls and 12 draw controls. Freshman Bridget Cassidy has impressed in the preseason and should also factor into the defensive unit, and her classmate, Rachel Yaffe, could see time there as well.
Junior Erin Long and sophomore Adele Wise will compete for the starting goalkeeping job. Jones started all 16 games in goal last season with Wise backing her up while Long recovered from injury. Long, however had a successful rookie campaign in 2014 as Jones' backup, making two starts and posting a 9.94 goals-against average in seven games.
"I think we have two good options in goal," said Coyne. "They both do things well and give us a different look in the cage. Adele has good quickness; she reads things really well, so she can come out of the cage and intercept. Erin is a lefty, so that can sometimes throw teams off. She's a good communicator."
The Atlantic 10 will have a bit of a different look this year as VCU adds a varsity team. With 10 A-10 teams now sponsoring women's lacrosse, the league championship will increase from four teams to a six-team field when Duquesne hosts the tournament May 5-8.
"I think it's great to have a 10-team conference," said Coyne. "We're hoping to break into that mix. The team has a better understanding of what it's going to take to get into the tournament, and we won't be satisfied unless we make it."
