Winthrop opens lacrosse season looking for return to NCAA tourney

The Winthrop lacrosse team opens its 2016 campaign this weekend and the expectations are high that this year’s squad can make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.

John Sung’s team is coming off the most successful season in school and conference history after finishing 2015 with a 17-4 record, a 6-1 mark in the Big South, and a regular season and tournament title and trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles garnered 10 All-Conference honors, earned the Big South Player, Freshman and Coach of the Year awards and boasted the nation’s leading scorer in Jenna Kasmarik.

“Last season was an amazing year for this program,” Sung said. “Replacing the nation’s leading scorer isn’t easy but we were prepared for her graduation and this team is well-equipped to make another run.”

The preseason favorite to repeat as champions, the Eagles will feature a very experienced lineup with a strong balance of firepower and lock-down defense.

Senior midfielder Shannon Gallagher, the Big South’s only three-time first team All-Conference selection, is the team’s top returning scorer after finishing last year with 54 goals and 20 assists. Sophomores Kristen Shiver, Katie Clark and Ally Yeager all return after contributing more than 25 percent of the team’s goals last season. Shriver also led the team in assists with 29.

Adding to the squad’s offensive successes will be seniors Logan McCarthy, Abby Blevins and Danielle Ellis. McCarthy netted 25 goals last season, while Blevins added 36, and Ellis 23 along with 23 assists.

Sung has added freshmen Alexis Linhardt and Kienan Linhardt to the team’s offensive prowess. The first-year twins are expected to contribute immediately.

“It’s easy for a defense to key on one offensive threat and shut them down,” said Sung, whose team opens Big South play March 26 at Radford. “But what does a team do when you have multiple offensive threats? With so many players who can get to goal, it forces defenses to try and defend them all.”

Sophomore Katherine Judge returns at defensive midfield after setting the Big South single-season record for ground balls with 65.

The defensive back five is the most experienced and cohesive that the squad has put on the field in the program’s four-year history. Seniors Maggie Montanye and Hayley Krause and juniors Paige Jenkins and Grace Sisserson will line up in front of the reigning Freshman of the Year Alaina Girani in goal.

Krause, who is already the Big South’s all-time draw control leader, has led the league for two of her three seasons. Coming into this season she is tied for 15th all-time in the NCAA draw control career record book and can easily move into the top-10 and potentially the top-five.

Girani made a big impact for the Eagles as a freshman last season, setting multiple Big South records and earning Winthrop’s second Freshman of the Year award. She allowed fewer than eight goals per game last year to lead the Big South and rank 16th in the country. Her .470 save percentage also led the conference and was 16th in Division I.

Winthrop surrendered only 8.10 goals per game last season which ranked them at the top of the Big South and 16th in the NCAA. In conference, the Eagles allowed fewer than six goals per contest.

“I have confidence the experience this defense has will be able to carry us a long way this season,” said Sung.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Winthrop opens lacrosse season looking for return to NCAA tourney."