Tag: Patriot League

Leopards Coast In 6-0 Victory Against Longwood

Lauren Kurek fights for her goal in the first perio

Lafayette remains undefeated and unsecured upon this young season and the Leopards left Farmville, Va with a convincing 6-0 victory. The offense was active, having scored the 6 goals on 28 shots and an 8-4 advantage in penalty corners. The Leopards wasted little time getting their first score. Rosalie van Gool scored a mere 3 minutes into the game executing a penalty corner from the top of the circle with Stella Malinowski and Linda Nova providing the assist.

Eight and one half minutes later first year Laren Kurek took an assist from Malinowski and scored a gritty goal off of two deflected shots to put Lafayette up by two goals.

The second period was much the same story as the Leopards had a 9-0 advantage in shots and 2-0 advantage in penalty corners. The result was a goal from Maddie Evans assisted by Kurek.

Shots continued in the third quarter as a 6-0 advantage in shots translated into a nifty goal at 35:23 by Lea Good as she eliminated a defender in the circle and took a reverse stick shot to make it 4-0.

The coaching staff substituted liberally and the result was 2 additional goals in the fourth, At 46:01 Linda Nova stole the ball inside the circle and delivered a strike..5-0. Lea Good got her second goal of the afternoon off an assist by Josephine vanWijk. at 58:10.

All game long Lafayette demonstrated teamwork and speed especially considering the long bus ride to Virginia!! There were several players on the sideline nursing injuries from the previous week’s play. There is no reason to believe they will not return to action soon.

The Leopards will take a two hour ride to Williamsburg to meet William and Mary on Sunday. They have an 0-3 record having lost today to VCU. After that meeting Lafayette will encounter the meat of their schedule, with Temple, Syracuse and Penn State on the horizon. One should not forget our rivalry game with Lehigh on the 19th.

In Patriot League action BU dropped a heartbreaker to Vermont in overtime, Lehigh lost to Wagner 0-2, Holy Cross lost to Providence 1-2, and Bucknell beat St Francis 3-0. Colgate and American were not active today.

Fragomeni Is The Bomb In 2-0 Shutout Of Drexel

If there is goalkeeper that had a better weekend let me know. Raffi Fragomeni had two shutouts, and each day she had to defend against a penalty stroke…dispatching both, preserving the shutouts. Today against Drexel she had…count them ….9 saves preserving her perfect weekend.

Drexel, who is favored to win the CAA this year, did not go down easily, taking 15 shots, and earning 7 corners. Lafayette’s young and deep team was up to the task. They made their shots count and use their extraordinary depth to bring in the win.

The Leopards had 6 shots, and two of them found the back of the cage. The first came at 37:03 into the game after a scoreless first half. Sophomore Laila Pasic delivered, with the assist from captain and senior Mackenzie Switzer. The ball was delivered from the right side across the goal mouth and picked up by Pasic who got her first goal of the year. She was scoring goals all preseason, and finally delivered one that counted!!

A 1-0 lead did not seem enough as Drexel pressed to try to even the score. That 3rd period saw the Dragons get 5 penalty corners to 2 from the Leopards Drexel also had 8 shots to 3. It was at 39:37 that Drexel looked as though they might tie things up when they were awarded a penalty stroke…mere feet away… the stroker did her best, and Fragomeni batted it away. It was the turning point.

Lauren Kurek gets first goals of career
Lauren Kurek get first goal of her career

The fourth period saw no shots for Drexel but two for Lafayette. There were no penalty corners for either side. The victory was sealed by freshman Lauren Kurek who got her first goal of her career at 47:25 into the game. The Leopards then used their depth using 20 players to wear down the very game Drexel Dragons.

Feline Reusken competes for the ball

Lafayette is now 2-0, having dispatched two preseason favorites to win the NEC and CAA respectively. They will play Longwood (1-1) on Friday who lost to Richmond 0-3 and beat Queens 3-1 and Sunday will travel to Williamsburg to meet William and Mary on Sunday at noon. They are 0-2 having lost to American and Old Dominion.

Leopards Handle The Stags For Opening Day Win

Raffi is a wall against Fairfield

Opening day is always a nervous affair. Both teams were champions of their respective conferences and picked to repeat. So aside from the normal incentive to add a “W” to the record, each team was sort of defending the honor of the Patriot League and the Northeast Conference respectively . Both were in the NCAA playoffs and lost to their opponent by one goal.

Lafayette’s DPC sprints to meet Fairfield

Lafayette countered everything Fairfield threw at them and some individual and team heroics resulted in a 2-0 early season win. Although outshot 16-10 and out cornered 8-2 the Leopards always came with a solution.

The opening goal happened at 9;07 into the game with Josephine van Wick teaming up with Linda Nova who delivered a deflection into the cage past the Fairfield goalie. The first quarter saw the Stags out shooting the Leopards 4-1 and it was up to Lafayette goaltender, Raffi Fragomeni to demonstrate why she was selected as preseason goalkeeper of the year. The second period, the Leopards turned it around by outshooting the Stags 3-7. and the Stags countered with more aggressive play however, resulting in a penalty stroke at 20:33 delivered by Captain Stella Malinowski. That made the score 2-0 which would hold until the end.

Stella Malinowski receives appreciation from her teammates

Lafayette could not coast for the rest of the game as Fairfield was to renew and refresh their efforts with a 7-1 margin in shots in the third quarter and a 4-0 stretch in penalty corners. It required defensive heroics, including a defensive save by Lena Thedrian to preserve the shutout at the end.

At 54:47 Fairfield pulled their goalkeeper, but Lafayette’s defense held strong, and was to prevail despite a yellow card on Lafayette’s van Wijk.

Lafayette unloads a shot

Lafayette’s depth was a factor using 20 players during the game while Fairfield only used 15. The crowd’s official count was 317 bolstered by the men’s lacrosse team.

There will be no rest for the weary as Drexel will come to town, the preseason favorite in the CAA.

An editorial Comment

Last night American beat up on William and Mary 10-0 and Syracuse rolled over Loch Haven 15-0. Although both teams seem to have been substituting liberally, I don’t think either outcome demonstrates any sportsmanship, or helps the game in general. ( American’s goalkeeper was in the whole 60 minutes) American will face Duke on Sunday and Syracuse will play Fairfield.

Stags Travel To Lafayette To Meet In Opener On Friday

First year coach Laura Gebhart will bring her roster of 25 to Rappolt Field to challenge the PL champion Leopards on Friday at 6 pm. Both teams qualified for the NCAA tournament last year by winning their respective conference tournaments. Both lost in the first round by one goal. Fairfield to Delaware 2-1 and Lafayette to national runner up St. Joseph 1-0.

The Stags will return a veteran squad with 6 newcomers, as far as I can tell. Payton Rahn, their starting GK with a .87 goals against average and 30 saves, returns as a graduate student fifth year. Lafayette GK Raffi Fragomeni had a .77 save percentage. Leading Fairfield scorer number 17, Konni Hofman also returns for her senior year, as will second ranked scorer 5′ 9″ Alice Pifferi from Newark, Delaware number 21. Their second ranked scorer, Rylee Laloup number 5, had 7 goals as did Hofman

Last year, the Stags had 48 goals on 278 shots for 2.29 goals per game average. Their opponents had 25 goals on 174 shots for a 1.19 goals against average. The Leopards had 42 goals on 292 shots while opponents had 23 goals on 173 shots. So on paper, it looks like a low scoring game with whomever brings their offensive production to be the eventual winner.

Lafayette had 137 penalty corners while Fairfield had 140 corners. Lafayette allowed 104 while Fairfield allowed 105. Expect aggressive Stag play as they suffered 25 cards during last season.

Lafayette probably had a higher RPI but Gebhart seems to have spiced up their OTC schedule by adding UCONN and several Ivy teams. Last year, they lost to Lehigh 0-2 and beat Holy Cross 5-0. Their away record was 3-6 and home record was 8-2 while they were 1-1 at neutral sites.

It’s an appropriate game, on a favorable venue for the Leopards for an opening season contest. I expect a good turnout for this Friday night , hoping for an early aggressive start by the Leopards.

Is It Time ” To Fear The Leopards?”

I hate to be so optimistic even before the season starts, but this may have been one of best Lafayette teams at this point that I have observed. It is a team that is determined to work together. Their passes are going where their teammate is going to be rather than the receiver having to wait for the ball. The transition game is well in place, and best of all they are not going to be intimidated.

As the game progressed things started to get a little chippy and the official warned players that continued play like that would lead to players removed from the game. Penn State’s offense begins with a hard one on one defense to start play. The Leopards did not back away and I had the feeling the 1-5 loss last year to the Nittany Lions was imprinted on their minds.

Oh, there were mistakes, but this team is going to get even better and they are scary deep! There is deep enthusiasm in their play. After the game it was obvious they had their confidence raised. Did I mention the score….1-1 and it was no fluke.

Penn State opened the scoring in the second period on a hard shot on a difficult angle. Lafayette scoring happened in the third period with intense action in front of the goal with Laila Pasic delivering the goal on an assist by Josephine van Wijk. There was strong defensive action also and one point Lena Thedrian had a defensive save.

Raffi Fragomeni started the game and Addison Kahn came in the during the second half at goal. In a practice session of shootouts both GK faired well making several key stops and Leopards prevailed with a two goal advantage at the end

I was impressed, as well with the newcomers who looked like veteran players. I am excited. Next up will be Monmouth on Tuesday at home at 1 pm. I am hoping to see further progress…Monmouth is a very solid team!!

Leopards Leave It All On The Field In 0-1 Effort Against Number 3 Ranked St Joes

Leneke Spaans leads as always

These end of season blogs are probably the most difficult to write. It’s usually written after a tournament loss. The hard part is only one team ends up happy in that circumstance. This year was different. This team ends their season as champions having a 14-7 season and defeating, in heroic fashion, a worthy opponent, American University. It should be noted there were 66 teams not playing yesterday and Lafayette had established itself as one of the top teams in the country.

St. Joseph was ranked number 3 in the country and averaged 4 goals a game. The only goal yesterday was scored with Lafayette short one field player due to a yellow card on India Ralph, with 11 minutes left in the game. Even in the closing minutes, the Leopards never gave in. With seconds left in the game, having pulled their excellent goalkeeper Raffi Fragomeni, who had a career effort, the Leopards were called on to defend a corner. Sophomore Lena Thedrian rose to the occasion making a save and holding the Hawks to their final margin of victory 1-0.

All season long the fabulous five seniors were the foundation of this season’s success and yesterday was no exception. Again and again they proved they heart, determination, and skill. Leneke Spaans, India Ralph, Laine Delmotte, Alex Darrah, and Mackenzie Hall were as much keys to Leopard’s success yesterday, as they were all season.

Something must be said about the courage and skill of Leneke Spaans. After going down with a knee injury last week, I thought there would be no way she would she be able to start in the NCAA game. Start she did, with the doctors permission, showing her speed at times, and getting close with a reverse chip shot to tie the game. She was not at full capabilities, but still a factor on the field. It was an honor to see her demonstrate her skills for four years. In my estimation, she is one of the best athletes, male or female ever to don a Lafayette uniform. If there was a way to have her go straight to the Hall of Fame I would urge it.

The Hawks will lose 11 seniors and graduate students, and Lafayette will rebuild finding replacements for our 5 fab seniors. I predict there will be another run next year, but this group should receive their championship rings with the pride that comes with accomplishment first.

Addendum:

There are those at the” power” schools who whine that the NCAA tournament should be filled with their like only. It’s in the character of the NCAA tournaments that gives entries from the smaller conferences a chance to shine. I recall Lehigh beating Duke, and Bucknell beating Kansas in the basketball tournament. For my football friends, yesterday’s game was the equivalent of us playing Texas to a 7-0 loss in Austin. Most of those whining are those that didn’t make it. WE ARE ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY!!

The parents this year were amazing, providing support …..and tailgates worthy of their daughter’s skill on the field.

To our loyal alumni…this is one of the most successful athletic programs at Lafayette. Jen Stone and her staff who year after year produce results deserve your support!! This was an excellent effort by Jen and her staff the school should be rewarding them and the program with resources to enhance their success in the future.

To the Patriot League….IT”S TIME TO MANDATE VIDEO REPLAY. DO IT NOW..ONLY LEHIGH AND AMERICAN FAIL TO PROVIDE IT!!!

Step One Accomplished..Leopards Move On To Championship Game

Lena Thedrian has one goal and a defensive save in 2-1 win

Thedrian and Van Wijk score in semi-final with Bucknell

It was certainly a team effort, as Coach Jennifer Stone used her depth to score a ticket to the Championship round of the Patriot League Championship Tournament. Josephine van Wijk opened Leopard scoring at 7:26 during one of its 3 penalty corners with assists from co-captains Lineke Spanns and India Ralph. The opening score came on the northern side of the field as the autumn sun was shinning in the defenders eye.

Van Wijk was busy on offense and defense

Within seconds of an outstanding defensive save, Lena Thedrian received assists from same two teammates, Spanns and Ralph during a corner at 6:30 into the second quarter. It was an important goal, and the last goal of the game for the Leopards as the Bucknell Bison’s Lily Neilson scored with seconds left in the half to close to within one.

The second half was dominated by fierce defense, and movement from both sides. It was a half worthy of the post season. The third period saw each side get 1 corner while Lafayette had a one shot advantage during the second half. Uncharacteristically, the Leopards had given up 6 corners in the second period.

Bucknell was required to make 5 saves while Lafayette goalkeeper Raffi Fragomeni made 3 during the entire contest. Seventeen Leopards saw action and all performed well in an intense contest that in the end became a game of defense and ball possession.

DPC stands tall in the circle

On the backs of the win the Leopards are now ranked 25 in National RPI ratings. American is ranked below that, as they took home a 1-0 win to get to the Championship round. The Eagles had 21 shots in the win. The Leopards will have to find a way past graduate student GK Bryn Underwood and I suspect will take Lafayette’s usual large shot advantage.

The game will start at 1:00 EST, as the Leopards will be looking for their first championship in 11 years and revenge for their recent one goal losses in the regular and. post season.

Lafayette Soars To Stone’s 100th Win Against Boston University

Five Leopards Score In 5-0 Statement Win

Josephine Van Wijk, Lineke Spaans, India Ralph, Alex Darrah, and Stella Malinowski combined to give the Leopards a 10-6 record while on the doorstep of the post season. The Leopards exploded for 22 shots while holding off Boston’s nationally recognized vaunted penalty corner offense resulting in another shutout for GK Raffi Fragomeni and the Lafayette defense.

DPC defense is a wall

The game was filled with pageantry as US Olympian Amanda Golini returned to the Lafayette pitch to be lauded by her former teammates, alumni, and fans. It was another nice crowd of 428 filling the stands who were treated to a dominating win demonstrating all the skill and promise I thought would emerge during this season.

Josephine avoids defenders

The first quarter was a probing one as the Leopards looked for weaknesses in the Boston defense. It was a well planned strategy that finally resulted in the first goal 7 minutes into the second quarter goal by van Wijk assisted by Ralph, and Spaans during a penalty corner.

Leneke Spaans explodes downfield

The one goal lead was to stand up through half time until Lineke Spaans was to finally explode after stealing the ball and landing a pull around shot against the Terrier goalkeeper.

The fourth period was to be decisive as the solid India Ralph took an assist from Josephine van Wijk to start on onslaught of a 3 goal fourth quarter. Within a period of four minutes the score would be 5-0 as Alec Darrah assisted by Mackenzie Hall and Stella Malinowski would put in a coup de grace to this dominating performance.

The Leopards will now move on to Maryand to play Towson on Sunday. The effort against the Terriers rewarded the Leopards with a 25th RPI record in the national division one record, and a performance worthy of a postseason nod!!

Leopard Celebrate Senior Day With Win Over Number 20 Temple

Coaches Celebrate Win

As the first fall Lafayette team to qualify for post season action, the Leopards got into the mood by knocking off Temple in an exciting overtime win in Easton. All five seniors started the game which opened with a dominating first quarter getting off a 5 shots to none for Temple. The most important shot was a Stella Malinowski penalty stroke at 11:57 which put the Leopards up 1-0.

Spanns gets ready to drive the baseline

Lafayette continued to dominate defensively with a 12-7 edge in shots for the whole game. However, the Owls did kick it into higher gear and scored a tying goal early, 35 seconds into the fourth quarter. This was indeed a contest worthy of the post season as the game went back and fourth for the remainder of regular time.

Spaans Steps Up

As the game went to overtime, the seven vs seven overtime format hindered the normal zone defense of Temple, as Lafayette and Spanns found space to utilize her speed. Fans were treated to her slashing style eluding defenders along the base line. The Lafayette faithful held their breath as the official held his whistle as Owl defenders tried all the could to stop her from dodging multiple players. As the Temple goalkeeper went to ground Spanns took a Darrah pass, pulled back and lifted the ball into the net.

Having qualified for the post season along with American, Bucknell and Boston, the Leopards are still in the hunt for hosting depending in part on the outcome of next week’s American game at Bucknell. American lost yesterday to Brown 2-1.

Lafayette Offense Struggles In 1-0 Loss To Number 15 UMass

The Leopards went to head to head with the visiting Minute Women, falling by one goal for the second consecutive meeting. UMass did out shoot Lafayette 9-5, as they used a strong second half to overcome the defensive stalemate in the first half. The Minute Women were able to control play and by adding two penalty corners to Lafayette’s none in the fourth quarter.

It was even more remarkable given that Lafayette held, for a time an advantage of three field players due to two cards by UMass and with Coach Stone pulling the Lafayette goalkeeper. Lafayette keeper Fragomeni had 3 saves during the contest.

So does this look like the GK is going for ball….I think not!!!!!

The winning goal came at 45 seconds into the final period during a penalty corner. The Minute Women played a very physical game, often pressing the Leopards especially in the second half. Lafayette’s shots came from two by Leneke Spaans, two from Lea Good, and one from Laila Pasic.

There was strong defensive play from Makenzie Switzer and co captain India Ralph. The Leopards will now move on with a League bye next week and meeting Drexel and Temple before a big game with Boston University in two weeks!