Wheaton Wire

Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: Sports

Men's lacrosse standout Markus Ricci '07

Women's midfielder Abbie Sherwin '09

Within the past decade, the parity in college sports has increased exponentially. Gone are the days of UCLA basketball winning seven consecutive national titles and Iowa wrestling crushing any and all challengers while establishing a never ending pipeline for the best high school recruits. Those who dispute this claim need only look at Duke basketball or Miami football, both of whom have fallen from their formerly entrenched positions atop college athletics and now are first hand witnesses to the newer, more level landscape of college sports.

With this in mind, the Wheaton lacrosse programs have had to adapt to the ever changing climate of college athletics. Riding the rollercoaster that other programs have endured of late, both the men's and women's teams seem to be on the upswing. This theme starts at the top. Coaches Peter Toner and Mary Jacobs bring a youthful exuberance that is so often lacking at the coaching position. Following in the same light as the Mangini's and Epstein's of the world, they stress hard work and game preparation. During an interview with some of the more prominent players on the men's team, they showed me an example of why they usually have a leg up on their opposition. At first I didn't even notice it when I sat down. Assuming it was nothing more than a complicated piece of homework, I dismissed the detailed scouting report sitting on the table in front of me. However, upon realizing its true purpose, I marveled at the quality of the document as it detailed the upcoming opponent quite well. Drawing from this, the coach's determination becomes exceedingly clear.

The men's lacrosse team carries several phenomenal athletes who never fail to entertain. No one can doubt the strength of hulking senior Markus Ricci or the potency of tri-captain Richie Rasamny in front of the net. On top of this, there is the all-business "lead by example" play of Trey Helms, who notched a career-high five goals against league opponent Norwich on April 7. These players have combined with several other notable upper classmen to serve as mentors for the younger players that have just begun to make their impression felt.

Many freshmen have been thrust into difficult positions so far this season. In several cases, they have responded to the adversity like seasoned veterans. While their inexperience has made their play seem more mechanical at times this season, the youth movement flashes promise and hope for the future. In fact, many times it has been the lack of depth more than a lack of skill which has cost the Lyons. Holding a roster which is continually outnumbered by its opposition, superhuman efforts are required on a gamely basis since steady substitution is an impossibility. On a positive note, there is no reason why this numerical inferiority cannot be corrected next year, with a fresh batch of recruits destined to sign on next season.
Nowhere has the lack of depth been felt more than in the midfield. Defensive Midfield stalwart Jeffrey Gomer has been put into a unique position due to the slew of younger players. Though only a sophomore, Gomer has emerged this year as more of a leader through pure necessity. Having overcome off the field issues (golf carts included), he has become the workhorse in the Wheaton midfield. Regarding the many freshmen this year, he seemed upbeat: "We're a young team that starts freshmen in crucial positions. They've done the best they can but it's been tough. We all have to do a lot more running than most other teams since it's not a full roster." No one knows this better than Gomer, who has played whole games without rest this year while trying to keep the Lyon's engine room at full pace in the middle third of the field.
The women's team has faced similar predicaments in their campaign. The question of depth has been even more pressing as they usually have only two to three subs available. This has lead to close losses early in the season and caused games that would have otherwise been close to slip away. However, the many young players on the team have not been discouraged. Freshmen Hannah Landis has remained positive and keeps the proper perspective on the situation: "this year's team is really young with six freshmen on a team with 15 girls. We've all had to continually step it up. I know we have a lot to offer to the program both right now as well as in the future." The toughness displayed on the field by the Lyons has been self evident to anyone who has seen them play as they are 2-0 in overtime games so far this year. Also, their cerebral offensive style has guided them to all of their victories, where they have scored double digit goals in every win this season. The younger players draw on the exquisite leadership of senior goalie Kristin Konig and Captain Kim Corbin. Junior Captains Alexa Jurczak and Meredith Hurd also shoulder much of the leadership burden as Jurczak runs marathons in the midfield and Hurd's scoring capability is on a Kobe Bryant dimension.
Both teams have suffered difficult non-conference losses but have persisted. Their resiliency has lead to early wins in their respective conferences and promise for years to come. The question on the minds of college athletic directors all across the country usually hinges around how good their teams will be several years down the road. At Wheaton, and especially in the lacrosse programs, the answer is clear: the future is bright.

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