Winter is just about over, meaning springtime is almost here. With that comes the women’s lacrosse season and head coach Lindsay Delaney really has her team in position to make some noise this year.
Coming into the season, the Profs were ranked number two in the preseason rankings behind TCNJ, who beat Rowan twice last year. This season, the women’s lacrosse team is coming back with a vengeance and hopes for a very reachable New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) trophy.
“Honestly, the preseason ranking means that we are a competitive team and we like to play high-caliber teams,” co-team captain Hannah Lombardo said. “We come here every day to compete at the highest level.”
Seniors and co-team captains, Lombardo and Sophia Schiavo, are the perfect duo to be captains. Schiavo leads more by example while Lombardo is very big on communication.
“Being a captain to me means leading by example and being able to make my teammates the best versions of themselves while making them give their best while also giving my best to them,” Schiavo said.
“The biggest part is just being able to be there for my teammates, being able to lead them on and off the field, and just be there for them anytime they need, and to also just encourage them and help them get better every single day on and off the field,” Lombardo added.
Delaney speaks highly of her captains and their ability to help this team by any means necessary. She said “they have no ceiling” to what they can do, whether it be in leadership or as players altogether.
“Both of them can be excellent in their position. In terms of leadership, they’re already outstanding since it’s their second year being captains. They already take care of so much off the field. They’re an amazing presence in the strength and conditioning room. They pride themselves on what they eat and take care of their body, and I think on the field they’re the best at their position in the conference,” Delaney said.
Looking through Schiavo’s eyes, the Profs’ main goal would be to win the NJAC, but more importantly, she wants to leave a legacy here at Rowan and really stamp herself as a positive role model on future teams to come, and simply be the best version of herself.
In comparison to last year’s team, the co-captains believe that they’re a much younger team now, seeing that most of the starters from last season have now graduated. They now must develop the “next woman up” mentality, and with the help of coach Delaney, they can mold them into championship-caliber players.
“We lost a lot of starters, but I think that’s in our benefit,” Schiavo said. “We can mold them to how the roots of the program are, and I think that it’s going to be in our benefit that we are so young.”
With Schiavo being a defensive captain, she plans on using her co-captains specialty tactics in communication to be the anchor on the defensive side. She plans to encourage her teammates not to get down and upset when goals get scored on them as well as keeping the vibes high through hard times and difficult games.
This lacrosse team will debut on Wednesday, Feb. 21 in Madison, New Jersey against the Drew Ranger Bears at 4 pm, before playing their first home game against the Ursinus Bears on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 1 pm.
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