KUTZTOWN, Pa. (March 22, 2011) – The excruciating pain for Kelsey Hogan (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) last season was not caused by the torn anterior cruciate ligament she suffered. No, the cause of the anguish was missing a majority of the 2010 Kutztown University women's lacrosse season and not being able to contribute.
That was a lonely feeling for the affable Hogan.
“This team is like my family so watching from the sidelines last year was tough,” Hogan said. “I wanted to be out on the field helping them and picking their spirits up.”
Now 2010 is a distant memory for the Golden Bears and Hogan, who took another step forward during Tuesday's exciting 12-10 come-from-behind victory over Mercy College in a non-conference match at Keystone Field. (BOXSCORE)
With the victory, Kutztown (4-2 overall) surpassed its win total from last season. Since the Golden Bears have higher expectations, there was no huge celebration following the victory. Mercy dropped to 4-3 overall.
Hogan scored two goals and added an assist to help Kutztown remain perfect against non-conference opponents this season. She has 10 goals this season, which is second behind Rachel Mehaffey (Woodbury, NJ/West Deptford), who added four goals to increase her season total to 15.
Leeann Pica (Levittown, PA/Neshaminy) scored three times for Kutztown, which battled back from a pair of one-goal second half deficits before controlling the final eight minutes. Freshman Krystine Beodeker (Dingmans Ferry, PA/Delaware Valley) scored what proved to be game-winner off of an Pica assist with exactly three minutes remaining.
The Golden Bears played a wonderful game of keep away following Beodeker's goal and Hogan slammed the door shut with an insurance tally in the final seconds. Kutztown's defense was also rock solid. JoAnn McLaughlin (Cape May, NJ/Lower Cape) was strong in goal again for the Golden Bears as she finished with 10 saves.
“I thought our offense did a great job of stalling at the end,” Kutztown senior defender Justine Simonsen (Hatboro, PA/Upper Moreland) said. “It's nice to have Kelsey back because she's a huge asset. She has heart, speed, talent and she's been helping us out a lot. She pumps us up and she knows what to do.”
Hogan worked hard, long and diligently rehabbing her knee so she could be ready to contribute this season. She loves her teammates and it really hurt her not being able to compete with them last season.
She's back and looking better than ever. Hogan is still a novice to the sport of lacrosse. However, it's hard to tell by watching her bob-and-weave through defenders, thread pinpoint passes to her teammates, and control the ball with ease. Despite a black bulky brace on her knee, Hogan flies around the field in MACH-like speed.
Showcasing her versatility, Hogan also finished with a team-high four ground ball pickups against Mercy. She's second on the team in that category with 17. Randy Vite (Highland Mills, NY/Monroe-Woodbury) leads the Golden Bears with 22 ground balls.
“It finally feels good to be back out there with my family,” Hogan said. “It was a lot of work to get back. I just rehabbed all summer long and even though that process was tough at times, I just kept looking forward to the day when I could get back on the field. That made everything worthwhile. It feels amazing to be back out there.”
Hogan started playing lacrosse as a sophomore at Lenape High School in Mount Laurel (NJ), home of the National Weather Service. She was a track athlete before the lacrosse coach convinced Hogan to try out for the sport. It was love at first sight. A secondary education major, Hogan's life hasn't been the same since.
“She pulled me out and had faith in me,” Hogan said. “I don't know why she had faith in me at the time because I could hardly catch the ball. Now, there is nothing I'd rather do than play lacrosse. I love it. Today, I think we had great midfield transition. Our attack has been great at practice, but I think we can still pull it together and make it better.”
The Golden Bears are having a blast this season. They're working together, and playing with passion. In two of their victories, the Golden Bears have displayed their heart by overcoming late deficits. Kutztown is getting better and more confident with each game.
Being a young team, the Golden Bears still occasionally have momentary lapses in which the opposing team puts together a quick goal scoring run like when Mercy transformed an 8-6 deficit into a 9-8 advantage with 19:58 remaining. However, Kutztown has kept those runs to a minimum as it continues to battle hard to the final whistle.
“We need to keep in mind that we're a new team from last year,” Hogan said. “We also have to keep a positive attitude no matter what happens during games. We have faith and confidence in each other because we know that everybody on this team has each other's back.”
Kutztown continues its five-game home stand this weekend when it hosts Mercyhurst and eighth-ranked Gannon Friday and Saturday. The Golden Bears battle Mercyhurst Friday at 4 p.m. and Gannon Saturday at 1 p.m.
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