Posted on May 8, 2003

It was a bittersweet season for the women's lacrosse team. While they finished the year with an 11-5 record, a three-game win streak, and their second New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association championship in the last three years, the Dutchwomen fell short of their preseason goal of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.

There were several factors that kept the squad from its goal.

Weather-wise it was a horrible spring. Late-season snowstorms forced the postponement of scheduled games and by the time the weather was ready to cooperate, Union's schedule consisted of three season-ending UCAA contests against Rochester, St. Lawrence and Clarkson within a three day span.

A season-ending knee injury to sophomore scoring leader Molly Flanagan (Simsbury, CT/Loomis Chaffee) kept her out of the lineup for all three of those games as well as for the state tournament. Flanagan, who last year set Union single-season scoring record for goals (62, breaking the previous mark of 53) and was the Dutchwomen's scoring leader with 76 points, injured her knee in the final 17 seconds in Union's 12-10 conference loss to visiting Skidmore on April 22. Flanagan was leading the squad in scoring with 32 goals and 50 points at the time of her injury.

Three days after the loss to the Thoroughbreds, Union out-defensed Rochester, 6-4 in a late Friday afternoon contest on Bailey Field. An early Saturday morning, three and a half-hour bus ride brought the Dutchwomen to Canton, New York, where they played St. Lawrence. The Saints, who trailed 4-0 at the half, rallied for an 8-6 victory. While Union knocked off Clarkson, 13-4, in the regular season finale the following day, the Dutchwomen found themselves tied with St. Lawrence (at 5-3) for the fourth and final qualifying spot for the conference's end of the year tournament. By not advancing to the UCAA playoffs, the Dutchwomen had no chance of returning to the NCAA playoffs.

When it was all said and done, however, the biggest reason that the Dutchwomen failed to make the playoffs was their inexperience, especially on defense.

“Yes, we should have been an NCAA team,” said sixth-year head coach Linda Bevelander, who has guided the team to a record of 37-13 with two UCAA championships, a pair of NCAA invitations, and three trips to the NYSWCAA tournament, winning the title twice.

“Some people may look at this year's preseason roster and say that we only lost four players from last year's NCAA team, but those losses were huge, especially for a team that is so young.

“I have always said that you can replace talent
but you can not replace the person,” explained Bevelander about the graduation losses of Yvonne Turchetti, Jane Kaplan, Stephanie Maychack and Tara Illsley. “They were all valuable contributors with talent, attitude, competitiveness, determination, aggressiveness and maturity.

“What we missed this year was that level of game maturity,” Bevelander continued. “That ferociousness and desire to take it all the way. We missed that hunger for that one victory and the ability to hold on. This year we had only a hand full of athletes who have had the experience of competing at a higher level. Next year we will have more athletes that are now accustomed to the level of intensity that we not only expect, but that we actually have to sustain for an entire season game after game.”

This year's team will graduate Nina Mandel (Port Washington, NY/Schreiber) and
Katherine Rosenberg (Wynnewood, PA/Shipley School). Both have been valuable performers for the Dutchwomen over the last four years with Mandel graduating as the team's all-time scoring leader. Chosen to this year's UCAA All-Conference First Team as well as the league's “Co-Player of the Year” by a vote of the coaches, Mandel finished her outstanding career with 135 goals, 84 assists and 219 points in 62 career games. She had career numbers in all categories as she scored 41 goals with 31 assists and 72 points.

“We are going to miss both Katherine and Nina, not only for what they accomplished on the field, but for who they are as people,” said Bevelander. “Katherine, who initially played line attack for us, can play anywhere on the field. She is tough, tenacious, and passionate, and has the heart of a lion. Katherine had the best
year of her career.” Rosenberg, who Bevelander says “is very insightful and has grown into an incredible young woman,” will be heading to Africa after graduation as a member of the peace corps.

As for Mandel, she has been one of the key players for the Dutchwomen throughout her career.

“Nina is a solid person, an absolute pleasure to be around, to work with and to coach, not just because of her talents (and they are many) but because of who she is as a person,” says Bevelander. “She has such a high level character and she is a pillar of strength and determination. She sets her expectations high and expects others to uphold their end of the bargain.”

Mandel is heading to Harvard to study education and perhaps pursue a career as a teacher/administrator and coach.

Bevelander is already looking to next year and feels that the experiences that the 2003 team went through together will provide the 2004 Dutchwomen with the tools necessary for the squad to return to the NCAAs. One area in which Bevelander knows that experience will provide better all-around play is in goal where her two freshman,
Corey Bralower (Potomac, MD/Bullis School) and Rachel Beckman (Needham, MA/Needham) got better and better each game.

“We have two very talented goalkeepers,” said Bevelander. “”They also happen to be very good friends. This year they learned what it is like to play at a highly competitive level for a highly competitive team. They are learning to deal with adversity as well as what it is like to see a ball coming at you 70 miles per hour. Nothing prepares you for that except to experience it.

“Another key area of their growth this year was that they have learned how to separate between friendship and competitiveness. “Initially they did not want to hurt each others feelings and they held back fighting for the starting spot. It was sort of like … “go ahead… no you go ahead….” This season has taught them that their friendship will always be there and that this is a game.

'We are very fortunate to have them,” Bevelander continued. “They are quite talented. We asked them to play this year as if they are veterans and they both did a solid job for us. Next year both of them should be ready to step up right out of the gate and take on the challenges that will be there throughout the season.”

At one point in the 28-year history of the program, qualifying for the state tournament was a big deal for the Dutchwomen. Now, it is sort of like a UCLA basketball team coached by John Wooden playing in the NIT. It is a nice honor, but it falls short of expectations. This year, though, the experience of playing in a winner-take-all tournament, the pressures of that atmosphere, and the joy of coming away with the top prize will all benefit the Dutchwomen in the very near future.

“I was thrilled to host the NYSWCAA lacrosse tournament this year,” said Bevelander. Winning the event was a great way to end the season. Not only did the tournament give us the opportunity to compete against teams that are not normally on our schedule, we came away with a great deal of experience, both mental and physical, and that will help us as we look toward next year.”

Bevelander, who will have 18 players returning for the 2004 season, also has several solid “athletes” committed to Union. While winning the state title helped take away some of the pain of failing to qualify for the UCAA tournament and ultimately the NCAAs, Bevelander feels that next year's team will
take some valuable lessons with them into every contest they play.

“I feel so blessed and so fortunate to have the team that I had this year,” said Bevelander. They are a wonderful group of young ladies who learned a lot about themselves, about themselves, their teammates, and about what kind of commitment it takes to achieve high goals. We had 10 first year players, five of whom saw a significant amount of playing time throughout the season. The other five have been right there all along and are now ready to step in and fill the shoes of the upper classmen. They are a very tight knit group. A group that is willing to work together to achieve a common goal. They work together for each other.

The first year players experienced first hand what it is like to participate in a program that is highly competitive and intense,” continued Bevelander. “They learned not to take things personally and to take constructive criticism. We have some very competitive members of the team who continually push everyone to their maximum ability. The experiences of this season, the good ones and the bad ones, will make us stronger. Our goals won't be any lower than they were when we started this year, it's just that now we all know what it takes as individuals and as a team to achieve those very high standards.”