UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 23, Page 13
March 9, 1995
At home March 11; Women's lacrosse season opens in Maryland

     On a windswept afternoon in late February, University of Delaware
women's lacrosse coach Denise Wescott and her team take to the
practice field behind the Bob Carpenter Center for another two-hour
plus workout.
     The Blue Hens, who finished 11-7 last season with a No. 12
ranking in Division I, are preparing for their season opener today,
March 9, at the University of Maryland.
     The first home event for the Blue Hens is an alumni game at 11
a.m., Saturday, March 11, to be followed by a March 19 contest against
Colonial Athletic Association rival American University.
     "This is our last season in the Colonial Conference," Wescott
said. "Next year we will begin playing in the North Atlantic
Conference (NAC)."
     Joining Delaware in the NAC next season will be Towson State,
Hofstra, Boston and Drexel universities, plus the universities of
Vermont and New Hampshire.
     Coming off a 4-3 record in the Colonial Athletic Conference, the
Blue Hens hope to improve on a season where their seven defeats were
at the hands of nationally-ranked teams.
     "It's a long shot," Wescott said, "but we hope to make it to the
playoffs."
     The Blue Hens' chances to reach this goal were strengthened by a
good recruiting year that brought four high school All-Americans to
Delaware.
     Marisa Vecchiano, an attack player from Airmont, N.Y., is joined
by Carey Sebastian, a goalie from Haverford, Pa., who will probably be
a starter this season.
     Helping to strengthen the Blue Hens defensively are Liza
Shoemaker, a mid-field defender from Baltimore, and Cathy McDermott,
from Willow Grove, Pa., who plays at point position on defense.
     "Defensively, we are starting to see where we can help each
other," Wescott said. "We are starting to put more pressure on the
ball."
     The senior class is represented by three team captains, including
Sue Daddona, an attack player, who was the third leading scorer last
season and who figures to be one of the leading scorers for the Blue
Hens again this year. Also playing an important role will be Laura
Perry, who was the team's second leading scorer in 1994 and who won
Rookie of the Year honors in the Colonial Conference.
     Wescott is also looking to captains Brenda Lear and Kristina
Scanlon to contribute defensively at midfield this season.
     "As a team, our two best attributes are our speed and our ability
to work together," Wescott said. "We are starting to learn to score
better off our passing and to put the ball in the air at mid-field."
     These skills are the result of a lacrosse season that never seems
to end for many of the Delaware women.
     In addition to the regular seven-week fall training schedule, and
a 15-week spring season, many of the Blue Hen women are involved in
summer lacrosse programs.
     "This is good for us," Wescott said. "The more they play, the
more success we have."
     When considering prospective players, Wescott said the two
primary determining factors are speed and game sense. The latter,
which involves players knowing where they are on the field in any
given situation, is difficult to teach, Wescott added.
     "I see how they play, how tough they are and how hard they work,"
Wescott said.
     Although women's and girl's lacrosse is growing in popularity in
Delaware, convincing homegrown talent to remain in the First State for
their college careers is another matter.
     "With all the competition in the area, it is hard to keep good
lacrosse players in Delaware," Wescott said. "Hopefully, we can keep a
couple of these talented players in the state."
     An All-American who graduated from the University of Maryland in
1980, Wescott is in her second year as Delaware head coach. She had
served as an assistant coach at Pennsylvania State University and the
University Maryland in the 1980s, when each of those teams won
national championships. She was head coach at both Drew and Rutgers
universities.
     Also in her second year with the Blue Hens is assistant coach
Monica Morgan, a 1993 graduate of Lafayette University.
     One of the positive aspects about the lacrosse program at the
University for Wescott is the winning legacy established by former
coach Janet Smith.
     "She started a great tradition, and it is good to be a part of
that," Wescott said.
                                                         -Jerry Rhodes