KUTZTOWN, PA (April 12, 2010) – For somebody who has never played lacrosse, freshman goalie Karly Waltman appears to be a natural fit for the fast moving sport. Waltman never expected to be playing every minute of each game this season, but sometimes things happen.
Waltman has the black, blue and scarlet bruises all over her arms and legs as reminders of how much fun she is having as the last line of defense for the Kutztown University women's lacrosse team. Waltman and the Golden Bears battled visiting East Stroudsburg hard before surrendering a tough 16-12 decision in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division game Monday afternoon at Keystone Field. (BOXSCORE)
“I am used to playing field hockey and lacrosse is a different game,” Waltman said. “I like playing goal a lot. I feel like I can be more productive on the field from my position and influence the game.”
Offensively, the Golden Bears (2-10 overall, 0-7 PSAC East) were paced by the triumvirate of Rachel Mehaffey, Lindsey Crits and Jen Dunne. They combined for 11 of Kutztown's 12 goals. Mehaffey fired in a season-high five goals. Crits and Dunne added three goals each for the Golden Bears.
Leann Pica enjoyed a multi-faceted game by scoring a goal, handing out two assists, winning four draw controls and picking up four ground balls.
In turning in a solid effort, Waltman finished with a season-high 14 saves. Waltman was very aggressive in net against the Warriors, coming out to meet attackers and thwart scoring opportunities. She was so active against ESU that at times, Waltman resembled a washing machine on the spin cycle. Her effort throughout the season, in which she has made 94 saves, has been appreciated by everybody.
“She had a beautiful game today,” Kutztown head coach Sarah Greer said. “She got thrown into the fire and she's responded well for this season and has done some nice things for us.”
Overall, the Golden Bears showed a lot of resiliency in rebounding from Saturday's loss at third-ranked Lock Haven. Mehaffey scored the Golden Bears' first two goals to help KU grab a 2-1 lead with 21 minutes, 56 seconds remaining in the first half. Kutztown never trailed by more than four goals. Each time that it appeared as if ESU would pull away, the Golden Bears responded with a timely caused turnover or goal.
The Golden Bears never quit or stopped playing hard despite trailing the entire second half. Trailing, 14-10 with under 10 minutes remaining, the Golden Bears closed to within 14-12 following goals from Crits and Mehaffey from the free position with 6:16 remaining. Kutztown had several chances to get closer, but unfortunately shots sailed wide.
Kutztown continues to improve its transition game, ability to string passes together and communication on defense. The Golden Bears forced several turnovers and collected a lot of groundballs. Randy Vite finished with a season-high 10 groundballs to lead Kutztown. She was all over the field in the middle of scrums and aggressively attacked loose balls like a hungry lion who hasn't eaten in a month.
“We're mentally strong as a team,” Waltman said. “Sometimes, it's not all about the wins; it's about how far you've come as a team with every game.”
Mehaffey has traveled a great distance in a short period of time after tearing her anterior cruicate ligament last July. She spent months of grueling rehabilitation. Working up a serious sweat, Mehaffey worked diligently in strengthening her muscles and building her endurance. She missed the entire soccer season.
For somebody who wasn't sure if she was going to play lacrosse this season, Mehaffey has been a solid contributor. She has found the back of the net 16 times for the Golden Bears. She is tied for team lead along with Crits and Dunne with 24 points.
While the season has not produced the desired number of wins, Mehaffey's presence on the field is a victory in itself as is the heart displayed by Kutztown in every game.
“When I tore my ACL, I had hoped to be able to play lacrosse this year,” Mehaffey said. “I knew I was going to miss soccer season, but I worked really hard to get ready for lacrosse. We are working together and getting better as a team. Our improvement has been incredible.”
As proof of their progress, several Golden Bears trudged slowly to the locker room as the sun sparkled like a diamond sporting clear ice bags on knees, thighs, arms, and heads. Janice Kinney was her usual strong self during the game causing three turnovers and picking up four ground balls. Emily Savini and Samantha Crist had strong efforts against ESU doing plenty of little things that didnt show up on the stat sheet.
Kutztown returns to action Thursday afternoon when it travels to Shippensburg for a PSAC East contest starting at 4 p.m.
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