TicketsMay 19, 2011
By Rachel Hundley
GoBEARCATS.com
When University of Cincinnati lacrosse head coach Lellie Swords looks back on the 2011 season, she speaks of a team that battled every day, challenged every opponent, and withstood an onslaught of misfortunes, and she could not be prouder of the effort she witnessed from a young squad that never gave up no matter the hardships.
"We always knew they were fighters, but it really amazed me how they handled the adversity," Swords said. "People just stepped into different roles, and they kept going. They were losing teammates in every game, and they never quit fighting. They fought hard in practice and competition, and regardless of the outcome, they fought hard for 60 minutes every game."
The Bearcats finished the season at 2-14, 0-8 in BIG EAST play, but their record does not reflect the turbulent and injury-riddled season this growing team weathered.
"We had a lot of injuries, and this season was really about learning how to deal with adversity," Swords said. "This team did an unbelievable job handling the adversity, and they were able to mature greatly as a result. That will be a good building block for next season whenever we face new obstacles."
Despite the team's record, Swords and her staff saw development and progression in every match, which will be the bedrock as the Bearcats prepare for the 2012 season.
"We really improved throughout the season. As the year went on, we were able to settle down on both sides of the ball, we improved with every single game, and obviously we matured greatly," Swords said. "Those are probably the biggest things we can take into next year."
The future remains bright for this young squad, which will be returning a solid core next season, including 12 incoming seniors who Swords is confident will steady the ship for the Bearcats and guide them toward greater success, including the quest for the program's first BIG EAST conference win.
"Our rising senior class is truly our first class here, and they're a great group. They have high expectations for the team, and they have high expectations for themselves," Swords said. "This was a really difficult year, and they fought through."
The Bearcats return their most potent offensive weapons in rising senior Laura Simanski and juniors-to-be Katie Liberatore and Katie Kiriazoglou. Simanski led the team with 23 goals this season, while Liberatore and Kiriazoglou contributed a balanced scoring effort. Kiriazaglou finished the 2011 season with 17 goals and a team-leading 21 assists, while Liberatore notched 18 goals with 15 assists.
"We're really going to be depending on our rising seniors next season - MacKenzie [Parsons], Kylie [Ramsland], Ali [Mattingly], Laura [Simanski], Jenn [Doran], all of them. It's really hard not to name every single girl when you're talking about having an impact next year," Swords said. "Kiriazoglou, Laura, and Kylie did a tremendous job of stepping up this year and stepping into roles they weren't necessarily used to. They'll all be huge for us next year."
With the conclusion of the 2011 season, the Bearcats also bid farewell to the first four-year class in the program's history. Prior to the team's final match against Notre Dame on May 1, UC honored its seven-member senior class of Allison Bell, Lynsey Burton, Lauren Kelly, Haley Marvine, Karen Skelton, Natalie Starvaggi, and Paige Stratton, a group that helped build the program foundation and set a standard that Swords expects will remain strong into the future.
"This class was part of the first team here, and they always did whatever we asked them to do," Swords said. "They set a tremendous example for the underclassmen, and they stayed positive through all the adversity they faced. I couldn't ask for a better group to set an example for the rest of the team."
Swords already has her sights set on next season with the return of a plethora of experience and talent at all positions. The Bearcats expect to continue with the motto of this year's team and keep battling, challenging, and growing regardless of adversity.
"Our biggest goal for the off-season will be to get healthy," Swords said. "It's really too early to discuss any other goals, but this fall we expect to be healthy and ready to train and prepare for next spring."