Time to bounce back
Lady Flames lacrosse hopes to surpass its 2-16 mark from last season
After a disappointing 2014 season, the Liberty women’s lacrosse team looks to rebound in the upcoming 2015 campaign.
Veteran — Junior Kelly Grant is one of many Lady Flames returning for the upcomming 2015 season. Photo credit: Leah Seavers
The Lady Flames finished the 2014 regular season with an overall record of 2-16, while going 1-6 in conference play. Their only wins of the season were a 13-9 victory over Elon at home and a 20-10 road win against Presbyterian. However, five of Liberty’s losses were decided by four goals or less.
As the 2015 season draws near, spirits and expectations are high for the Lady Flames. This season will mark the sixth year since the squad moved from a club sport to the ranks of NCAA Division I.
“I think we look pretty good,” Head Coach Kelly Nangle said. “We’ve only had two practices, but I think we’re going the direction we’ve been wanting to go since we started in the fall.”
Nangle, in her second year as head coach at Liberty, believes that although her team won just two games last season, the record does not tell the entire story.
“Yeah, we went 2-16 (last season), so hopefully we win a few more games than that, but we actually had a couple close games last year,” Nangle said. “So we just need the strength and the stamina to get through some of those close games.”
The 2015 schedule may prove to be a challenge for the Lady Flames, as they open the season at home against Virginia Tech Feb. 6, followed by home contests against Navy, Vanderbilt, George Washington and Richmond. Liberty was 0-5 against those teams last season.
Liberty will also travel north up I-81 March 25 to visit James Madison University, which finished last season ranked No. 21 in the NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse Rating Percentage Index.
Despite the formidable opposition Liberty will face, Nangle believes that challenging her players with tough nonconference opponents will only make them better and prepare them for the games that really matter.
“I’m just a big believer in challenging them,” Nangle said. “Our conference play is the most important thing, but I think it’s important to be challenged outside of conference so that when we get to conference play, we’re prepared for our conference opponents.”
Liberty possesses a solid veteran presence led by redshirt senior captains Nina Dunay and Morgan Becker, whose experience is a valued commodity on a young team.
“They’re both here for their fifth year, so they both kind of automatically have the skillset to be good leaders, and we have a really young team, so just their experience in general is good to lead these young kids that don’t really know what they’re doing,” Nangle said.
Becker, who missed her freshman season due to injury, considers it a privilege to be put in such a position and does not take it lightly.
“I think it’s just a great honor to be leading these girls and just share some of the experiences that Nina and I have been through the last couple of years — the tough times and the good times — and just share our excitement of the season with them,” Becker said. “I feel like it kind of puts me on a platform where people can watch me closer, so I have to be more aware of my actions and make sure that I’m being a good example and a good leader.”
Dunay, who also suffered an injury in her freshman season, is grateful to be back for one more season with the Lady Flames and welcomes the challenges that lie ahead this season.
“Challenges excite me, because I feel like we always rise to the occasion,” Dunay said. “Whenever you play teams that might be lower than you, you kind of play down to their level, so I’m hoping that the opposite is true for us and we play up to level and surprise other people and surprise ourselves.”
VANDENBOSCH is a sports reporter.