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2008 Season Preview

The 2007 season ended abruptly for the Ohio Wesleyan women’s lacrosse team when the Battling Bishops, who had compiled a fine 10-3 record that included a pair of narrow losses to eventual NCAA Division III playoff teams, won the right to host the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament but came up short in the conference tournament title game, costing them what would have been their second conference championship and NCAA playoff appearance in 3 seasons.

Motivated by the outcome of that tournament game, the Bishop squad will look to reclaim the NCAC championship and return to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Marge Redmond takes over the Ohio Wesleyan helm this season and will guide the Bishops in their pursuit of those goals.

"I think that we have a team that is emotionally strong," Redmond said. "They've overcome a lot of adversity and they've continued to be a cohesive group, showing a lot of willingness to move on and make this a season they want to be remembered for."

Ohio Wesleyan returns plenty of firepower, with four 20-goal scorers back from last year's team.

[ Julia Fouts ] Senior Julia Fouts (Cleveland Heights/Hathaway Brown), a first-team all-region and All-NCAC choice who scored 20 goals last year, moves from midfield to give the Bishop attack line more scoring punch.

Senior Polly Burke (Milton, Mass.), who won honorable mention All-NCAC laurels after scoring 23 goals last season, and junior Hannah Mudge (Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's School), whose 26 goals was third on the team last year, also return.

Senior Jenna Narwicz (Yardley, Pa./Notre Dame (N.J.)), junior Tara Porter (North Quincy, Mass./Berkshire School) and sophomore Jessica Copeland (Ligonier, Pa./Foxcroft (Va.)) are returning letterwinners who are competing for the other starting spot. Sophomores Elizabeth Lambert (Alexandria, Va.) and Sarah Marous (Bexley), a newcomer to the Bishop squad, also are in the picture.

[ Alexa Deaton ] Senior Alexa Deaton (Eden, Md./Mercersburg Academy), a second-team all-conferece selection who shared the team lead with 27 goals in 2007, leads the returnees in the midfield.

Senior Lura Allen (Hingham, Mass.), who had 11 goals last year on the way to honorable mention All-NCAC status, and senior Kadi Kuhlenberg (Cincinnati/Anderson), who scored 3 goals in 2007, also return.

Sophomore Haleigh Rohr (Nelson, N.H./Northfield Mt. Hermon (Mass.)) also lettered last year, and classmates Abbey Miller (Wollwich, Maine/Morse) and Sarah Teigen (North Oaks, Minn./Totino-Grace) will get opportunities to contribute, as will freshman Sam Leeman (New Albany).

Defense will be the Bishops' question mark in 2008. Sophomore Lauren Rogers (Worthington/Thomas Worthington), who won a starting spot last year, is the only returning starter.

Sophomores Laura Bartholomae (Chicago, Ill./Shaker Heights (Ohio)) and Dani Beauford (Baltimore, Md./Loch Raven) are returning letterwinners who will compete for starting roles, along with sophomore Alison Hill (Darien, Conn.) and freshman Erin Fleck (Columbus/Bishop Watterson).

[ Maggie Eichenlaub ] Senior Maggie Eichenlaub (Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Cooper), a first-team all-region and All-NCAC selection in 2007, returns in goal. Eichenlaub led the conference in saves percentage last year. Sophomore Natalie D'Antonio (White Hall, Md./St. Paul's School) will serve as Eichenlaub’s understudy.

Ohio Wesleyan’s season opens with a Florida trip to face Wesleyan, Vassar and Colby-Sawyer. The NCAC schedule opens at Allegheny on March 29. Contests against Colorado College, another 2007 NCAA Division III playoff team, Notre Dame and St. Vincent highlight the remainder of the non-conference schedule, while games against 2006 NCAC champion Denison and 2007 champion Wooster spice the conference slate.

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