Feb. 24, 2012
NORFOLK, Va. - The Old Dominion University Women's Lacrosse team is set to open the 2012 season on Sunday when the host Louisville at noon at the Powhatan Sports Complex.
ODU (0-0) returns 10 of their 12 starters from a year ago under first year interim head coach Heather Holt and are anchored by preseason All-CAA selection Lisa Bernardini (Langhorne, Pa.) and redshirt senior goalie Sarah Geary (Springfield, Pa.), a second team All-CAA selection a year ago.
Bernardini ranked in the league's top-five with 34 goals, 16 assists and 50 points last season, while picking up first team All-CAA honors in 2011. For her career, the senior has 90 goals, 51 assists and 141 points. She is now in the career top-10 at ODU in points and assists and just eight goals short of joining the top-10 in career goals.
In total, the Lady Monarchs have nine seniors on their 2012 squad with attackers Mary Bermingham (Annandale, Va.) and Rebecca Reymann (Cantonsville, Md.), midfielders Sarah Wright (Cazenovia, N.Y.), Alyssa Dragon (Bridgewater, N.J.) and Rebecca Hartrum (Springfield, Pa.) and defenders Hannah McBee (Middletown, Md.) and Courtney Johnson (Ellicott City, Md.) in their final campaigns at ODU.
The Lady Monarchs were selected to finish seventh out of eight teams in the CAA in 2012. Last season, ODU finished 4-11 overall and in a three-way tie for third place in the CAA with a 3-4 record.
Louisville (1-1) opened the season with a 21-7 loss at No. 18 Ohio State on Feb. 19. The Cardinals raced past Longwood on Friday afternoon, 19-8, to even their record. UofL replaces 11 seniors from last year's powerful offensive squad. ODU fell in the 2011 season-opner at Lousiville, 12-7.