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TWLL D2

Regular Season 2014-2015
2014-2015 x Regular Season

Congratulations to the LSU Lady Tigers
2015 TWLL Division 2 Champions

Recent TWLL D2 News

LSU WLAX Wins!

It has been a season to remember for the LSU women’s lacrosse team. The Lady Tigers won the 2015 Texas Women’s Lacrosse League Division II Conference Championship on April 18 when they beat SMU, claiming LSU’s first ever lacrosse championship of any kind.

 

The Lady Tigers received a bid to the WCLA Division II Nationals, but had to decline because it’s taking place at the same time as final exams next week. The team didn’t have enough time or resources to reschedule their exams.

Although the team won’t participate in nationals, it still accomplished the greatest feat of any college lacrosse team in Louisiana’s history. Team president Suzanne Nibley said the win was momentous for the program.

“It’s really significant,” Nibley said. “We’ve made leaps and bounds as a program. To win the championship three years after being established as a team is unheard of.”

The history of the women’s lacrosse team is short, but it has been competitive from the start. The Lady Tigers qualified for the conference playoffs their first year competing in the WCLA and defeated Baylor in their first postseason appearance.

The Lady Tigers made the playoffs again during their second season in league play but had to decline the invitation due to financial reasons. Everything came together for the program in 2015, and this time it was able to take advantage of the opportunity.

“The team dynamic was much better this year,” said junior attacker and team vice president Erin Esh. “We all knew we had each other’s backs. The team really wanted it and learned how to play as a team to win.”

LSU defeated TCU in the semifinal in a tightly contested game. The Lady Tigers saw their nine-goal halftime lead shrink to one before finally pulling away, earning a trip to the final, where they defeated SMU, 16-11.

SMU is a women’s lacrosse powerhouse, which has earned a bid to nationals the last four years.

“We were not expecting to win at all,” Nibley said. “We were just grateful to play them, and we ended up winning. It was a big win for us.”

Junior center-midfielder Alaena Gadwill won Tournament MVP honors after scoring seven goals total in the tournament. She is the first men’s or women’s LSU lacrosse player to win an individual award in postseason play.

After just a few years of being in existence, the program is already becoming a national power. Nibley said she hopes the championship will make the LSU community more aware of the sport’s ascension in Louisiana and help LSU inch toward becoming a Division I team.

“We hope this shows LSU that a D-1 program can really help their athletics in terms of revenue and how popular the sport is getting,” Nibley said. “In the next couple of years, we want to get our numbers up and have the school recognize us. We will get there.”

LSU Wins Division II Conference Title

04/27/2015, 5:15pm EDT
By GeauxLax.com

The 2015 Spring lacrosse season has certainly been “1 for the history books” in the State of Louisiana. We have seen tremendous growth at the youth, high school, & college levels; with 2 of the most successful seasons at LSU for both the men’s & women’s programs. On April 18, the Lady Tigers Lacrosse Program put an exclamation mark on the season by capturing the 2015 Texas Women’s Lacrosse League Division II Conference Championship. By far the greatest on field achievement for any college lacrosse program in Louisiana’s +35 year lacrosse history. Adding a cherry on top, Junior Center-Midfielder Alaena Gadwill (Owings, MD) earned the Tournament MVP Award for her stellar performance of draw controls in addition to her goals & assists throughout both games. She is the 1st LSU Lady Tiger lacrosse player to each such an award in just the 3rd year of the program’s terrific Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (WCLA) history.  

Here is a quick recap of the LSU Women’s Lacrosse Club brief history:

Club formed in the 2011-2012 academic year. Competed as an Independent for the 2012 spring season. Went 3-4-2 on the season.

Joined the WCLA in 2013 to compete within the TWLL conference. Went 7-4 in the regular season.

Qualified for the 2013 TWLL Conference Tournament. Defeated Baylor 22-12 in just their 1st ever post season appearance.

Moved into the newly formed Division II within the TWLL for the 2014 season. Went 6-3 in the regular season.

Qualified for the 2014 TWLL Conference Tournament. Declined bid due to scheduling conflict with Easter Weekend/Spring Break. SMU went on to win 1st Division II Title.

Qualified for the 2015 TWLL Conference Tournament. Went 4-1 in the regular season.

Won the 2015 TWLL Division II Conference Championship. Earned AQ to WCLA Division II Nationals. Declined bid due to schedule conflict with LSU Final Exams.

Junior Alaena Gadwill earns 2015 TWLL Division II Tournament MVP.

TWLL Division II Tournament Games Recap:

                Foul weather all week throughout central Texas as well as south Louisiana caused havoc on teams preparing for the conference tournament as fields were closed or difficult to prepare on. Additionally, the tournament game schedule was altered nearly every day leading up to Championship Saturday with the threat of severe weather potentially causing delays. In the end, the games were moved up by 1 hour leaving #2 seed LSU to face off with #3 seed TCU at 8am with Division I #2 seed Texas A&M taking on #3 Baylor immediately after. The 2nd semifinal in Division II between #1 seed & defending champion SMU & #4 Texas State followed. Division I #1 seed & defending champion Texas held a semifinal by as #4 seed Arkansas declined their bid to the tournament. The Lady Tigers managed to organize practices inside throughout the week leading up to the tournament which unquestionably led to the winning performance on game day.

                As the morning rain cloud hovered over the Caven Lacrosse & Sports Complex at Clark Field on the campus of the University of Texas-Austin, the Lady Tigers & Horned Frogs took the field in a misty haze. Gadwill got things started in the right direction for LSU winning the opening draw. Junior Reese Gassie (Leonardtown, MD) earned the 1st 8m free position shot of the game & found the back of the net. TCU countered on the next draw to even the score. After winning the ensuing draw, the Lady Tigers offense work the ball around the perimeter until Freshman Sydney Mulroy (Ellicott City, MD) earned an 8m of her own & fooled TCU’s goalie to put the Tigers back in the lead 2-1. LSU would hold the lead for the duration of the contest. At the 22 minute mark Gassie fed Sophomore Erin Esh (Allen, TX) for an adjacent feed, shot, & score. Junior Taylor Reeves (Boston, MA) got in on the action with a powerful 8m free position shot. TCU countered for a score with 18 minutes to play bringing the game to 4-2. Gadwill notched 1 of her 13 draw controls on the game in the next set up leading to a strong possession by the Lady Tigers. Gadwill then found a cutting Gassie in the arc who buried the biscuit in the basket with a strong right handed fake & finish. The next time down the field Reeves earned another 8m FP finding the twine then performing her own version of a make it-take it effort putting the purple & gold up by 7-2. Gassie then returned the assist favor to Gadwill who cut by the TCU defense for a high passing feed & finish to the cage. Possessing the ball again off of the draw, the offense got the ball back in Gassie’s stick for yet another 8m in which she plucked the upper 90 corner. TCU rebounded after a save on the next shot by the Lady Tigers working in their 3rd goal of the game, 9-3 at this point. Freshman Maria Chavez (Colorado Springs, CO) capitalized on a crease roll that she has been perfecting all season long in practice & in games after rolling the right side of the crease, bringing TCU’s goalie all the way out of position, allowing Chavez to find a wide open far right side of the cage. Reeves added an assist to her day by finding Gadwill at the top of the arc who struck her favorite upper 90 corner. On the final possession of the half Gassie took control of the rock, dodged hard from the top of the arc by 2 TCU defenders & absolutely launched a rocket shot leaving LSU up 12-3 going into the break.

                The Lady Tigers coaching staff attempted to calm the excited nerves of the team during the intermission, warning to remember how tight the last game against TCU was just weeks before. Coach Lauren Davenport stressed “we have to go out with the mentality that the score is 0-0 here in the 2nd half”. Team leaders stepped up in the huddle to add in their perspectives to keep the team fired up & focused. However, the message did not translate to the field as the Horned Frogs rattled off 6 goals in the 1st 17 minutes of the 2nd frame. The Lady Tigers continued to win man of the draws however they just could not convert possessions into goals until Reeves collected a feed from Gassie to slow down the TCU attack bringing the score to 13-9. Mulroy found herself with another 8m free position to add to the lead. The Frogs then rattled off another attacking effort with 4 goals in a row bringing them within 1 of the Lady Tigers for the 2nd time in the game. With 2 minutes left in the game Reeves dodged through TCU traffic to find the back of the net putting the LSU up 15-13. Both teams traded quick possessions off of the final draw leading to the Lady Tigers finding themselves with the ball & ran the clock out for the victory. Junior Kaci Rogers (Winnfield, LA) would end the game with 12 saves on 22 shots on goals for 55% between the pipes. “We simply got too comfortable in the 2nd half, resting on our heels with the lead. I think subconsciously we attempted to save our legs for the next game. But, you can’t do that in a tournament setting as a comeback like the one TCU almost pulled off is very possible” stated Coach McDonald after the win.

                Texas A&M took the field against Baylor in the next game on the turf for the Division 1 semifinal matchup of the day. Both teams played very closely in the 1st half going into the intermission at 7-6 in favor of the Aggies. The 2nd half found A&M settling into their rhythm as they won the game 17-7 for the right to take on Texas in the Division 1 Championship. The 2nd Division II semifinal between SMU & Texas State took the field with clearing skies. The Mustangs arrived to town with just 11 players for the tournament. The Bobcats played very tight all game long despite having the larger roster. SMU went into the break up 5-3 with the 2nd half showing each team essentially trading goals. With 24.7 seconds to play in the game Texas State tied the score up 9-9. The Mustangs won the next draw & streaked straight through the Bobcat defense to take the 1 goal lead with 12 seconds to go. The final draw of the contest went down to a scrum & the clock ran out. The rematch the Lady Tigers had been waiting for since the 2013 tournament was set, this time for the Division II Championship.

                LSU got out to the start they wanted with Gadwill continuing to take control of the draw circle then slicing by the SMU ride straight to the cage for a punishing 1st goal. The Mustangs countered with 3 goals of their own as they showcased their skills in ball handling & team play off of Tiger turnovers. Continued strong draw control play led to a 4 goal streak as Reeves started things with a commanding shot. Gassie found the upper 90 to tie the game at 3-3. Reeves got into sharing the ball with Gadwill to give LSU the lead. Reeves dodged 2 defenders on the ensuing possession to put the Tigers up 5-3. SMU kept things close by answering with their 4th of the half. Gassie buried the next shot for LSU then Gadwill showcased her draw control, attack, & scoring triple threat to set LSU ahead 7-5 with 7 minutes left in the frame. After the Mustangs responded Gadwill put some more money in the back. Chavez got in on the action with a thrilling behind the back goal. Esh then executed a textbook inside roll notching the Tigers up 10-6. Reeves earned an 8m free position for the final score for LSU in the half. The Mustangs fought to put 1 more in going into the intermission down 11-7. “At this point, we had to make sure we calmed some nerves. We knew we had our 1st lead over SMU in our young history & we did not want to let that go” commented McDonald. “Even with the Mustangs playing man down in the semifinal & then the Championship game back to back, we had to be mindful of the situation & their skill sets. They could’ve easily taken back the lead & ultimately the trophy if we did not play a strong 2nd half as a team with a plan”.

                A strong plan was certainly accomplished out of the break as Gassie & Mulroy buried impressive 8m shots off of 2 quick draw controls & offensive possessions for the Tiger offense. Gadwill ran her triple threat once against followed by Gassie for LSU’s largest lead of the game at 15-7. SMU put 1 in with 12:40 in the game. Tiger Senior Tameka Gongs subbed in at attack from her steady roll at defense on the season. Esh fed Gongs on a great cut from the left side of the crease in which she caught the ball, turned a 360 to avoid the SMU defense before finding the back of the net for her 1st score of her lacrosse career. The Mustangs continued their fight netting another goal with 4:33 to play, trailed by another on the following possession. Both teams traded ball control after the next draw until SMU scored 1 more with 17 seconds to go. With the final draw of the game, LSU ran the clock out to win their 1st ever Division II Conference Championship.

                Coach Amy Jones boasted “I cannot be more proud of the girls. Everyone gave their heart all season! With all of the hard work & hustle they put in this season, it is very rewarding to have the season turnout the way it did”. As goalie coach her thoughts on Rogers in cage were “I’m super proud of her. She came up with some major saves when we needed them”. Coach Lauren Davenport added “It is an amazing feeling to watch the players run onto the field in celebration of such a victory. It was wonderful for the ladies to recognize how much the conditioning skills the fine-tuned field practices paid off. We were able to utilize those very skills to come out on top”.  

                Along with the Conference Championship, the Lady Tigers earned the conference automatic qualifier bid to the WCLA Division II National Tournament. Unfortunately, the tournament takes place the same week as finals for LSU & the team made the decision to keep their academics as a priority ahead of lacrosse. Therefore the 2015 season ends for LSU with an overall record of 6-1 & a LaxPower.com Power Ranking of 12th (as of April 27, 2015). The program will say goodbye to 2 players at the team banquet: Senior Tameka Gongs who will be graduating & heading to Washington D.C. to begin her professional life. Senior Steph Wilderspin will be heading back to England as her study time in the States is coming to an end. Junior Alaena Gadwill will be graduating in December & be traveling abroad along with taking an internship. She will take with her the 2015 TWLL Division II Conference Tournament MVP Award for her performance in both games, the highest individual award ever received by an LSU Lady Tiger lacrosse player. Her 7 goals, 1 assist, & 27 draw controls were simply dominant & put her ahead of the pack in consideration for the award.

                Be sure to stay tuned to all of the LSU Women’s Lacrosse news, updates, & information throughout the summer as the Lady Tigers prepare for the Fall Ball season then the Spring 2016 season in which they will defend their conference title:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/LSU-Womens-Lacrosse-Club/219975431350011
https://twitter.com/lsuwomenslax
https://instagram.com/lsuwomenslax
http://www.wcla.us/page/show/1500649-louisana-state

Lady Tigers Head to TWLL Playoffs

04/15/2015, 9:00pm EDT
By GeauxLax.com

They say that lacrosse is the fastest game on 2 feet; the same can be said for the speed of the lacrosse season as it is playoff time! The LSU Lady Tigers (4-1, 2-1) are headed to Austin, TX this weekend for the TWLL Conference Tournament in an effort to win the TWLL Automatic Qualifying bid for the WCLA Division 2 National Championship Tournament taking place May 7-9 in Virginia Beach, VA. LSU is headed to the TWLL Conference Tournament for the 2nd time, though they have qualified for the post-season event in each of the last 3 seasons. Last year, the Lady Tigers had to decline their bid as the tournament was scheduled the weekend of Easter which was also LSU’s Spring Break. Back in 2013, the Tigers won their 1st ever women’s lacrosse playoff game against Baylor 22-12 at a time when the TWLL only had 1 division for its member programs. Last season saw the implementation of the Division 1 & Division 2 breakdown within the conference, in which the University of Texas took the D1 crown & Southern Methodist took to the D2 crown. The Lady Tigers would have faced SMU in the semifinals had they been able to make the trip. The Mustangs went on to play 4 games at the National Tournament in which they did emerge with 1 victory in the Consolation Round vs. UC San Diego.

2015 allows for an opportunity in which the Tigers & Mustangs could face-off in the Division 2 Championship game, should they both survive their semifinal opponents. The 2 teams did not meet in the 2015 regular season. LSU, the #2 seed will take on #3 TCU (4-3, 2-2) at 8:30am in a quick rematch of last month’s nail biter in which the Tigers outlasted the Horned Frogs by a score of 18-17 at neutral location Texas A&M, in a rescheduled match-up that was supposed to have originally taken place in late February. Afterwards, at 10:30am, the #1 seed SMU (5-3, 4-0) will face a very tough #4 seeded Texas State (6-2, 3-2) in a post-season rematch from early in the season where the Mustangs took home the victory by a score of 18-8. The Bobcats also handed LSU their lone loss of the season last month by a score of 12-9. The winners of each semifinal contest will faceoff at approximately 12:30pm for the TWLL Division 2 Championship. The Division 1 semifinal game between #2 Texas A&M & #3 Baylor will then take place at approximately 2pm followed by the Division 1 Championship game at approximately 4pm with the winner taking on #1 Texas.

Last month, the LSU survived a TCU comeback late in the 2nd half on the heels of an 8 goal performance by Junior Taylor Reeves (Boston, MA) & a 12 save effort in cage by Junior Kaci Rogers (Winnfield, LA). Reeves is currently 2nd in TWLL Division 2 goals scoring at 26, needing just 3 goals this weekend to take the top spot. Meanwhile, Rogers leads in save percentage at .482, among starting goalies. Junior teammate Reese Gassie (Leonardtown, MD) sits behind Reeves with 19 goals & shows no signs of slowing down. The Tigers are looking to improve in 1 major area this time around against TCU & that is at the draw circle. The Horned Frogs simply dominated for draw controls in the previous match-up & LSU is working hard this week in preparation to turn the tables on that particular stat.
In Saturday’s semifinal the Tigers are facing an uphill battle as they are very likely to be without team assists leader Freshman Madison Murray (Shreveport, LA) at attack due to her academic schedule. Additionally, they are losing key team contributors, Juniors Ashley Leggett (Coto de Caza, CA) & Randi Fracassi (Blanchard, MI) who have work schedule conflicts. However, the team has experience this season shuffling the roster around to allow for alternate position players to pitch in where needed in order to come away victorious.
Freshmen Sydney Mulroy (Ellicott City, MD) & Maria Chavez (Colorado Springs, CO) along with Sophomore Erin Esh (Allen, TX) will likely start up at attack with the 4th slot to be decided upon by game time. They will trade positions throughout the game(s) with Juniors Reeves, Gassie, & Alaena Gadwill (Owings, MD) at midfield to spell shifts up & down the field. Freshmen Lauren Fontenot (Youngsville, LA), Dejanai Hilliard (Rockville, MD), & Junior Sabrina Benoit (Lake Arthur, LA) will likely find their play minutes mixed between defense, midfield, & attack. The defense will be the strength of LSU’s efforts this Saturday as Junior Maggie Durci (Shreveport, LA), who leads the squad with playoff experience, flanked by Seniors Teresa Guilbault (Woodstock, GA) & Tameka Gongs (Washington D.C.), Sophomore Katie Palmer (Baton Rouge, LA), Junior Steph Wilderspin (Essex, England), as well as the previously mentioned rotators.

You can keep up with this Saturday’s action via the LSU Women’s Lacrosse Club Facebook Page & Twitter Feed:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/LSU-Womens-Lacrosse-Club/219975431350011
https://twitter.com/lsuwomenslax

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