Temple University Athletics
Tracy Zimmer
Lacrosse Opens 2010 Season at Rutgers on Wednesday
2.23.10 | Women's Lacrosse
Owls return most of last year's squad and look to get back to the top of the A-10
PHILADELPHIA - The Temple women's lacrosse team is ready to begin the 2010 season, and will play its first game at Rutgers on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 3:00 p.m. Last year the Owls lost to Rutgers at home, but two years ago it was a season highlight when TU defeated the Scarlet Knights on the road in overtime.
2010 TEMPLE LACROSSE SEASON OUTLOOK
The Temple women's lacrosse team is two years removed from an Atlantic 10 title and NCAA Tournament berth, but what the Owls have struggled through and learned in the interim can only serve to strengthen them.
Just one season after taking the A-10 title, a young Temple team went 4-12 overall in 2009 and missed out on a spot in the conference tournament. But fourth-year head coach Bonnie Rosen believes the lessons gained from the year, both on and off the field, will prove to be an asset in 2010.
“Last year on paper you can see the struggles,” says Rosen. “But there was a lot more accomplished last season than would ever show in the stats. There was a lot of learning going on in the program. We had a very large group of freshmen who were starting to contribute, and that led to a lot of youthful mistakes. But really there was a tremendous amount of learning that went on and we are very excited to come back and start this season.
I think last year is behind us as far as the challenges, but the lessons are with us which will help us be successful.”
The Owls return nine starters and 10 of their top 11 goal-scorers from last year, and Rosen is encouraged both by that and by the talent she sees in the newcomers to the squad.
“The outlook for this year is good. We return just about everyone, and that list doesn't even demonstrate who will be the top scorers this year. We have scoring power already from our freshmen and our transfers.”
The team has four captains this year, seniors Jess Colucci and Tracy Zimmer along with juniors Alex Shapiro and Ann Stouffer. Rosen says that although the captains as well as other seniors have undoubtedly stepped up to fill key roles, she is seeing leadership from the freshman class all the way up.
“The six freshmen have come in more mature than I could have expected,” said Rosen. “We were really excited about them as a recruiting class, but they've already exceeded my expectations on and off the field, which is incredible. I expect them to be able to make an impact right away, and they've all learned very quickly. Our two sophomore transfers both bring a year of experience as college lacrosse players, and they have stepped right in and made an impact.”
Colucci will play a major role as the Owls' starting goalkeeper, which she has been since the start of the 2009 season. With 229 career saves, Colucci begins the season ranked 10th all-time at Temple.
Five players with 11 or more goals in 2009 return to the lineup, led by sophomore Melissa Schweitzer who scored 17 goals and senior Chelsea Rosiek who tallied a team-best 14 assists.
The defense will be anchored by Zimmer, a senior who started all 16 games last year and recorded 32 ground balls along with a team-best 22 draw controls and 18 caused turnovers.
Temple's schedule provides a wealth of opportunities to compete at home on Geasey Field, as well as some road trips that Rosen believes are key for fostering team chemistry.
“The schedule is set up for success,” said Rosen. “We will be road-tripping quite a bit, and I'm excited for that. There always seems to be great bonding that happens on the road.”
The Owls open the regular season at Rutgers on Feb. 24, which Rosen says has been a great game for Temple each year. Last year the Cherry and White lost to Rutgers at home, but two years ago at Rutgers it was a highlight when the Owls came away with a 10-9 double-overtime win.
Temple will face two ranked opponents at either end of the season. The Owls' first home game is against #3 Penn on March 3, and after the A-10 Tournament, Temple will travel to #18 Penn State.
“It's wonderful to have Penn and Penn State on our schedule,” says Rosen. “Those are two huge highlights.” Rosen also singles out the team's trip to Jacksonville in the middle of March as a highlight. “That trip will probably be a defining moment of our season in terms of the time we spend together,” she says.
“It's a strong schedule and it's really well-balanced. I think the A-10 will be the most competitive year yet.”
2010 TEMPLE LACROSSE SEASON OUTLOOK
The Temple women's lacrosse team is two years removed from an Atlantic 10 title and NCAA Tournament berth, but what the Owls have struggled through and learned in the interim can only serve to strengthen them.
Just one season after taking the A-10 title, a young Temple team went 4-12 overall in 2009 and missed out on a spot in the conference tournament. But fourth-year head coach Bonnie Rosen believes the lessons gained from the year, both on and off the field, will prove to be an asset in 2010.
“Last year on paper you can see the struggles,” says Rosen. “But there was a lot more accomplished last season than would ever show in the stats. There was a lot of learning going on in the program. We had a very large group of freshmen who were starting to contribute, and that led to a lot of youthful mistakes. But really there was a tremendous amount of learning that went on and we are very excited to come back and start this season.
I think last year is behind us as far as the challenges, but the lessons are with us which will help us be successful.”
The Owls return nine starters and 10 of their top 11 goal-scorers from last year, and Rosen is encouraged both by that and by the talent she sees in the newcomers to the squad.
“The outlook for this year is good. We return just about everyone, and that list doesn't even demonstrate who will be the top scorers this year. We have scoring power already from our freshmen and our transfers.”
The team has four captains this year, seniors Jess Colucci and Tracy Zimmer along with juniors Alex Shapiro and Ann Stouffer. Rosen says that although the captains as well as other seniors have undoubtedly stepped up to fill key roles, she is seeing leadership from the freshman class all the way up.
“The six freshmen have come in more mature than I could have expected,” said Rosen. “We were really excited about them as a recruiting class, but they've already exceeded my expectations on and off the field, which is incredible. I expect them to be able to make an impact right away, and they've all learned very quickly. Our two sophomore transfers both bring a year of experience as college lacrosse players, and they have stepped right in and made an impact.”
Colucci will play a major role as the Owls' starting goalkeeper, which she has been since the start of the 2009 season. With 229 career saves, Colucci begins the season ranked 10th all-time at Temple.
Five players with 11 or more goals in 2009 return to the lineup, led by sophomore Melissa Schweitzer who scored 17 goals and senior Chelsea Rosiek who tallied a team-best 14 assists.
The defense will be anchored by Zimmer, a senior who started all 16 games last year and recorded 32 ground balls along with a team-best 22 draw controls and 18 caused turnovers.
Temple's schedule provides a wealth of opportunities to compete at home on Geasey Field, as well as some road trips that Rosen believes are key for fostering team chemistry.
“The schedule is set up for success,” said Rosen. “We will be road-tripping quite a bit, and I'm excited for that. There always seems to be great bonding that happens on the road.”
The Owls open the regular season at Rutgers on Feb. 24, which Rosen says has been a great game for Temple each year. Last year the Cherry and White lost to Rutgers at home, but two years ago at Rutgers it was a highlight when the Owls came away with a 10-9 double-overtime win.
Temple will face two ranked opponents at either end of the season. The Owls' first home game is against #3 Penn on March 3, and after the A-10 Tournament, Temple will travel to #18 Penn State.
“It's wonderful to have Penn and Penn State on our schedule,” says Rosen. “Those are two huge highlights.” Rosen also singles out the team's trip to Jacksonville in the middle of March as a highlight. “That trip will probably be a defining moment of our season in terms of the time we spend together,” she says.
“It's a strong schedule and it's really well-balanced. I think the A-10 will be the most competitive year yet.”
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