April 21, 2003
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Head field hockey coach Ann Gold recently announced the commitment of nine student-athletes to Lafayette's class of 2007. The Leopards are hoping to fill the void left by five graduating seniors, including starters Erica Bartsch, Beth Gulotta and Megan Monahan. To do so, Gold's 23rd class is loaded with talent at midfield and on defense.
"I think we have a very strong incoming class, and I am excited to work with these players and to get them working on the turf every day," Gold said. "Although we graduated key players, our senior class was small, and we will be able to make necessary adjustments with our returning players and our incoming freshmen."
Five all-state performers headline the incoming crop, including The Washington Post Player of the Year, Emily Goldman (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron). Goldman, a standout at both defense and midfield, was named to Maryland's All-State First Team in 2002. The senior captain was also named Howard County Player of the Year, and was a member of the All-County First Team as a junior and senior.
A pair of All-State defenders, Chrissy Fallivene (N. Caldwell, N.J./West Essex) and Meghan Loughran (Broomall, Pa./Villa Maria), will help bolster what is already one of the Patriot League's top defenses.
Fallivene was a Mid-Atlantic Regional All-American and New Jersey All-State Third- Team standout for West Essex Regional High School in 2002. The three-year letterwinner was also named to the All-North Jersey First Team in 2001 and 2002.
Loughran was Pennsylvania All-State First-Team defender for Villa Maria Academy in 2002. A senior captain, Loughran, was named to the Main Line Times First Team and an Athletic Association of Catholic Academies All-Star.
Gold will be counting on a couple of All-State players to challenge for time on attack. Wisconsin All-State forward Lisa Melick (Thiensville, WI/University School) brings a wealth of post-season experience and success, as she was apart of three consecutive State Championship teams at the University School of Milwaukee. Melick was a captain in 2002 and named team MVP at season's end.
Lafayette won the recruiting battle for another New Jersey All-State player in Margaret DeFilippo. DeFilippo was a two-time All-State Second Team center midfielder and a three-time captain for the Pingry School. She was also a North Jersey Independent Schools All-Star First-Team performer in 2001 and 2002, and named to the All-Area First Team in 2002.
Gold highlighted the versatility of the incoming freshmen as one of their biggest strengths as a class. "Most of our freshmen have experience at many different positions," Gold said. "Our incoming players that are listed as midfielders do have experience as forwards."
Gold added a pair of defensive recruits from the Philadelphia area's Inter-Ac League. Conference First-Team defender Lauren Cash (Blue Bell, Pa./Penn Charter) was Penn Charter's captain and team MVP in 2002. Two-time All-Inter-Ac Jill Lambert is the lone goaltender among Gold's incoming freshman. Lambert recorded 13 career shutouts for the Shipley School. She was team captain in 2001 and 2002, and Lambert was also a First Team All-Mainline honoree as junior and senior.
Rounding out the class are two multitalented midfielders Alexandria Schmidt (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) and Julia Smith (Catham, Mass./Lawrence). Smith comes to College Hill from Massachusetts where the four-year letterwinner was an assistant captain in 2002 for Lawrence Academy. Schmidt excelled at both midfield and defense for East Brunswick High School and earned All-Greater Middlesex Conference accolades and Defensive MVP honors.
Lafayette ended its 2002 season ranked No. 20 with a 19-3 record, including an 8-0 mark in Patriot League play. The Patriot League champions bowed out to the University of California, Berkeley 1-0 in overtime in the NCAA Play-In Game. The Leopards open up 2003 on Aug. 30 on the road against the University of Connecticut.
