Travis Marmon
Sports Editor
The Wooster men’s lacrosse team will open its season tomorrow against Albion College, looking to improve on a disappointing 5-9 (3-4 NCAC) effort in 2011. The Fighting Scots are a young team, with a senior class that is small but integral.
Myles McGinnis ’12 and Nick Spittle ’12 will provide leadership in the backfield, heading a defense that allowed 8.85 goals per game last season. Matt Magoon ’14 will be starting in goal after posting a 6.97 goals against average last season (17th in all of Divison III).
The midfield is expected to be defensively strong as well, with the return of Taylor Takacs ’12 and Dean Marchitelli ’14. The midfield also features Patrick Schlick ’13, who is the top returning scorer with 10 goals and four assists last season. Rounding out the more experienced midfielders is Eric Johnson ’12, who will be looking to prove himself in his final season after totaling 13 points in his last three years.
Matt Ranck ’13 and Steve Crozier ’13 are the only attackers with college experience. Ranck tallied 10 goals and two assists last season, making him the second-highest returning scorer. The rest of the offense will mostly be rounded out by first-years, of which there are 18 on the roster. The team is young but talented, and its youth should be used to build a strong team in this season and beyond. They will begin the season at John P. Papp Stadium tomorrow at 2 p.m.
The Scots’ women’s lacrosse lost 10-9 in the conference final against Denison University last year, ending their season with a 10-6 record (4-2 NCAC). Wooster is highly experienced, returning eight starters from last season and eight players who were present for their NCAC title run in 2010.
The Scots have major offensive firepower, mostly in the form of attacker Madison Carey ’12, whose 74 points last season (on 53 goals and 21 assists) were the third-most in school history and earned her first team all-NCAC honors. Clare Nelson-Johnson ’13 tallied 23 goals and nine assists last year and was named second team All-NCAC. Cassie Greenbaum ’14 was named NCAC Newcomer of the Year after her 24-point season in 2010.
The defense allowed 9.32 points per game and forced 9.19 turnovers per game last year, both of which ranked second in the NCAC. First team all-NCAC goalkeeper Shawna Ferris ’13 will be in the net again, and top defender Isabel Baylor ’12, who was named second team all-conference last year, will help out tremendously.
The women’s season begins with a six-game road stretch, starting at Thiel College in Greenville, Pa. on March 7. The Scots’ home opener is on March 25 against Fredonia State University.