Goal Oriented
by Marc Glass

Before taking the field at every game this season, the women's lacrosse team broke from its huddle shouting "Pride!" It was an appropriate declaration. The White Mules finished the season with a 10-4 mark and their first ECAC playoff berth since 1989. Three regular-season victories were by a margin of more than 18 goals, and the Mules won the CBB championship.
Goalie Jennifer Pope '96 (Needham, Mass.) was named NESCAC Player of the Week for routinely exceeding 16 saves per game, and she was selected to play in the STX North-South Senior All-Star game, which featured the top senior Division III women's lacrosse players in the nation. Amie Sicchitano '96 (Wellesley Hills, Mass.) was named first alternate to the STX all-star game. Pope and Kara Marchant '97 (Lakeville, Conn.) were named second-team regional All-Americans by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association, and Marchant was given honorable mention in All America voting by the United States Women's Lacrosse Association. Stacy Joslin '97 (Warwick, R.I.) broke the school record for most assists in a season with 23, and the team set school records for most goals (185) and most points (264) in a single season.
Why was the team successful? Consider the quandary of senior center Cindy Kelly as a measure of this team's devotion: A little more than a year ago, Kelly realized she had a difficult decision ahead. Her sister Iris '91 announced that she would be wed on April 20, 1996--the same day Colby was sched-uled to play nationally ranked Tufts at Seaverns Field. Though familial obligation and sisterly love won out, Kelly agonized over whether to miss the game or the wedding. Head coach Heidi Godomsky exerted no pressure, but she said Kelly's "heart-wrenching" decision reveals much about the team's dedication.
"Several years ago, players were missing games and practices unnecessarily. That's changed. Cindy was in tears about missing the Tufts game, and though her teammates understood her desire to be in two places at the same time, it was a big deal that she wasn't here for the game," Godomsky said.
Co-captain Sicchitano believes that self-discipline was another reason for the team's improvement. At the close of practice, especially in the two days before a game, the seniors and captains routinely admonished their teammates to stay well-rested and healthy. According to Sicchitano, breaking the team's "48-hour rule," which forbade the consumption of alcohol and late-night socializing before games, wouldn't be tolerated within the ranks.
"Everyone, including those who might not play much, is willing to sacrifice a couple of nights of fun for the team," Sicchitano said. "If one person isn't one hundred percent during a game, it jeopardizes our chances for success and team unity."
The lifeblood of any successful program is able newcomers, and Godomsky's recruiting efforts last year resulted in a talent-rich group of first-year students who often outshone the seniors and earned most of the playing time on offense. But instead of generating resentment, the first-years' contributions were welcomed, according to Kelly.
"We looked at the new players as the answer to our prayers," she said. "Their skills were above and beyond ours, but they pushed the upperclassmen to play better. We still had a lot of leadership and experience to offer, and the result was a stronger lacrosse team."
Christie Browning '99, an All-American attack player in high school, considered two Division I schools but says she's happy she chose Colby.
"The upperclassmen are always telling us how much they appreciate the first-years, but they're not giving themselves enough credit," Browning said. "The defense is all upperclassmen, and they've saved us in many games. Pope is the best goalie in the NESCAC. I don't know what we're going to do when they graduate."