Lacrosse Optimistic for Upcoming Year

With a mix of veteran leaders and young talent, the Columbia lacrosse team hopes to improve upon last year’s 5-10-0 record (0-7-0 Ivy) with a strong 2008 campaign. Seniors Marisa Marcellino and Samantha Morris, this season’s captains, will try to guide a team that includes six freshmen and five sophomores.

Last year, the Lions opened their season with a loss to the University of Denver at home. They quickly regrouped and won their next three games, scoring at least 12 goals in each one. However, the Light Blue’s offense could not maintain its form, and the team dropped its next five matches before notching another victory. Although Columbia scored 12 goals against the University of Oregon during this skid, the Ducks bested them by one tally.

During conference play, Columbia could not muster even one win, although it hit double-digits in goals in three of its last four games against league opponents. The Lions closed their campaign with a 19-8 loss at Princeton.

Marcellino, a midfielder, is coming off a successful 2007 season where she started all 15 of Columbia’s games. An offensive force, she scored 20 goals last year and finished with a shots-on-goal percentage of 83.3. In addition, she contributed 25 assists. Marcellino’s accomplishments led to her attaining second team All-Ivy League honors. This year will be her second as a captain.

Morris, a defender, started nine of the 10 games in which she appeared. She had 16 ground balls and 16 draw controls, and she caused 10 turnovers. Although she is a senior, this season will only be her second at Columbia, as she is a transfer from Duke University.

The Lions lost midfielder Kate Lombard, a 34-goal scorer in 2007, to graduation, but they still have plenty of offensive weapons. Midfielder Rachael Ryan, the Light Blue’s leading scorer last year with 35 tallies, is a junior. She will need to make a greater impact this season, since the Lions were outscored by eight goals last year. Her classmate, junior attacker Holly Glynn, added 23 tallies in Columbia’s 2007 campaign, as well as 17 assists.

Columbia also has a promising freshman class, which makes up over a quarter of the team. Flannery Gallagher and Caroline Seery are defenders, while Mollie Andreae, Gabrielle Geronimos, Emily Kager, and Lizzie Lee occupy the midfield. These freshmen come to Columbia having won multiple letters in lacrosse—as well as in field hockey, diving, tennis, soccer, and indoor track—at the high school level. Gallagher and Seery provide height for the Lions, but Seery will not be playing this season due to injury. Meanwhile, Geronimos and Lee should help Columbia in transition. Andreae is known for her tough defense, while Kager’s strength lies in her passing ability.

The Light Blue opens the 2008 season on Friday, as the team travels to New Jersey to face Monmouth University. The Lions then return to New York City and play host to Lafayette College on Sunday.