Molloy Womens Lacrosse

1st overnight trip of 2011

2011-03-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Well Saturday mornng we leave for Syracuse and a date with 4th ranked Lemoyne. Lemoyne jons D2 dropping down from D1 ths season. They are a very talented team and lost a tough game to Adelph yesterday in wild Central NY weather. Not looking forward to the bus ride but whoever does. Kind of interested in how the girls do on this trip. DVDs are ready so should be fun arguing over which ones we will be watching on the rde up and ride back.This is the furthest north I have been in NY since being at the States in 2005. We had a good practice today. Well will get back to you next week.,

Underway

2011-03-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well it seems like yesterday that we were complaining about the snow and having to scramble to find practice time and here we sit 4-1. We put the finishing touches on a 2-0 weekend with a total team effort in a 20-3 victory today. Overall today was by far the best game we have played as a team this season. Emily Antonette continued her torrid start with 3 more goals today. Mel Sosnowski and Hayley Lacey are starting to gel and now they seem to connect on many plays. Our defense played awesome today started out a bit out of sync but they came together and after surrending 2 goals they shut Philadelphia down until way late in the second half beore they scored their 3rd and final goal on the contest. Danielle Clesi who we moved from midfield to get her more time is fast growing as a defender and made a save today on a free position when Jackie Bove our goalie was called for charging. It really put a cap on the day seeing her do that. Christina Metelenis played 2 of the best games she has played here at Molloy. She really has grown as a player. We have a long week of practice and take our first overnight trip of the year. I will be back soon.

Season has started

2011-03-08T04:41:00.000-08:00

Well Mother Nature has cooperated sort of and the season is underway. We opened last week with 2 wins. 19-12 over St Anselms a game which saw Emily Antonette score 7 goals and MAria Varricchio and Alexa Toscano each notch 4. Jackie Bove played a strong game in net making 17 saves which was a career high actually each girl achieved career highs that day. Sunday morning the heavens opened and dropped alot of rain on the Island. Thought it was going to be a soaker all day but it slowed down enough to get us through the game a 16-12 win over Bloomsburg. A team that last year beat us and that loss kept us out of the running for an NCAA bid. They are well coached and a good team. Mel Sosnowski had a huge game and put 7 goals behind their goalie. Emily Antonette had 5 more goals pushing her season total to 12. We kept up the good work on the circle and are averaging over 18 draw controls a game. The defense has bent alot but they haven't broken so they will improve as they get use to playing with each other. This week we have New Haven a team very much like us in so many ways. Well I am trying to get the girls to contribute but I think they would much rather do their school work than write something for the blog. Today is Fat Tuesday have a big meal and enjoy

Let the games begin

2011-02-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

Ok so we have officially ended the scrimage part of our season and its time to start getting ready for the opener on Thursday March 3. We scrimmaged Farmingdale State, Mt St Vincent and the Wales National Team. We started out very slow and got it going from there. Farmingdale has improved alot over last season. We dominated game 2 against Mt St Vincent. The final contest of the day was against the Welsh. They played very hard and did some things that I was glad to see them do. They pressure our girls which sometimes is not an easy thing to do in practice. Our girls responded and really did a great job. Alot of girls are showing us some real good things. We still tend to shoot high which can be frustrating at times. Well I am hoping that the girls will start contributing to this blog. Will report back after the opener.

so its been way too long

2011-02-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

So we finally got outside. Talk about making a poor decision. I was asked by the department if I wanted some indoor time. Having been around for a long time as a lacrosse coach I said no. Well thanks to snow, snow and more snow we finally hit the field. This will never happen again. I have already begun to look at next year. Well enough about what I should of could of done. We went out on Saturday and scrimmaged LIU, Iona and Wagner and while the scoreboard will show that we lost. There were many wins on the day. We had the opportunity as a staff to see what we need to work on so for that alone we scored a huge win. Scrimmages never hurt you they can only help you. Especially if you come out of them with no injuries. Overall we made mistakes but most of them are fixable. We got strong performances from many of the girls. Some of our returnees need to take a look at their performances and improve on them. We now have 2 weeks before our next scrimmage. 5 days after that our season officially opens. There are things that we will attack this week in our preparation. Very happy so far with the squad. Speak to all of you soon.

Surprise Surprise

2011-01-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the opening of lacrosse season. Or as we like to say here on LI snow season. I have been coaching this psort for a few years and it never fails snow on the ground time to scramble and figure out where are we going to practice. Well thanks to our wonderful athletic dept. they have made arrangements for us to go indoors. The girls are so excited at the thought of practicing at 6am hey it will build character. Sometimes you have to adapt and we shall. They have worked very hard on conditioning so a little snow pushing them indoors until either mother nature or the village clears the field. I am guessing it will be the village first. Mother nature would have to work very hard to clear 2 storms worth of snow. Hopefully this week we will start hearing from the girls on a weekly basis. Trying to get them involved in posting. Well motto for this year is One Team One Heart looking forward to hear that beat. See you soon.

and now a word from our goalie

2011-01-01T04:25:00.000-08:00

So we had our first week of conditioning. With the snow on the ground, we put our snow boots on, we shoveled our cars out and off to Molloy we went. It felt great to be back with the girls after having a few short weeks off for finals and the holidays. It was great spending time with my family for those few short weeks, but now I am back with my other family; my team. We pushed one another to work harder each day. It felt great to have that feeling again. The feeling of knowing that when you turn around, there are 32 other girls behind you. The feeling of knowing that when I take a step they will too. The feeling of knowing that when I am struggling and need a boost that I have my sisters behind me to push me to the top. We had a great season last year finishing 15-2. I happy to see how much talent and potential we have. We have about 65 days until our first game. That is 65 days of working hard TOGETHER as a team to succeed. We have the weekend off, and it is New Years weekend. I am looking forward to a great 2011 season, even though it will be bittersweet being the last season for us seniors playing as Lady Lions. I wish everyone a happy, healthy and successful New Year. Your one and only Bovie the goalie This entry was written by senior captain and goalie Jackie Bove

2010-12-31T19:21:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

The most joyous time of the year has arrived upon us. This year I know for sure that there is a goalie under my tree. We signed one during the November signing period. Still waiitn gon a few other recruits to make decisions. You want to but at the same time you need to under stand that this is a decision that could affect the rest of their life. This past year was a wonderful time at Molloy not only for us but also for Softball and Womens Basketball. We all have plenty to be happy to reflect about. I am hoping that what we accomplished last year will be a springboard of what is going to occur. We are not wasting any time in getting into it. Next week brings about the start of conditioning. I am sure the girls are going to be hating me. But in the long run maybe it will pay off and like the old expression goes and to paraphrase it hate me now you will thank me later. I am excited to get going. We lost quality from last years team and my feeling is that this group while individually maybe not as talented. Collectively might be better. Lot of speed and determination in this group. Heart desire and aggression sums them up pretty well. Enjoy the holidays be back after the start of the New year

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T15:46:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is the time of year where we look back upon all that we have to be thankful for. I am thankful to God for giving me my parents for as long as he did. The memories I have of them are bountiful. I am thankful for my children and all that they have accomplished to this point and what the future holds for them. I am thankful for my family and friends who are there not only in times of good but when things get rough. I am thankful for my players who never cease to amaze me, they make me laugh. cry and admire them for what they are and that they will become. I am thankful for their parents for raising good kids who from time to time make mistakes and will learn from those mistakes to become better people. I am thankful for our alumni who did the school and program proud and now are continuing to do so out in the real world. Happy Thanksgiving

Winding Down

2010-10-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

Well the fall is behind us with only the clinic left on the menu. The clinic is something that we look forward to doing. It gives the girls an opportunity to work with your girls in the village. It is so nice to see our girls and the RVC girls interact. The college players are looked upon like they are the best thing in the world and for that hour and a half they truly are. They get so much out of it. Seeing these future teachers and nurses for the most part you know why we are good hands going forward. They enjoy being there so much. Finished the fall and wish the season was starting tomorrow. Everyone sees nothing but positives in the fall. Reason being there are no wins and losses. Its take a chance try something different, make the mistake in the fall and it wont happen in the spring, There are many girls who showed alot of promise that life for the staff as to how to best utilize them is going to be tricky but once it is done we will be a better team for it..

Someone other than ourselves

2010-10-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Well the weatherman cooperated and gave us beautiful weather for our Fall Shootout. Thank you to New Haven, Mercy and Farmingdale State for being a part of our day. First scrimmage and the opportunity to see what the new added to the old could do. Liked what I saw. We did make some mental decisions that were questionable at best. But than that is what fall ball is for. Not knowing what to expect when you lose the type of players we did. Everyone got a good look today and some showed that we will need to get them on the field. Kind of nice to have this luxury. We have one more scrimmage ahead of us and I am looking forward to it. This coming Sunday is the Breast Cancer Walk again we will do this as a team. Wish we didnt have to but unbtil they find a cure this march and walk will go on. Well I will write soon.

and their off

2010-09-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hey whats going on? Fall ball has started and so far so good. Have had a few practices under our belts when the weather man cooperates. Like we are seeing from some of the new arrivals as well as some of the veterans who now know what it is like to have to compete for a job. Lost another transfer to another local school hate when that happens but at the end of the day she has to do what it is that is best for her. Had my number 1 recruit decide she wanted to walk on at a D1 school. Still waiting for the first verbal once that happens things will fall in place. Have 2 captains spots up in the air. Not sure what I want to do some times you need to do things because they are the right things to do because the person involved could use that self esteem boost not sure if players see it that way but might need to convince a few. School is crazy wild they have been doing alot of work and it really is starting to pay off. The athletic department now has a life and an identity and place of belonging. I dont know if that is clear but before we were scattered some here some there now it is more cohesive. The new buildings are coming along great cant wait to see what they look like when all is said and done. Well hopefully the tornado watch will pass and I wont endu p like Elvira Gulch and be peddling my bicycle past Dorothy's window, unless of course Dorothy is a goalie looking for a home well than come to Molloy Dorothy we would love to have you.

It seems like forever

2010-08-22T17:12:00.001-07:00

Hi All well it seems like forever since we were last here. Its been an interesting summer. We brought a transfer for a visit who decided to return to her old school. Not happy but at least the school is out of our region. Looked at alot of kids over the summer and it is very frustrating to sit back and watch kids only to find out that they are already committed places. I just dont understand how kids and parents do not look around more. But to each their own isn't that the saying. I know I want my recruits to like us for what we represent. A very good academic school with an opportunity to play a sport that they love in college. We all want to be successful on the field but the true bottom line as the ad says. Is that most of our athletes will turn professional in something other than the sport that they play. We have our eyes on a few girls and hopefully when all the dust clears they will be wearing maroon and white for the next 4 years. Our schedule is almost complete. We made some last minute decisions to stay in region for anumber of reasons so our schedule is actually going to be alot tougher than it was 3 months ago. Hey if you want to be the best you need to play the best. Im really looking forward to see what our girls are going to do this year. We added some good frosh and a couple of transfers so competiton again is the key word. We wont have the 3 amigos around and yet I feel we still can be good because the team is now going to have to work as a unit to get things done and not rely on them. This is something that happens when you are a young team and led by seniors who happen to be very good players the younger girls tend to sit back. Well now it is their time to shine and I have a feeling that they wont disappoint. I will be back as we get started.

Its been awhile

2010-06-20T04:56:00.000-07:00

Hey all I took a little break. Things are still very busy. Trying to finish up the last minute touches on next seasons class of recruits. We received an end of season gift. As we bid farewell to one of our best we welcome her sister in as a transfer. Still waiting on word from one more. Started the tourney circuit down in Pa. alot of girls and some who want to call LI home for the next 4 years. Hopefully it will be in Molloy maroon. Was selected to coach the North squad in the D2 all star game told the girls that we were fighting the CIvil War and we all know who won that> Needless to say we prevailed in 2010 too. Well another weekend and it seems like its time to go ref yet again. Still need to go to 2 more tourneys. To my Dad I love and miss you very much. To all the other Fathers Happy Fathers Day especially to the fathers of my players

hats off

2010-05-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

Have to give props to our Lady Lion softball team. What a magical season. College World Series unfortunately they were beaten and knocked out. All the same congrats on a great year you made us all proud and yes a bit jealous. I watched the University of Maryland today defeat Northwestern and while the Wildcats had plenty of girls from LI on their roster I found myself rooting for the the Terps. Guess having friends who graduated from there helped to fuel my enthusiasm that and the fact I don't like Northwestern. Well it is Memorial Day weekend and I like what seemed like everyone else who lives on LI and in the metro area decided to go to the beach today and of course every road was closed south of Merrick. Apparently Jones Beach was full so those of us who are snobs and wanted to go to our town beaches couldn't get there because of this fact. I think they should add a new lane for the summer we could call it the TBG lane which stands for town beach goers this way we can go to our beaches and the rest of you can sit in traffic and argue as to why you didnt get up earlier to go to the beach. We also pay homage this weekend to our fallen vets. I remember and thank my Dad for his service to this country in World War 2 a tank sargeant who served under Gen Bradley and fought in the Battle of the Bulge one of the key if not biggest battles of the war. I also remember Jimmy Regan a lacrosse player and an Army Ranger who had it all and decided that he needed to fight the war. He paid dearly by paying the ultimate sacrifice he gave his life so we can remain free. I hope that those of you out there realize what soldiers do to preserve our freedom. I thank all of you those of you serving now, in the past and in the future. We are very lucky Godspeed and safe home.

Thoughts from the road

2010-05-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Well its Saturday night 11:30pm EST. I am in Gettysburg Pa. for the D2 and D3 NAtional Championships. I just finished watching 4 very good lacrosse games and tonight watched Adelphi defeat CW Post. Felt bad for the girls from Post especially thier seniors a group of girls that I have come to know over the years. We have travelled the past 2 seasons with Post to MAryland and our girls became friends. I want to be here with my team. Its going to take hard work and alot of effort and Im sure some tears along the way. I dont quite know if we have the ability of these teams but we will need to work hard to get here. A big shout out to our Womens softball team who won their regional and now head to the COllege World series way to go girls make us proud. SO I am standing in the lobby of our hotel this morning when all the officials working the contest gathered. I was waiting for one of them to card me in the hotel lobby. I have to admit the 4 games were well reffed. Last night we had a banquet and the speaker said some things that really made alot of sense. I wish I could get copy I may have to contact her and see if she can forward one to me. She spoke of what it means to be a teammate and to play without fear. This is something that Im not quite sure we have learned as of yet. But it is something that I plan on striving to drive home to the girls. Well thats all for now.

Recognition

2010-05-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

Last week was a bad and good week for us. As we all know we were the 4th ranked team inthe region and only the top 3 ranked teams get to go to the dance. Well that of course was a downer. Tuesday was the All Conference voting and we placed 8 girls on the 2 teams. Its amazing to listen as coaches place votes to your players.I was pleased that we received this attention and it was well deserved. I was upset though when some coaches voted some opponents players so low it showed me how much they didn't pay any attention to what was going on. We are not allowed to vote for our own players which is a good thing. I got up this moring and read a post on laxpower wondering how a player could not have been named first team. My question is who would have to come up off the list for her to be added? You look at the attack a position she plays well we had Rebecca LaFlare and Lori Sollitto named as first teamers. They are not going anywhere. CW Post had 2 players named and they aren't going anywhere and Dowling had a player named and she is not oin anywhere. You can't compare an attack player with a midfielder or a defender and each team needs a oalie so this young lady who had a nice year is a second teamer. Kristie Sosnowski who finished the year as our leading scorer was named first team for the second year in a row and joining her was Emily Antonette a player who when she fully grasps that she is a talented player is going to be very good. She has no confidence and did so many good thins for us this year except for a brief moment of frustration in Philadelphia. On defense Sam Modik received the nod a c redit to her. She came to us as a midfielder and has developed into a very good defender. Sam got the award but it could have been any of the starting 4 named here. Christina Metelenis and LAuren Kenny were named to the second team. I was very surprised by the exclusion of Melody Sullivan but my guess is being a freshman they held that against her. Well they all better be prepared because she is the real deal and will use this as motivation. Jackie Bove finished up the year by being named to the second team. Now Jackie had some year if it wasn;t for school Jackie would have faced every shot by our team at practice in addition to all that she faced from other teams. Next week is our dinner when we hand out team awards. Looking forward to seeing the girls faces when they hear their names called. I am also going to name 2 of our 4 captains for next season still working on how I want to do that. Well I will write back soon.

What a year

2010-05-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

Well the news came a little after 1030pm last night. Stonehill was going to be the 3rd seed in the North Region a decision that I felt was coming. It hurt but tough to argue they had a great year and even though we had them in a couple of categories the committee made the right choice. I am going to say it again I am so proud of these girls. They played their hearts out and gave our fans alot to cheer about. Tomorrow night is the voting for conference awards and I hope our players get the recognition that they deserve. As I look back we overcame the loss of one of our key players in Hayley Lacey. We wish her a speedy and complete return. She may drive me nuts at times but there is no question that she wants to win. Even with our success we were able to get alot of the freshmen involved and they gained valuable experience. This is going to be important as we go forward and try to duplicate this years accomplishments. When you start a program you have to play whoever is available. Well WHen we began there were not alot of new programs nowadays it seems like there are new programs all over the place. Its great or the new teams that they don't have to play too many teams that they are overmached against. Some of my favorite moments from this year. The freshmen hats on the Maryland Trip. The Captain on the Maryland Trip. Mama Harren's brownies. Mike Harren's yelling that got me a yellow card in Maryland. Spongebob goalie as we practiced in the snow. Our victory against Dowling coming back from 6 goals down only to give back that lead and having to win the game in overtime. The success of the women's teams at Molloy this year. Our committment to giving back to th community. St. Baldrick's Day. The Odd Couple George LaFlare and Neil Varricchio travelling to games together. Bailey. The Women's officials who decided before our Dowling game that the Mantra was an illegal stick when strung a different way. Me yelling at my girls who had mantras. Celia driving over to a lax store to get them restrung and going back the next day so the girls could have them for the game. Each one of our 15 wins. A referee apologizing to me. Dr. Scott for making the girls work hard. Jim, Eric and Kim for all they day. Susan for having to deal with all she has to deal with and than dealing with more because kids are kids and like everything else athletes have to act better and smarter because when they don't it just ripples its way down. Jason for being the complaint department when stuff don't fit. Danny for his game day management. Michael for keeping everyone on their toes and eligible. Colleen for doing whatever we ask to at the last minute because we need it right away. Bob for just being Bob. Dr. Bogner for having faith that athletics are an important part of a colleges life. To all the parents for all of their support.

I can't believe its the last game

2010-05-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well tomorrow is our last regular season game. It is almost midnight and I am sitting here thinking about the 5 girls who will be leaving us at the end of the year. I have watched these girls go through alot in the 4 years they have been at Molloy. Well in Krisitie's case 3 years but still all the same it seems like they would be forever. It's a very funny sport lacrosse. Some how everyones life seem to interlock or go through six degrees of seperation. Lets start with Rebecca LaFlare it seems like only yesterday that I was the young guy from Hicksville playing football with all of these old guys from Bethpage. Well turn the page forward and one of those old guys daughters Rebecca was going to play for me. She came here as a goal scorer and a midfielder and a move to attack became almost necessary when she banged up her knee. I remember moving hee there so she didn't have to run. Well she didn't have to run up and down the field but she has moved well enough during her time here at Molloy to leave here as our career leader in goals, points, games played and games started. Lori Sollitto I have known since the day she was born. Her mothers sister was married to my brother and left us and looks down from heaven on us. Lori is one of those players that every year you expect someone to take her spot but when all is said and done she will leave her as second to Rebecca in points,game played and games started. Krisitie Sosnowski transferred to us from Monmouth. A Massapequa girl she had played against my teams when she was in high school. I got an email from her coach asking me if I was interested boy am I glad that I said yes. SHe has led us in draw controls from the day she got here. As a matter of fact she led the country last season and will do that again this year. She will leave here right behind Rebecca in goals scored and ahead of the universe in draw controls. Keri Steine played for my niece and Lori's cousin in high school. Keri is our fashion consultant. If you need to know anything about style Keri can help out there. On the field she is tough as nails and has scored some great goals for us. She moved to attack for us this season and gave us a dimension that all good teams need a lefty attacker. Well the last girl we have to say goodbye to is Sam Modik. What a great person. Sam played at Island Trees HS which had just started its program. They played in one of the lowest leagues in Nassau County. There was no hiding her athletic ability. She was the top female in her school an honor well earned. Sam played midfield as a freshman and as we added players she had to learn a new position that being defense. She has adapted very well and has been solid. Sam will be a success because she has a plan. I always tease her and say that whenever she calls me I just hit delete. I do, but I have a special place in my heart for her she lost her Dad during her sophomore year and has worked hard to make him proud which she has done with ease. A great student, it was at her fathers wake that I realized for the first time how lives inter connect many of the people paying their respects were people that I knew. Well he has looked down on his little girl and I am sure he is smiling. I am truly going to miss these young ladies and hope they had a great time here.

1 to go

2010-05-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

Well after todays 23-4 victory we now sit at 14-2 on the year. I really want to tip my hat to Mercy. They never stopped working and are heading in the right direction at the conclusion of their first campaign. We got contributions today from everybody. The entire defense played very well. They were all over the groundballs and got a jump on every draw that Kristie Sosnowski didn't control herself. On offense we received 5 goals and 13 draw controls from Kristie. Rebecca LaFlare chipped in with 4 goals and it seemed like every middie had 2 goals. In reality Lori Sollitto had 2 as did Emily Antonette, Nicole Mastrianni, Emily Glenn and Christie Roell. The defense even got involved as Brianna Lively scored a goal today. We ran the field and never let up. I am very proud of these young ladies. I do not know what is going to happen but whatever does they can hold their heads up high and bask in their accomplishments this season.

2 to go

2010-05-04T04:06:00.000-07:00

Well the season is drawing to a close. It seems like yesterday we were freezing as the sun began to set as the clock was striking 400pm at Skelos. The wind whipping off the lake and the bare trees acting like whistles. The girls truly have come a long way and they worked very hard to get here. From day 1 this team had that look and the desire. Even though at times they totally frustrate me. This team is one of the best teams that I have ever coached. It is the perfect blend of experience with youthful enthusiasm. The "old ladies" have taken the "babies" under their wings and teach them every chance that they get. Not only do they want this years team to be a success but they are always pointing towards the future and want me to make sure that girls get some necessary experience so the program can moving in the right direction. We still sit at number 10 in the latest polls and will most likely remain at 4 in the region. It is going to be very close as to whether or not we get that 3rd bid. Well tomorrow we go after number 14. The girls survived last week and I am sure that I will not have to remind them as to what a let down will do this week either. Until tomorrow.

The Great Escape

2010-05-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Well that title works. Im sure there are several that I could think of to describe todays game but this one will do. We were up 8-2 at half time and basically slept through that half. We proceeded to go out in the second half and allow Seton Hill to score 7 goals and take a lead on us. So with our backs against the wall we rose up like the phoenix out of the ashes and took a 12-10 lead and won the ensuing draw held the ball for the fianl 2:50 for our "lucky" 13th win of the year. With the score 10-9 Maria Varricchio found the back of the net to tie the score. We came down and Lori Sollitto found her fellow senior on senior day Kristie Sosnowski who put the game winner behind their goalie. Rebecca Laflare would score her 4th og the game to make it 12-10. On the day we managed to win every offensive category yet their goalie who played very well made 16 stops to keep them in the game. Our defense who I basically was all over all day responded and made some big plays down the stretch. Lauren Kenny, Sam Modik, Christina Metelenis and Melody Sullivan along with Brianna Lively found a way to reach down and muster whatever they had left at the right time to keep them off the board for the final 10 minutes. Emily Antonette played maybe the best game of her short time here at Molloy and the babies Christie Roell, Nicole Mastrianni, Emily Glenn and Kaitlynn Kelly showed why the future is bright by hustling all over and picking up some key ground balls late in the contest. Well to our seniors Lori Sollitto, Rebecca LaFlare, Keriann Steine, Sam Modik and Kristie Sosnowski we say thank you for bringing this program to where it is today. You have represented yourself, your family, your school and the game of lacrosse with nothing but class and dignity while entertaining us for the past 4 years. We wish you Godspeed in the future.

what a difference a year makes

2010-04-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

Last season at this time we were getting ready for our end of season dinner. This year we still have at the very least 4 games to go. With a little help we could grab that 3rd North bid to the tourney. Well why the difference. Well its always easy to look at offensive players because there are numbers to look at. The players who tend to get overlooked for a teams success even by their coach is defenders. Well last year we were 5 goals from being 11-5 instead we ended up 7-9. There is a direct correlation this year between success and failure and it is spelled DEFENSE. These 8 girls Sam Modik, Lauren Kenny, Christina Metelenis, Melody Sulivan, Brianna Lively, Cortney Schnabel, Megan Harren and Kerry Canham have been great all season. They make our offense work during practice and this has made them better in games. So hats off to this talented group of hard working young ladies. Thank you for making such an impact on our team. You are respected even if at times you get overlooked but you are never forgotten.

Wow

2010-04-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well tonight the Molloy Lady Lions went out and won their 11th game of the season. In the process setting a new season records for wins. This was no easy task. First off hats off to the Golden Lions of Dowling who are a very good team and well coached. The Golden Lions took a commanding 7-2 lead into the half and dominated every category except free position shots which neither one of us could find the net if they gave us a map and put us right inside of it. Dowling opened the second half with a goal and we quickly scored 3 forcing them into a timeout. We went back and forth and and at 9-7 we proceeded to reel off 4 goals to take an 11-9 lead. Dowling scored 2 goals to tie the game and send it into overtime. Well both stanzas passed with no goals being scored. AS we went into sudden death Jackie Bove made a great save and cleared the ball out a foul by Dowling gave us the opportunity to clear the ball and we got it into the hands of our seniors Rebecca LaFlare and Lori Sollitto. These 2 along with Krisitie Sosnowski carried us offensively all game. Lori took the ball and went to the goal where she was stopped she passed to Rebecca and she started towards the goal and was met by a double team, Lori cut behind the doulbe team and Rebecca found her and Lori buried her shot setting off a euphoric reaction o our sidelines and in the stands. The fans for both team were great all night even the guys from Dowling who had some funny things to say. I hated to hear them but hey they were rooting for their team. On the night Lori had 5 goals and Rebecca and Kristie each chipped in with 3 a piece. Kristies 2nd goal was the 100th of her career becoming only the second player to reach that career milestone. Emily Antonette had an amazing game she may have only scored 1 goal but she did the grunt work and did a great job of it. The defense came out of the duldrums and played a much better second hal. Mel decided she needed a moment because as only Mel can put it "I suck right now and have to clear my head". Well she did clear and went back in to finish out the night on a high note. Emily Glenn and Christie Roell hustled all over. You know these games drain you emotionally. And I have to say this I am very proud of the girls on our team that didn't play tonight. They cheered their teammates from the opening whistle. It was the perfect end to a great day for us. For the first time in school history we are ranked regionally coming in at number 4. With a little bit of help from other teams we have a shot to claim an NCAA bid when the final rankings are announced in 2 weeks. Well the girls are off for a few days some of them really could use the time of to recharge and get healthy. And some need to do some school work. We have 4 games left and if we play like we are capable of, this eason could be a very good year.

great job

2010-04-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

Well we tied the season high for wins yesterday with our 10th win of the season. In 2008 we also won 10 games so with 1 more win we set a new school standard. Like I have said earlier Molloy is enjoying a great year athletically. We won 24-12 at Chestnut Hill. Rebecca LaFlare led the way with 6 goals followed by Kristie Sosnowski with 5 goals and 16 draw controls putting her in good shape for a second D2 draw control title. Lori Sollitto and Alexa Toscano both had 3 goals and Codi Reiser had 2. Codi and Danille Clesi both received lions for their efforts yesterday. For those of you new or who do not recall, we award lions after each practice and game. Usually it goes to one offensive and one defensive player but yesterday 2 freshmen because of their first career goals received them. We face a big challenge this week as we host Dowling College on Wednesday Night. Dowling has achieved early success with their program alot having to do with their coach being the head coach of 2 sports. We have not beaten them as of yet and last year we lost by 2 after leading for most of the contest. The seniors had this game circled from the time the schedule was finalized. It should be a great battle and hopefully well attended. Well talk to you soon.

What a difference

2010-04-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well we were back on the field Monday Night against a team that we should get a win against, which is exactly what we did. We were able to get everyone involved and started some girls for the first time all season. We won the game game by a final score of 18-5 and it could have been worse. I make every effort to not run up the score but it is hard to tell a girl who works hard all week and doesn't get into many games to not shoot. Kristie Sosnowski showed once again why she is leading the nation in draw controls as she led the way with 12 draw controls on the night overall we held a 19-5 advantage in that area. Rebecca LaFlare had 4 goals and Emily Glenn who seems to grow and grow each day as a player chipped in with 2. We head down to Philadelphia this weekend for a Saturday matchup with Chestnut Hill College. It will probably be a lousy weather which seems to be something that happens everytime we head to Philly for any type of game. This time I know we are playing on turf so that is one less concern. I am hoping that the girls let me finally watch the DVD that I want to Boondock Saints 2. I bought it before we went to Pennsylvania and got voted down each time. Might have to tell them to go to sleep on the way down and sneak it on when they dose off. We are now 9-2 and with one nmore victory we will tie the all time season high for wins with 10. It is a great year at Molloy for Womens athletics, our basketball team went to the NCAA Regionals, our softball time is doing great and we are on our way to our best season ever. The nice part is everyone is happy for each other and is proud of the accomplishments. Be back soon

tough game

2010-04-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

Well today we found out why CW Post is ranked 3rd in the country. We lost 20-5 and did not bring the type of game we needed to be competitive. I was very upset with the girls the reality is we are just not as good as they are and that is the type of program that we are striving to become. The girls were very down and I will do everything I can to get them to believe in themselves again. We have 7 games left and unless the wheels totally come off the bus we should set new school standards for wins in a season. We lost a valuable member the other day to a season ending injury. She is in our hearts each and every day. I just hope that the young girls respond now to the added playing time that they are going to receive. We did do some good things. We committed less fouls than they did. Had more draw controls than they did. We just didnt out score them.Well Monday is our next game see you back here after that.

What a beautiful day

2010-04-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Playing lacrosse in 70 degree temps, winning the game and raising money for autism priceless. Well we are now 8-1 after todays 18-17 victory over Southern New Hampshire. Hats off to both teams for playing hard. We had a good lead and the girls decided I need some heartache in the end we held on for the win. On the Lori Sollitto fresh off of being named D2 player of the week by Womenslacrosse.com scored the game winner and finished with 7 goals and 1 assist. Kristie Sosnowski had 12 draw controls and as a team we had 20 which should keep us at the top of D2 in this category. Jackie Bove gave up 17 goals but had 13 saves and made some great passes in the game. Our next game is against number 3 ranked CW Post so the girls had better be ready. Well yesterday the Easter Bunny that would be me got to practice and hour before the girls and hid 87 plastic eggs with candy in them around the field . You know even though they are college athletes inside of them is still a little girl. I wish all a very Happy Easter. Be back soon

another rainy night

2010-03-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well this spring has been alot of fun. Whether it be rain or snow it has been alot. No drizzle just downpour. We were able to get tonights game in and we pushed our record to 7-1. The team we played STAC only had 1 sub and are great kids. They face a tough task every time they step on the field. I give them alot of credit they never stopped working. Our girls were great they understood what was taking place and know what is good for the game. We walked off the field feeling good about the night and the game. Tonight we were led by Kristie Sosnowski who had 4 goals and 2 assists and also 14 draw controls. Rebecca LaFlare scored 4 goals her last being the 150th of her career. Maria Varricchio had 2 goals and 3 assists. Hayley Lacey had 5 assists she is seeing the field so well. Alison Scalice got her first of the season and Emily Glenn and Lianne Scorcia got the first goals of their careers

Severna Park Maryland

2010-03-28T19:12:00.001-07:00

Well now that we have returned from our weekend away its time to write about the trip. We had a decent but uneventful practice on Friday partly because the girls were still giddy after beating their first ranked opponent ever and second because they were eager for their first and only long trip of the season. We went back to school and ordered in pizza for the girls while they eagerly awaited for dinner the captains gave the freshmen their presents for the trip. Each freshman was given a hat with an animal on it. Each animal represented their personalities and I have to admit the girls did great with their choices. Pizza arrived and it was now time for dinner as soonas we finished we were on our way. We pulled out of the Molloy parking lot and began our trek South. The first DVD of the trip went on as we travelled along with all the other traffic on the LIE. As we past the Brooklyn Bridge and were going past the Promenade the sudden realization that we were missing something kicked in. Well we weren't just missing something we were missing the uniforms which everyone seemed to think that someone had grabbed them. Needless to say I had a sudden attack of now what. Thanks to one of our wonderful parents he volunteered to drive to school and pickup the uniforms and bring them down to us in the morning. We just wouldn't be us if we didn't do something like this. Well we recovered from that debacle and promised Jason that we would bring them home with or us or stay in Maryland forever. On Saturday after our game we took a ride into Annapolis for dinner. We were joined by a few of the parents who made the trip down to see us play. After dinner the girls went shopping in Annapolis for a little while and took pictures down on the dock. A few lucky midshipman were fortunate enough to get in a few of the girls pictures. We went back to the hotel and girls had their annual talent show which I stay as far away from as possible. My plan was to join a few of the parents in the hotel lobby and sit in front of the tv and watch the night game of the NCAA Basketball Tourney. Of course the only tv in the entire hotel that was not getting CBS was the one in the lobby so I went up to my room and watched as West Virginia knocked off Kentucky. We made it back to LI before 9pm and it felt good to get home. Well tomorrow we start getting ready for STAC and Southern New Hampshire. I will be back soon.

Great Weekend

2010-03-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

Well today was one of those days. We started out very sluggishly, trailing 4-1 with about 16 mins to go in the first half. Took a timeout and had a soul searching with the troops. They responded by holding Belmont to no goals for almost 23 mins. Kristie Sosnowski scored 5 goals in the span. We went up 7-6 and trailed 9-7 with 5 mins to play. We scored a goal and than Rebecca Laflare tied it with another with 2 and half to play. Bouncing balls do strange things and we ended up with one that we took down and got to Lori Sollitto who scored the go ahead tally with 28 seconds to play. The defense again played very well as did Jackie Bove. We now sit 6-1 on the season as we head into a 2 games at home this week. We are finally going to play Southern New Hampshire a little over a month after the snow forced us to cancel the season opener.

2 in a row

2010-03-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well we pulled it off again our 2nd straight win over a ranked opponent. Todays victim was Pfeiffer who cam into the day ranked 10th in the country. We started out slow and were tied at 6 at the half. We went out and scored 8 straight goals and held on for a 15-10 win. Lori Sollitto led us with 5 goals and was helped by Kristie Sosnowski's 3 and the cousins Emily Antonette and Haley Lacey with 2 each. Our defense played very strong with Sam Modik and Lauren Keeny being the rocks back there. Jackie Bove got her 2 win of the week in goal. The girls look like they were in a fight as we were fouled 39 times. They had 9 yellow cards to our 2 well really one for some reason the ref heard a voice and for the first time in my carrer I got a card for not saying anything. I guess this makes up for all the times I went over the edge and didnt get carded sort of like the guy who complains when they get a speeding ticket and say but officer I never got a speeding ticket. Well tomorrow is another day and our next game would be real nice to head North with a victory. Well ttfn. For those of you who dont speak whatever language this is ta ta for now

Great day for lacrosse

2010-03-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days. The weather even though it was a bit breezy was sunfilled and warm. On the filed the girls played hard and in the end we pulled off maybe to this point the biggest win in program history. We beat our first ranked opponent 14-12. On the day Rebecca LaFlare scored 5 goals. Lori Sollitto whose first assist of the day was 100 point career point finished the day with 3 goals and 2 assists. Kristie Sosnowski working on her second straight national draw control title finished with 8 draw controls on the day while also getting 2 goals and 1 assist. Emily Antonette had 3 goals and the defense led by Sam Modik and Christina Metelenis had a great day. We know head south to Maryland for 2 neutral site games. I am so proud of these young ladies.

tough loss

2010-03-23T07:54:00.001-07:00

Well hello again. we went out to Central Pennsylvania on Saturday and took a 15-7 loss at the hands of Bloomsburg University. They are a good team and when you don't bring your "A " game against a good team you lose. I hope this works to our advantage as we have a tough week ahead of us. We start by playing at home Wednesday afternoon against the 9th ranked New Haven Chargers. This will be our Lax for Life game. Lax for Life is a foundation started by West Chester University to mark the memory of one of their players sisters who committed suicide. The goal is to become aware of the challenges that adolescents face and how we can help them to fight through without giving up. This past weekend a recruit from Dowling took her own life. This is something that all communities have to deal with far too many times. This weekend we head down to MAryland to play number 10 Pfieffer and Belmont Abbey at The Severn School. This gives me the opportunity to reconnect with The Severn School's Ad who is the former coach at Pfeiffer and one of my closer colleagues in this wonderful world of lacrosse. We had a great practice yesterday the girls worked hard and I think that Saturday sort of woke them uop a bit and reminded them that hard work means paying a price. Well Hopefully the next post will be a bit more upbeat.

nice win

2010-03-16T03:58:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday the rain held off just enough for us to get down to Philly and come back with a 11-9 victory. This is our 3rd win of the season. Things have been a little tough here on LI many are without power going on 3 days now. The girls survived the wet surface. Kristie Sosnowski and Rebecca LaFlare showed why they are candidates to become All American. They held our team together and each accounted for 4 points on the day.We knew we were going to be shorthanded due to the passing of our 3rd Senior Captain's grandmother. Right before the start of the game one of our starters went down with an injury that caused her to miss the opening few minutes of the contests. She had an up and down day and I am certain this had alot to do with it. Again our defense played awesome, it wasn't easy to keep your feet and several girls fell on more than one occasion. Saturday we again return to Pennsylvania for a game this time the opponent will be Bloomsburg. We have never played them before so we are looking forward to it. Should be an interesting matchup.

WHAT A SURPRISE!!!

2010-03-12T04:30:00.000-08:00

Well no snow in the forecast but lots and lots of rain. So tomorrows game at Philly pushed back to Monday afternoon. We received word this week that Lori Sollitto was named player of the week by the conference. This was off of her 6 goal performance in the opener. Baseball and softball off to Florida wish them luck wish we were there. Will write back after Monday.

off to a good start

2010-03-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

Well after last nights 20-1 win over Holy Family we are of to a 2-0 start. The girls came out very strong. Following our 62 shot performance of our opener, we went back to shooting school at practice. Each player must have taken 150 shots each in practice. It paid off, Kristie Sosnowski led us with 4 goals and as she did last season when she led the nation in draw controls she picked up right where she left off finishing with 8 on the game. Hayley Lacey continues to play the whole field, freshman Kaitlynn Kelly finished with 3 goals. The defense did their best to get the shutout however free position shots came back to haunt us and Holy Family capitalized on one of them. We go down to the City of Brotherly Love this weekend for a contest at Philadelphia Univ. It will rain since it seems that is what it does everytime we play down there. We want to extend best of luck to our Womens Basketball team who captured the confference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals. Go get them girls.

Way to go girls

2010-03-06T05:43:00.000-08:00

Season Opener Molloy 15 St Anselms 8. First half we did everything but get the ball behind their goalie. We controlled every aspect of the game. Their goalie played great and had 15 saves at half time. Overall she had 29 saves for the game. We need to work on or shooting. We were paced by Lori Sollitto who had 6 goals and Rebecca LaFlare who had 4 goals. Rebecca will graduate as the career leader in goals and points. Jackie Bove did a good job in goal for us making 8 saves on the day. Hayley Lacey and Emily Antonette had real good days Hayley with 3 and Emily with 1 assist. But they did more than that, they both ran the field well and played great defense and moved the ball all around. Our defense which was our weak point last year had a good day. Lauren Kenny and Melody Sullivan led the way. Overall with the exception of our shooting I was very pleased with our performance. We are back on the field Monday Night at home against Holy Family.

Its Time

2010-03-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

I feel like a kid on Christmas. The big day is finally here. Opening Day, it seems like we have been practicing forever. First day was Jan 18 and even though last week was supposed to be the opener it just feels like it wasn't getting here fast enough. Tomorrow at 4pm we will draw it up for the first time in 2010. The girls were excited as we left the field today. I think they spent more time trying to figure out how they were going to line up to warm up and what they were going to do i their huddle than we did on practice. But I was not messing with their karma. This is about us, but once that whistle blows I can't make them run its going to be up to them. They are ready. I will report back over the weekend with a post game report. Lets go Lions

new opener

2010-03-03T02:42:00.000-08:00

Hey all well the new opener is 2 days away and of course the weather people are calling for a wintry mix today grrrrrrrrr. Yesterday was St. Baldricks Day at Molloy. For those of you who are unfamilar you volunteer to have yor head shaved as a means of support for children who have cancer, in the process people donate money to find a cure . Needless to say I decided to have mine done this is the first time that I have done this and will now make this an annual thing. The girls who raised money by selling snacks at our basketball games made a donation on my behalf. Speaking of basketball want to wish each of our teams good luck as they begin their conference playoffs. Well thats all for now .

She got us

2010-02-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

Well its official first game cancelled due to weather. Hopefully a make up date will be agreed upon. The girls are of course unhappy but there isn't much you can do, and like the old commercial use to say it isn't nice to fool Mother Nature. We will now prepare for our season opener a week from today. The new opener will now be at home against St. Anselm's. Last year they got us by 1 goal up north. Looking forward to a change in weather. Here are a few pictures from yesterday's practice in the snow.

it wasnt a joke

2010-02-26T02:25:00.001-08:00

Well Mother Nature didn't joke around she gave us her best a real good snow storm. Never fails. Well we went out yesterday to practice just in case. Were able to get the sticks going. As the snow was starting to fall. Ran through all of our offensive plays and sets. Girls had a ball and of course decided I would look great with snow on me so they did their best to get me. I am waiting for a picture. Jackie our goalie had a big black plastic bag in her car and cut out a spot for her head and arms to stay dry. We were calling her Spongebob Goalie. Well right now the opener is probably a question mark. The girls want to play so bad may have to wait another few days to open.

Welcome to the Great White North

2010-02-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

Well lets see as it seems to happen every year, Mother nature plays her practical joke and decides to drop some snow on us just in time for our home opener. No one really has a clue as to which way the storm will come. So we can have rain or a real lot of snow. I am going to take the high road and pray for snow. Go with a little reverse psychology. Hopefully that wil be the case. The girls are raring to go and are starting to get a little antsy. Well talk to you soon.

scrimmage

2010-02-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone hope all is going well. As it seems to happen every year we get a major snow to upset the apple cart. Well we basically have been off since the snow fell on Tuesday. Went to Wagner this morning and scrimmaged Wagner,LIU and Iona. Overall felt real good about our performance. We received some key energy from many of our newcomers. The vets came to play and seemed to get a rush from the energy of the new pups. The season opener is 2 weeks from today and we have alot of options and decisions looking forward to that first whistle.

Happy New Year

2010-01-26T04:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all hope everyone had a safe and Happy New Years. Well practice has officially started and things are going well. Yesterday the LI weather got me again. At about 1:45pm with the rain pouring down and having no opportunity to practice indoors I cancelled practice. Of course by the time practice would have began the skies cleared and the sun made an appearance. Since the fall began we have had 2 girls transfer out one back to the school she had transferred from and the other as part of academic failure. We did receive a transfer in literally the day before conditioning ended. We have a tradition of rewarding the player who works hard each day in practice with the Lion. Which is a stuffed lion that gets passed around from the previous winner and she actually gets to name that days winner. So far first week winners were Emily A., Kristie, Christie, Sam and Jackie. Jackie was all excited because she won it on Saturday and got to keep the Lion for an extra day. We are waiting for another lion so we can have an offensive and defensive winner each practice.

The initial rankings were released by Lacrosse Magazine and we are not listed which is always a good thing because it will give us something to strive for when we play a ranked team . There is alot of good things happening on the field and off as well. This past semester 22 of our 29 players had a GPA of 3.0 or higher. This is something that we are very proud of here at Molloy. We are also very pleased that we have just been accredited with our first Doctoral Program which to noones surprise will be offered in Nursing. Well looking forward to writing soon.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

Hello to all of you lacrosse fans. I would like to wish everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year. The season is fast approaching and I am very proud that almost the entire team had abovea 3.0 GPA this semester including 2 4.0's way to go Sammy and Nicole M. With the cold weather upon us it is no doubt that the season is beginning. Before you know it we will be lining up for that first game on Feb 28. Still seeking that second goalie. I do not know why it is so hard to find someone. Well will be back after the first of the year. Be safe

News from Newport

2009-12-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

Well hello all. This weekend is the annual IWLCA Coaches Meeting. It is great to meet up with old friends and make new ones along the way. I met up with girls that I coached back when they were in high school and now they are college coaches what a trip. The town is alot of fun and still active even though it is more a summer spot being on the water. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We signed 2 players during the early signing period. Looking for a goalie so if there are any out there look us up and get me your info. Well thats all for now. Hope the girls find some time to work out around finals.

Open House

2009-11-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

Today was Open House at Molloy. Had the opportuinity to meet a couple of girls who are interested in attending. I hope that all of the girls and their parents had a positive experience. My favorite part is hearing which of our majors the girls are interested in. Today there was 3 education, one nursing, one speech pathology and one undecided. Looking forward to having these young ladies attend they all are the type of peple that I am interested in coaching. They are quality individuals and would be an asset to our college community.

It has been awhile

2009-11-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

Hi all been awhile since our last post. We are looking forward to our Open House on November 15. Thisis the time of year where you just want to get into the season. Fall ball has ended and all you can do is individual work and conditioning. The girls had a great Halloween and I may have to have them wear their costumes to practice one day for some friendly competiton. Well hope everyone is gearing up to bring on the cold months ahead. Stay warm be back soon.

Opening Day

2009-10-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

Hi all
I would like to introduce you to the Molloy Womens Lacrosse Blog. This is our first day so hence the title opening day. This past weekend we had our first alumni game. We were joined by 6 past graduates as the team has only been in existence for 4 years. All of the girls had a great time. Yesterday 23 of us braved the clod rainy wind swept boardwalk and walked for a cure. This was our 5th year walking as a team for Breast Cancer. Well please check back for future posts as we join the world of bloggers.