Aug. 19, 2003
The Lady Monarchs may look a little different in 2003, but some things stay the same...including a long line of talent and an immeasurable desire to be the best.
Twenty-year veteran head coach Beth Anders, one of the top names in the world of field hockey, was granted a leave of absence from her squad this season as she prepares the U.S. National Team for a bid to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. However, Anders' right hand assistant, Sue Myers, is ready to lead Old Dominion to another successful season. While aiding Anders on the sidelines for the last 15 years, Myers has helped the Lady Monarchs to a 319-51-4 record and six national championships.
The Lady Monarchs lose the services of seven letterwinners from last year's squad, among them Honda Award Winner midfielder Tiffany Snow, All-American midfielder Tara Herrmann, and four-time Academic All-American and starting goalkeeper Marybeth Freeman. However, Old Dominion welcomes back five starters along with seven redshirt freshman and seven newcomers with a wealth of talent.
A trio of seniors, midfielder Angie Loy (Loysville, PA), defender Melissa Leonetti (Erdenheim, PA), and goalkeeper Tina Walker (Suffolk, VA), will be cornerstone of the 2003 squad. Over the last three seasons these three Lady Monarchs have helped Old Dominion compile a 64-10 record for an .865 winning percentage, three CAA Championships, consistent top five rankings, and a national championship in 2000.
Angie Loy, a 2002 First Team All-American, tied her Honda Award winning teammate Tiffany Snow last season with 75 points, ranking her second in the nation in scoring. Among her 25 goals last year, six of them proved to be game-winners including nationally ranked Kent State and Delaware and two game-winning goals against the Maryland Terrapins, one of Old Dominion fiercest rivals. In addition, Loy had the knack to find her open teammate in front of the opponent net as made evident by her team-leading 25 assists.
Defender Melissa Leonetti elevated her game to new heights in 2002 and the team should continue to benefit from her leadership and enthusiasm on the field in 2003. Leonetti earned her first All-America honor after helping Old Dominion to eight shutouts last year and recorded 19 assists as the team's primary stick stopper on the penalty corner unit. Her 19 assists were second only to Loy on the team and she ranked among the top 10 in the nation in the category throughout the season. Her defensive efforts and ability to dictate the defense helped the Lady Monarchs outscore their opponents by a hundred goals, 131-31.
Tina Walker will look to join the starting 11 after serving as Old Dominion's back-up keeper to former Lady Monarch Marybeth Freeman the last three seasons. Last season she was a part of three of Old Dominion's eight shutouts and recorded her first career start at Maryland, a team that was ranked first in the nation at the time. To date, Walker holds an 1.11 goals against average.
Last year's trio of true freshmen should also pack Old Dominion will a bigger punch. Midfielders Rosalinda "Chilly" Banuelos (Escondido, CA), Jennifer Angat (Va. Beach, VA), and defender Janelle Engle (Mt. Joy, PA) all cracked the starting line-up during their rookie seasons and are ready to build upon their experience. Chilly Banuelos returns as the team's third leading scorer having registered 10 goals and two assists in her first season of collegiate field hockey. She was the only CAA player to garner the conference's Rookie of the Week twice. Jennifer Angat, a local product from nearby Virginia Beach, recorded seven points on three goals and an assist, while Engle added two goals and an assist, also earning a Rookie of the Week nod.
Bolstering the Old Dominion line-up will be junior midfielder Beth Maddox (Va. Beach, VA), who moved up to the starting line-up in the second game of the season last year and remained there as a key figure in the Lady Monarchs' transition play. Also adding to the line-up in 2003 will be juniors Elizabeth Sharpe (Durham, NC), in the midfield, and Cora Gerardi (Frederica, DE), on defense. Both Sharpe and Gerardi were valuable substitutes last year and will look to parlay their experience into more field time this season.
The Lady Monarchs will once again play one of the country's toughest schedules. On tap for 2003 will included perennial powerhouse rivals such as North Carolina, Maryland, and Princeton along with Old Dominion's traditional CAA rivals. Old Dominion will once again be looking to dominate the conference scene having won seven straight league titles and not having lost a game to a conference opponent since the 1995 CAA Championship game. Despite the Lady Monarchs command of the CAA over the last several seasons, the CAA is as strong as ever as the conference finished the 2002 campaign with three nationally ranked teams that all earned NCAA Tournament births.
The season gets under way with six straight home games at Foreman Field. The season and home opener will be against Louisville on August 30th at 1:00 p.m. Admission to all Old Dominion home games are free.