PITT, NAVY CLUB KEEP NO. 1 POSITIONS IN LATEST WCLA RANKINGS

WED MAR 4 2020 | PAUL OHANIAN | COLLEGE

PHOTO BY SHANNON JAYNE PHOTO

Unranked in the preseason, a 7-1 start has propelled UCSD to No. 7 in the latest D-II ranking.

In a relatively light week of action, there were no changes among the top five in the newest WCLA Division I Top 20 ranking. Pitt, which was idle, maintained its No. 1 position, with UCLA at No. 2. The Bruins are 6-1 overall, with their only loss coming in a one-goal game against Pitt.

Michigan Club, Georgia and Colorado Club, respectively, round out the top five.

No. 12 Florida State had the biggest jump this week, moving up three spots while improving to 9-0 overall. The Seminoles added two more lopsided wins during the week, recording easy victories over Ole Miss and South Florida. FSU’s average margin of victory in its nine games is 15.5 goals per game.

“We have a team of passionate and hard-working girls this season that have great chemistry on the field,” said club president Julia Dennis. “We’re looking forward to continuing our success and seeing what our team is going to achieve.”

No. 14 Boston College Club, No. 18 North Carolina Club and No. 20 Maryland Club all moved into the ranking for the first time this year. BC opened with a 19-12 win over No. 16 Northeastern, and UNC slipped past No. 19 Central Florida, 9-8.

Texas, Texas A&M and Utah State dropped out.

WCLA DIVISION I
NATIONAL TOP 20

In Division II, No. 1 Navy Club and No. 2 Loyola Club continue to lead the pack. Both teams were idle during the past week. 

There was limited movement in the rest of the top 10, with Denver Club holding its spot at No. 3, while No. 4 St. Thomas and No. 5 Air Force each moved up one spot.

UC San Diego continues to climb after improving to 7-1 overall with wins over UC Irvine and Concordia. Unranked in the preseason, UCSD is now ranked seventh, a jump of two spots from its debut position in last week’s poll.

No. 14 Vermont is the highest-ranked newcomer this week. The Catamounts opened their season with wins over No. 12 New Hampshire and Bates.

Nearly 230 non-varsity collegiate teams comprise the WCLA and compete under the US Lacrosse umbrella. The 2020 season will conclude with the D-I and D-II national championships in Round Rock, Texas, May 6-9.

WCLA DIVISION II
NATIONAL TOP 20

PITTSBURGH, NAVY CLUB OWN TOP SPOTS IN FIRST WCLA RANKINGS

WED FEB 26 2020 | PAUL OHANIAN | COLLEGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANNON JAYNE

Virginia Club rose six spots in the WCLA D-I poll after a 4-0 start, which includes a 12-10 win over No. 16 Utah State.

Defending D-I national champion Pittsburgh, ranked No. 1 in the WCLA Preseason Top 20, has solidified that position with a strong start to the 2020 season. After finishing 4-0 against four ranked opponents at the Golden State Invitational in Los Angeles and adding three more wins last weekend, the 7-0 Panthers retain the top position in the first WCLA D-I Top 20 ranking of the year. 

Pitt had just one tightly contested game in California, a 14-13 win over No. 2 UCLA. In the other games, Pitt cruised to decisive wins over No. 10 San Diego State, No. 9 Cal Poly and No. 8 Santa Clara. 

UCLA offset its loss to Pitt with two impressive victories, defeating No. 3 Michigan, 10-9, and No. 4 Georgia, 13-11. Ranked fifth in the preseason, the Bruins jumped three spots in this new poll. 

No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Georgia both won three of four games at the Golden State Invitational. In total, the three non-California teams posted a combined 10-2 record at the event, while the four California squads finished a combined 2-10 (with tournament host UCLA accounting for both wins).

Georgia has also been impressive through its early schedule, with a 5-1 record that has jumped the Bulldogs up six spots from their preseason ranking. Georgia won three of four games in Los Angeles, losing only to UCLA, 13-11. 

Five D-I squads finished with unblemished records at the Santa Barbara Shootout, highlighted by a 3-0 showing by No. 6 BYU and a 4-0 mark by No. 7 Virginia. The Cavaliers jumped six spots from the preseason, fueling much enthusiasm for the season ahead. 

“We were really excited to head out to California and face some teams we don't have the opportunity to play on a regular basis, and we are really proud of how we did,” said Virginia club president Jessi Rowell. “We have been working hard to come back better and stronger this year. We cannot wait for the rest of the season.” 

Miami Ohio and Florida State, both unranked in the preseason, are now ranked 14th and 15th on the strength strong early showings. Miami finished 3-0 in Santa Barbara while the Seminoles have started 8-0 this season. No. 5 Colorado is also among the undefeated teams and has moved up 10 spots from its preseason position.

WCLA DIVISION I
NATIONAL TOP 20

In Division II, preseason No. 1 Navy Club and No. 2 Loyola Club hold the same positions in the first weekly poll. Navy is off to a 2-0 start with wins over No. 18 Salisbury and unranked George Washington, while Loyola stands 2-0 with victories over Drexel Club and Maryland Club. 

Denver Club, Oakland and St. Thomas round out the top five. 

With a 5-1 start to the season that included four wins in Santa Barbara, UC San Diego is the most notable newcomer in the first ranking of the season. Unranked in the preseason, the Tritons debut at No. 9 this week. They are one of eight teams in this week’s poll that were not ranked in the preseason.

No. 7 Gonzaga enjoyed the biggest jump, climbing 12 spots from its position in the preseason poll. The Zags started the year with five straight wins, and their only losses have come in tight games against No. 3 Denver and No. 6 Air Force. 

Nearly 230 non-varsity collegiate teams comprise the WCLA and compete under the US Lacrosse umbrella. The 2020 season will conclude with the D-I and D-II national championships in Round Rock, Texas, May 6-9.

WCLA DIVISION II
NATIONAL TOP 20

PITTSBURGH'S JULIA LYNCH NAMED WCLA

DIVISION I PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MON 13 JAN 2020 | PAUL OHANIAN | COLLEGE

PHOTO BY MIKE CAUDILL

THIS STORY APPEARS IN THE JANUARY 2020 EDITION OF US LACROSSE MAGAZINE. DON'T GET THE MAG? HEAD TO USLACROSSE.ORG TO SUBSCRIBE.

Every season is a new season.

New year, new team.

There’s significant truth in those clichés, but there’s also merit in assessing a team’s potential based on the returning personnel from the previous season.

That’s why having a player like Julia Lynch, the US Lacrosse Magazine WCLA Division I Preseason Player of the Year for, gives defending WCLA champion and top-ranked Pittsburgh hope for another strong campaign in 2020.

A returning first team All-American defender, Lynch anchored the Panthers during a dominant 19-0 campaign. Pittsburgh claimed its second WCLA title with a 15-11 win over Delaware.

“She is a driving force on our defense and leads by example,” Pitt coach Kevin Tidgewell said. “It’s all dictated by her work ethic.”

That drive extends beyond lacrosse. A senior from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Lynch also serves as the president for the Pittsburgh women’s soccer club. She often joins her lacrosse teammates for fall practice having just concluded a soccer practice. It’s not uncommon for Lynch to have soccer club practice from 6 -8 p.m., followed by lacrosse practice from 8-10 p.m.

“I love the competition,” said Lynch, a converted midfielder who chose Pitt over varsity options at other schools that recruited her. “I’m still not afraid to take the ball to the offense end when the opportunity is there.”

Despite the demands of her soccer schedule, Lynch traveled to every one of Pitt’s nine fall ball games and also attended every practice. Between the two sports, she has at least one team practice every night of the week.

“Because I love it, it’s not a chore for me,” Lynch said. “I’ve learned how to manage my time pretty well.”

As soccer club president, Lynch’s responsibilities extended beyond just showing up for practice. She scheduled the referees for all of Pitt’s home games, managed the team budget and coordinated practice planning and logistics with the team’s volunteer coach.

One of the benefits of her other duty, scheduling games, gave her some control over the two-sport overlap this past fall. She has been a member of both club teams since her freshman year.

“I was able to structure the soccer schedule around our fall ball schedule this past year,” she said.  “In past years, I had to drive by myself to a fall ball lacrosse tournament because I had to leave early to get to a soccer game on the same day.”

“Her commitment and effort serve as great examples for all of our players,” Tidgewell said.

Lynch is quick to credit the unity of her defensive teammates as a key to Pitt’s lacrosse success. The senior trio of Lynch, Emily Nutter and Liz Maisch spearhead a group that ranks among the nation’s best. The Panthers allowed fewer than five goals per game in 2019.

“We feel like our unit is something special, because we have such trust in each other,” Lynch said. “On defense, it’s all about the unit working together. Slide together. Move together. The motto is, ‘Refuse to get beat.’ We know that defense wins championships.”

Lynch’s dynamic impact is not lost on her teammates.

“She’s such a great leader for our team because she always gives it her all,” lacrosse club president Allison Macrae said. “As a teammate, you know that she’s always got your back. She’s just an incredible player.”

Despite the time demands of being a member of two club teams since her freshman year, Lynch is on track to graduate in four years with a degree in rehabilitation science. She will begin graduate studies in physical therapy at Duke next year.

Before then, she hopes to lead the Panthers on another championship run this spring.

“Our goal is the same from season to season,” Lynch said. “We want to get back to the nationals and win the championship. The bar is set pretty high.”

Copyright © US Lacrosse Magazine 2019

LOYOLA CLUB'S KELLY O'KREPKIE NAMED WCLA D-II PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

WED 15 JAN 2020 | PAUL OHANIAN | COLLEGE

PHOTO BY MIKE CAUDILL

Loyola University Maryland is the most successful program in the WCLA’s 10-year era of Division II championships. The Greyhounds have recorded 20 all-time wins in WCLA tournament play, more than any other team, and have made four appearances in the championship game.

Loyola was the national runner-up in the inaugural Division II championship tournament in 2010, and again in 2017. Over the past two years, the Hounds have been dominant in capturing back-to-back titles, and they are again among the favorites in 2020.

It’s probably no coincidence that attacker Kelly O’Krepkie’s career overlaps with Loyola’s recent supremacy, making the senior All-American a solid choice as the US Lacrosse WCLA Division II Preseason Player of the Year.

“She’s like a coach on the field,” said Loyola team captain Jenna Siegelbaum, who joined O’Krepkie on the 2019 All-American team. “She’s always thinking about the smartest play that we can make.”

O’Krepkie serves as the team’s quarterback much of the time, directing the offense and initiating the play. Her decision-making has helped fuel an explosive offense that has put up record-setting numbers at the WCLA championship tournament in each of the past two years.

In 2018, the Greyhounds scored 68 goals in four tournament games, the second-highest total ever, and capped their championship run with a lopsided 14-3 win in the final over defending champion Denver. O’Krepkie masterfully directed the offense that day, finishing with four goals and four assists and being selected as the tournament’s most outstanding attacker. Loyola’s 11-goal margin of victory was the largest ever in the D-II championship game.

“She’s always looking to spread the ball around,” Siegelbaum said. “She’s got a great mindset.”

Last year, Loyola avenged its only loss of the year, against Navy, by rebounding with wins over the Mids in both the MAWLL league final and again in the national championship game. A season-ending 10-game winning streak carried the Greyhounds to their second straight WCLA title.

Not surprisingly, O’Krepkie was one of the catalysts again in last year’s title run. First, she posted another eight-point game with four goals and four assists in the semifinal win over Utah State. She followed the next day with one goal and three more assists in the 13-6 win over Navy Club in the final.

“Goals are nice, but I love getting assists because it helps build the confidence of the other players,” O’Krepkie said.

Surprisingly, the Port Washington, N.Y. native didn’t abound in confidence when she first arrived at Loyola in the fall of 2016. She was one of 30 girls who tried out for just five available slots on the Greyhounds competitive club team and was nervous about her chances of making the cut.

“I was so excited to make the team as a freshman,” she said.

Being part of the squad quickly turned her initial apprehensiveness into a strong sense of comfort and belonging.

“I felt at home right away because there’s such a family culture on our team,” O’Krepkie said. “We’re all very close, and we love to hang out together.”

Now, as a senior, O’Krepkie and the other team leaders like Siegelbaum accept the challenge of cultivating that closeness with the newcomers to the program. Loyola functions as one of the few student-coached teams in the country, with the players taking on all responsibilities for the club without assistance from a coach.

“We try to pass it along by showing the underclassmen all the ropes,” O’Krepkie said.

That nurturing process may be critical to positioning Loyola for another championship run this spring. Last fall, seven of the eight members from a strong junior class were studying abroad, meaning that the team bonding usually done during fall practices was incomplete. That absence, however, hasn’t altered the team’s mindset heading into the 2020 season.

“Our expectation is to win again,” said O’Krepkie, who looks forward to returning to the championship venue in Round Rock, Texas.

It’s the same facility where she registered one of her other career highlights, an 11-point effort against St. Benedict in 2018 that ranks as the second highest individual scoring game in tournament history. With 28 wins over the past two seasons, capped by the back-to-back national titles, it’s likely that the Greyhounds will have a chance to meet their lofty expectations. And it’ll be hard to bet against Loyola should they return to the national tournament.

After all, that’s when O’Krepkie shines brightest.

Copyright © US Lacrosse Magazine 2019