Colby women's lacrosse ranked 11th in current

The Colby women’s lacrosse team earned historical distinctions in 2006. The Mules finished their regular season with a 13-2 regular season record, a 7-2 NESCAC record, and a 14-4 overall record. The .778 winning percentage makes the 2006 season the most successful in the 28-year history of women’s lacrosse at Colby.

After capturing third place in the very competitive NESCAC, Colby earned its sixth straight trip to the conference tournament. The Mules went on to receive the program’s first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament bid. The Mules earned a team record for most consecutive wins in a season after winning 11 straight games that culminated in a regular season victory over Bowdoin. Colby’s winning streak started early in the season when they knocked off top-ranked Williams and Colorado College.

Colby’s only losses of the regular season were to then second-ranked Middlebury, and a heartbreaking overtime loss to sixth-ranked Amherst. Colby ended its season in the NCAA tournament regional finals with a close loss to conference rival Bowdoin.

Other highlights of the season were national, regional, and conference honors earned by several Colby players. Attacker Allie Libby ’07, midfielder Kate Sheridan ’09, and goalkeeper Catharine O’Brien ’07 were all named to the IWLCA/US Lacrosse All-America teams. Libby became just the second Colby player in program history to earn first team honors, Sheridan is the lone first-year player to earn All-America honors while being named to the second team, and O’Brien was selected to the third team.

Libby, Sheridan, O’Brien, defender Liz Morbeck ’07, and attacker Elizabeth Ghilardi ’06 were all on the Regional All-America first team. Libba Cox ’07 was selected to the second team.

Colby finished the season ranked second in Division III for scoring offense at 16 goals per game and was 11th in scoring margin. The 2006 team earned school records for goals, assists, and total points.

Libby finished the season as the leading point producer and also led the team in assists. She broke school records for total points in a season (88) and most assists in a season (53). Libby’s total assists ranked her third in the country for assists per game. Sheridan led the team with 46 goals and was second for total points with 59.

The Colby defense and midfield also earned national distinctions for their midfield and defensive play. Colby ranked first in the country in draw controls, third for caused turnovers, and ninth for ground balls.

Sheridan, Cox, Carrie Lovejoy ’08 joined forces with Morbeck to lead the midfield and defense. The four players combined for more than a half of the team’s total draw controls and more than a third of Colby’s ground balls and caused turnovers.

O’Brien ’07 was outstanding in goal with a stingy .530 save percentage, which was the best in the NESCAC. O’Brien also ranked third in the NESCAC for saves per game (11.06) and was fourth in the conference for goals against average (9.92).

Losing only four senior starters to graduation, Colby expects to continue to make dramatic improvements in 2006. The Mules aim to continue their national recognition as one of the top NESCAC squads and a top-ranked team in the country, and they hope to break into the top 10 nationally and into the top three within the NESCAC.

All three of the top goal scorers from the 2005 season will return, including leading goal scorer Lauren Barrett, a dynamic midfield player with a quick first step, lots of speed, and a powerful shot. Allie Libby '07 and co-captain Elizabeth Ghilardi '06 return as the second- and third-leading goal scorers and will be looked upon to lead the pack at the attacking end of the field with their finesse skills and accurate shooting. Courtney Drake '07, who ranked fifth in goals scored in 2005, should be a major scoring threat in 2006 as well as a pivotal component in the Mules' offensive transition.

Kelsey Neville '06, a starter since her first year at Colby, will lead the Mules in the midfield. With her speed and excellent vision of the field, Neville plays a vital role in the Mules' transition game. She is also an excellent shooter and a dynamic part of the team's zone defense. Joining Neville in the midfield are returning starters Libba Cox '07 and Barrett. Carrie Lovejoy '08 also earned significant playing time in 2005. Cox and Lovejoy are both strong workhorses with incredible endurance. All three will be crucial in their roles in the team's defense unit. Incoming first-year player Kate Sheridan should round out the midfield. The entire midfield has tremendous speed and will be able to add dangerous fast-breaking opportunities to the Mules' offensive game.

Co-captain Leah Weisberg '06 and Liz Morbeck '07 will lead the team on defense. Weisberg has excellent anticipation and is a solid defender. She gave up the fewest fouls of any defender on the team, with an average of less than one per game. She will be looked up on to take over one of the lead roles in Colby's zone defense. Morbeck is a relentless and aggressive player, was second on the team in ground balls in 2005, and ranked third behind Jones and Beltz on caused turnovers. Morbeck also possesses incredible speed and initiates many of the team's fast breaks. Jamie Enos '08, and Emmie Theberge '08 will vie for the two spots with first-year players vacated by the graduation of Jones and Beltz. Incoming player Mary Clare Snediker also should compete for playing time as a low defender. Catharine O'Brien will round out the defense as the goaltender and will look to bring even greater consistency to her outstanding play in the cage.

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