MPSF Women's Lax Pre-Season Poll

For Immediate Release: January 15, 2010 Contact: Darren Preston

STANFORD TOPS 2010 MPSF WOMEN’S LACROSSE COACHES’ POLL
(info copied from http://www.mpsports.org/sports/w-lacros/spec-rel/011610aaa.html)

Stanford collected 36 points along with six first-place votes in being projected to win its sixth straight MPSF Championship. The
Cardinal returns 236 of its 264 goals scored from last year (89 percent). The team’s top seven goal scorers return, including 30-
goal scorers Sarah Flynn (36), Lauren Schmidt (35), Dana Lindsay (32) and Karen Nesbitt (30). Schmidt, now a redshirt junior,
was the 2009 MPSF Player of the Year and team scoring leader (57 points). Defensively, junior goalkeeper Annie Read returns
after playing every minute last season and owning an 8.83 goals-against average. The two through four spots in the poll were
separated by a total of two points, involving the same teams in last year’s three-way tie for second place. Taking second was
Oregon with 27 points. The Ducks return a strong midfield in Jana and Jess Drummond, and 2008 MPSF Newcomer of the Year
Alex Breiner. California checked in at third with 26 points and one first-place vote. The Bears return All-MPSF selections Alex
Tickner (35 goals in ’09) and defender DennaFaye Herald from last year’s team that reached the conference finals. Denver
totaled 25 points, good for fourth. Three-time All-MPSF honoree Ali Flury returns, leading the conference last year in points per
game (3.77) and goals per game (3.23), while ’09 MPSF Newcomer of the Year in goalkeeper Ashley Harmon is also back.
Rounding out this year’s preseason poll was UC Davis (16), St. Mary’s (11), and Fresno State (6). The Aggies shocked Denver
in last year’s MPSF Tournament quarterfinals, and return last year’s top three scorers, including Britt Farquharson (46 goals/39
draw controls). The Gaels are highlighted by seniors Abbie Coleman (1.12 APG, # 8 in MPSF) and Amy Daniels (28 G/32 P),
while the Bulldogs will be competing in their second season of competition, led by Heather Jack’s 11 goals from a year ago. A
conference game between Denver and St. Mary’s will open the 2010 season, on January 29 in Moraga, CA…..

Rank Team Points (First-Place) 2009 Record/MPSF Finish

1 Stanford 36 (6) 14-4 overall; 6-0 MPSF/1ST
2 Oregon 27 12-5 overall; 4-2 MPSF/T-2ND
3 California 26 (1) 8-11 overall; 4-2 MPSF/T-2ND
4 Denver 25 10-8 overall; 4-2 MPSF/T-2ND
5 UC Davis 16 6-12 overall; 2-4 MPSF/5TH
6 St. Mary’s 11 3-13 overall; 1-5 MPSF/6TH
7 Fresno State 6 0-14 overall; 0-6 MPSF/7TH

Coach says...

Dear Kristin;

I love your Blog Site and welcome to the West Coast. As the head coach for the Chico State Women's Lacrosse Program I love the fact that you are trying to grow the sport. This year I have a roster of 16 players with 3 having never played the sport. What I would not give to have experienced players and enough to field two teams.

As for our recruiting, Chico is located 100 miles north of Sacramento in the middle of nowhere. I am unable to watch High School players during our Season unless it is during our Spring Break. I normally do all of our recruiting during the Summer and over our Winter Break (Holidays). I am normally found at all the Adrenaline Recruiting Camps and have had fair success in getting a few girls to come to Chico. I am not that big on recruiting video since it showcases only your strengths. I would rather have a player go to our website at www.csuchico.edu/wlax and fill out the "Recruit" info so that I can make arrangements to watch them play, talk to their families, and contact their High School coaches.

Anyway, thanks for the information about your website and you are welcome to make my contact information available. It is listed below. Good Luck with your upcoming Season...George!

George R. Carnes
Head Coach
Chico State Women's Lacrosse Program

gcarnes@csuchico.edu
www.csuchico.edu/wlax

College Bound

Website for Western Women's Lacrosse Info - great for contacting coaches, checking college team schedules and records.

http://wwll.com/members.htm

I will be posting tips and video messages from top college coaches about making highlight tapes, contacting them, registering w/ NCAA and how to get recruited! Stay tuned.

Cal Berkeley Tourney

Kait and I are playing in the Cal Berekley playday this Sunday. There will be some serious hardcore competition - and some college coach friends will also hit the field. Come out and see how West Coast lacrosse is rockin!

I'll post some pics and college coach video tips for player-profile tapes and recruiting.

Here is the link for Cal Berkley game schedule. We are team 13 (BayLax 2) - 1st game is 9:30am. See you there!

http://baylax.com/tournaments.html

Player Pics

Hey laxers -

Send me some pics of you (or your daughter) playing and I'll post them up!

Anything you want to see or know about, let me know. I am still in the setup process so more info to come soon!

YOUTH/CLUB CONTACTS

SACVALLEY Youth Contacts:

http://ncjla.org

Chico Lacrosse chicorebels.org Maria Sayre sayre@mail.chicousd.org

Davis Lacrosse Association davislax.org Don Aiello donaldta@pacbell.net

El Dorado Hills Lacrosse edhylax.org Gretchen Ochs gretchenochs@gmail.com

Elk Grove Lacrosse eglax.com Erich Nolan crosslax@comcast.net

Fair Oaks Lacrosse fairoakslacrosse.org Paul Sanfilippo laxcoach@surewest.net

Folsom/Cordova Lacrosse folsomcordovalax.org Debbie Sultan debbiesultan@sbcglobal.net

Gold Country Lacrosse gcstampede.com Michelle Dean kathy.newton@ncsd.k12.ca.us

Granite Bay Youth Lacrosse gblax.org Lori Zamora Lzamora@surewest.net

Napa Junior Lacrosse Club napalacrosse.com Leeann Robustelli lrobustelli@msmary.edu

Novato Lacrosse Club novatolacrosse.org Becky Vaughan beckyvaughan@mindspring.com

Oakridge Beth Kassis bethyk@pacbell.net

Orangevale RAM LAX ramslacrosse.wetpaint.com JR Stowers wakedad2@netzero.net

Petaluma Youth Lacrosse petalumalacrosse.com Jim Dunn jpdunn@pacbell.net

Pleasant Grove Lacrosse Club pglax.org Bill Ousley bill.ousley@zurn.com

Pleasanton Lacrosse pleasantonlacrosse.com Rory Manley rorymaneater@comcast.net

Rancho Cotati rancholax.org Rick Pedroncelli rickped79@hotmail.com

Red Bluff Youth Lacrosse redblufflacrosse.com

Redding Lacrosse Club reddinglacrosse.com Lauren Knapp lvk@frontiernet.net

Sierra Foothills Lacrosse Club sierrafoothillslacrosse.org

Stockton Lacrosse StocktonLacrosse.com Denise Prato
CoachDenise@StocktonLacrosse.com

Walnut Creek Warrior Lacrosse walnutcreeklacrosse.com Joe Bergman
joe.bergman@walnutcreeklacrosse.com

Yuba City Chiatku Lacrosse leaguelineup.com/chiatku

Things that make you go hmmmmm.

Lacrosse, known as LAX to those who play the game, is the nation's oldest sport. Invented by the Indians, as a way to settle inter-tribal disputes, the Natives were playing some form of lacrosse as early as the 1600's. Rumor has it, lax was invented by the Indians, adopted by the Canadians and named by the French.

History suggests, the natives played on a field stretching over several miles with teams numbering in the hundreds, sometimes thousands. Players often used two sticks and a leather ball. Today, women's lacrosse players are contained within the 120 yard football field, carry one stick each and battle for a rubber ball weighing close to 5 lbs.

The object of the game is simple. Score as often as possible in the opposing team's goal using a lacrosse stick. Usually an aluminum or carbon-fiber rod with a netted head secured ontop.

Lacrosse is a combination of soccer, hockey, football and basketball. The field setup is similar to that of soccer, the idea of using sticks and some "ball/puck" object resembles hockey, the body contact of football and the footwork/agility skills required of basketball, round out the sport. What's great about lacrosse is that it doesn't discriminate. You don't have to be tall, short, muscular, skinny, etc. As long as you are athletic, there is a place for you on the field.

Lacrosse is the fastest growing team sport in the nation and has been dubbed,"the fastest game on two feet."

Now let's get you off the bench and onto the field.

You throw like a girl!

Hey fellow Cali Laxers!!!

I, Kristin Marshall, am a converted soccer player, now OBSESSED with lacrosse, aka LAX. After much pressure from my High School lacrosse coach and my VERY supportive parents (looking to get as much financial aid for college as possible), I ditched my distaste for the sport and joined the Mount Hebron HS lax team (Ellicott City, M.D.) back in 1996. I was a sophomore.

In case you've been living under a rock (or on the West Coast), Mt. Hebron girls lacrosse is a dynasty program on the East Coast. There were gals on the team, who never made it off the bench, receiving scholarships to top lax schools around the country.

Thankfully, I've been blessed with the "athletic gene" and picked up the sport rather quickly. As a team, Mt. Hebron lacrosse went undefeated in the nation for several years, breaking all kinds of records; on a personal note, my new passion helped me earn a scholarship to a top Division I college, Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.

Hofstra's lax program is consistently ranked nationally in the top 20. Located on Long Island, N.Y. (20 mins from Long Beach and a 45 min train ride to NYC) Hofstra, coupled with a booming journalism program and outstanding athletic facilities, was my new home! Four years later, I left Hofstra as the Coca Cola MVP, nationally ranked attacker in points, goals and assists and I still hold top records with the school's program.

Since then, life has taken me on a cross-country jaunt to the West Coast, where I work as the Traffic Reporter for KCRA-TV, Head Lacrosse Coach for Granite Bay High School and continue to play lacrosse in every tournament possible. That's where this blog comes into play.

After living in the SacValley for the past two years, it's come to my attention, women's lacrosse in NorCal needs some MAJOR attention.

This blog is designed to help educate, develop and grow women's lacrosse on the West Coast. I'll keep you in the know with regards to all things CIF, youth, club, college and post-collegiate play.

Need help getting ready for high school tryouts or college recruiting? Help is here.

Looking to join a team, find a tournament, questions regarding gear or rules/regulations - I've got it all.

In addition, I'll be posting instructional videos for both players and coaches.


See you on the field!

Marsh (aka Kristin Marshall)