Bantam Profile of the Week

Name: CJ Yanofsky

Nickname: Ceej
Class: 2008
Hometown: Needham, MA
High School: The Rivers School
Uniform #: 10
Post Trinity Plans: I will be living in Boston on the job hunt!

Favorite Trinity Lacrosse Moment: My favorite lacrosse moment is in the making. This season has absolutely taken the cake in favorite moments. This past weekend, double home field victories is definitely up there! It is amazing being part of a team that is making history for the lacrosse program. But I have to say this season as a whole, from team dinners, all cozied up in Kristina's apartment to playing basketball at KP's house, has been incredible. There are so many unforgettable moments that I will cherish from this season and past...and MANY more to come!!!

Favorite Sports Quote: "Champions aren't made in the gym. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision."

Favorite Trinity Lacrosse Quote: "When we have the ball, the other team doesn't" - Anne Parmenter

Favorite Practice Drill: My favorite Drill is obviously the shooting drill that Michelle hates most...NUMBERS. When we all line up and the corners of the cage are numbered and then Coach calls out two number, then we fake to the first spot and shoot to the second. This drill incorporates my three favorite things...faking, shooting, and deceiving Mishka!

What does Trinity Lacrosse mean to you? Trinity Lacrosse means the world to me. I have met the most amazing people over the course of my years here and I have become a better person for playing Trinity Lacrosse. The work ethic, determination, passion, responsibility, and triumphs I have experienced have allowed me to understand why I play Trinity Lacrosse. I came to Trinity to play lacrosse and I am leaving Trinity knowing that this team that I have played on for four years has become the most influential and inspiring experience that I will carry with me forever. When I look back on college, my most vivid memories will be this lacrosse team.

Trin Closes Out Regular Season - Secures Spot in NESCAC Final Four

This past weekend was one for the books - for the first time EVER we won a NESCAC playoff game and are headed to Middlebury College for the NESCAC Final Four weekend. The win was very sweet as we had to come from behind to beat Bowdoin 12-9. But before any of those thrilling moments came to pass we had to face a tough Connecticut College team on Saturday in our last regular season game.

The weather cooperated once again providing us with sunny skies and warm temperatures. It was the perfect atmosphere to honor our seniors, Caroline, CJ, Ellen and Mish, and their tremendous commitment to the program for four years. They have made an incredible impression on the program, guiding us to new heights last year as we hosted our first NESCAC playoff game, and participated in NCAAs for the first time since 1998. This year has seen some equally impressive benchmarks under their leadership. We matched our conference record from last season and for the first time won a NESCAC tournament game. They made such important and lasting contributions - we thank you again seniors!

After our senior announcements, the game started out strong for us. We were able to put together a 9 goal run that saw 7 different people score and gave us a 10-2 advantage over the visiting Camels. We would trade goals back and forth for the remainder of the half, leading at the break by a score of 12-5. The beginning of the second half belonged to Conn as they worked tirelessly to get back into the game. With their season in the balance they put on the pressure, scoring the first 5 goals of the second half. Now only leading by 2 goals, our Bants responded and scored the next 5 out of 6 goals to put us back up by a comfortable margin of 17-11. Conn still refused to go quietly and tacked on the last 2 goals of the game, to make it a 17-13 final.

Ceej lead all scores with 5 goals, with 3 of those coming at the end of the game to stretch out our lead when Conn was rallying back. Jenn Calver contributed tremendously in her ability to win draw controls - securing 5 draw controls on the day. It was a great team effort and a good way to close out the regular season.

We had a wonderful tailgate with burgers and hotdogs and food galore as we celebrated our season and our seniors! We anxiously waited to hear who we would be facing and were stunned to get updates that the top two teams in the conference had been upset - Colby beat Amherst 12-7 and Tufts pulled out a thrilling victory over Middlebury, 15-7. We were excited to find out that Bowdoin had beat Williams by a goal, and would be our opponent on Sunday. We enjoyed the rest of the day and prepared to face the Polar Bears on Sunday.

The Bowdoin game certainly provided the excitement and atmosphere of NESCAC playoff competition. Both teams were feeling good and ready to play. Defense was the name of the game early as each team struggled to put together any sort of scoring run. Bowdoin notched the first goal of the game. We quickly responded a minute late with a Caite Irvine score. We spent the next few minutes on attack and extended the lead to 3-1, capped off with a nicely assisted goal from Rachel to CJ. Bowdoin pushed things on their attacking end but struggled to solve our defensive pressure. The entire defense was working together very well to take away any good looks for Bowdoin. It was a very impressive team effort. At the half Bowdoin had only mustered 3 goals. We took a 6-3 lead into the break.

The second half was exciting for any fan of women's lacrosse. After a fairly low scoring first half, both offenses were hungry for action in the second half. Bowdoin came out of the gate quickly, scoring just 2 minutes into the second stanza. This would spark an impressive run of goals for the Polar Bears as they used the next 10 minutes to tack on four more goals, giving them an 8-7 lead with just over 15 minutes to play.

The Bowdoin lead was short lived, as Rachel controlled the draw and took the ball to cage, tying the game at 8-8 just 13 seconds later. From that point on we were able to possess the ball, largely due to Jenn Calver's ability to win the draw, and quickly went on a run of our own. Over the next 10 minutes we scored four goals, 3 from Caite Irvine and one from CJ to extend our lead to 12-8. Bowdoin would answer once more but could do nothing more against our stellar defensive unit. We were able to tick time off the clock and secure the win. It was a thrilling game!

The play of the game has to go to Ellen for her incredible block in transition when Bowdoin was on their offensive run midway through the second half. Mish was incredible in goal, making 17 saves and coming up with huge saves on free position shots late in the game. Pecks, Bo, Sconch and Annie were tremendous in their defensive efforts and their ability to safely transition the ball down field. It was an incredible effort. Special praise should also go out to Remer for absolutely controlling the direction of the draw, ensuring that Rachel or Jenn had a solid play for possession. Everyone contributed - the sideline was amazing - positive and supportive of everyone on the field. It was truly a great day to be a Bant!

We look forward to taking on Amherst in the Semi-Finals of NESCACs on Saturday, at Middlebury College, at 2:30pm. Our game follows the Middlebury/Colby Semi-Final which starts at Noon.

Bants Split on the Weekend - Fall to Ephs and Rebound to beat the Blue Pride

The weekend was a difficult one as our Bants suffered a tough loss to a resilient Eph squad. Williams had their backs against the wall as they were battling to salvage their season and hopes of making the NESCAC tournament. Our Bants weren't quite prepared for the aggressiveness and fiesty play that they would face all game long.

With their season on the line, Williams came to play. CJ tried to take control early, scoring the first goal of the game. That was all it took to jump start the Williams team. They took chances on attack and converted on some very nice assisted goals. We struggled to answer their tallies, eventually trailing by a 6-1 margin. But our Bants are resilient too!! After digging a bit of a hole, we managed to put together a 5-1 run that left us trailing by only a goal at the half. We had five different people collect a tally in this run, proving that we have a very versatile attack, with Remer, Spanz, CJ, Caite and Rachel all finding the back of the net.

The second half was more of the same. We struggled to stunt their offense and while we kept things close early, a run midway through the second half proved to be just too much for our offense to overcome. We made a late effort, scoring the last three goals of the game but it was too little too late. While the game was disappointing, the effort and resiliency of our Bantams was very impressive. We know this will help us as we prepare for our tournament competition!

Sunday's game was an interesting one. We knew Wellesley would be tough as they did not compete on Saturday so they were fresh and ready to take us on! Wellesley took on a frustrating tactic of holding the ball against our defense, which caught us a little off guard. We again struggled out of the gate, allowing Wellesley to build a 2 goal lead early in the game. But our resiliency kicked in and we took control of things quickly, with Alisen tallying the first two goals of the game and Christy Bradley finishing on a sweet fast break goal to take the lead. We would never trail again. Annie Cook continued the scoring spree, notching her first collegiate goal (Way to go Annie!) and CJ finished out the first half with two back to back goals. Ceej had quite a weekend of scoring - tallying 5 goals on the day for the second day in a row!

While the day didn't feel like our best effort - it was nice to see everyone step on the field and contribute to the win. We are excited to take on Conn. on Saturday and then find out how the NESCAC tournament shapes up!

Should be an exciting weekend of lacrosse! Go Bants!

Bants Secure NESCAC Tournament Spot with Win over Wesleyan

Wednesday night was a big conference meeting between our Trinity Bants and our cross-town rival Wesleyan Cardinals. It was a beautiful night for lacrosse and our team did not disappoint. We used a strong 5-0 run in the first half to secure the win, with an 11-6 score, and a spot in the NESCAC tournament.

The win did not come easy, as we knew it wouldn't. Wesleyan was fiesty off the draw and peppered our defense early with some quick shots. Mish was up to the challenge, making some incredible saves, keeping Wesleyan off the scoreboard for nearly the first 20 minutes of play. Our attack held up their end of the bargain scoring the first 5 goals of the game, cashing in on some nice goals in transition, with CJ and Caite each tallying 2 apiece and Rachel setting up 2 of those scores.

Wesleyan would not be shut out and produced some offense late in the half. After breaking into the scoring column with 11 minutes to go - they the scored another goal with 7 minutes remaining and then rattled off two quick goals within 15 seconds of each other to close the gap to three goals, at 7-4. Both sides would trade goals before the half was over, making the halftime score 8-5. This would prove to be the closest the Cardinals would get.

While our offensive effort slowed down in the second half, it was complimented by a stellar defensive effort that allowed Wesleyan only one lone goal for the entire 30 minutes. We had fantastic pressure on the ball and great doubles coming from Bo, Ellen, Pecks, Annie and Sconch, continually frustrating the attack for the Cardinals. The defense was all over the loose balls, collecting 12 total as a group. They were most impressive in the waning minutes of the game when they were able to pass around the Wesleyan pressure and handle the ball as time ticked off the clock.

This was a great win for the team - one that secures a NESCAC tournament spot, with a conference record of 5-2. We are excited to host Williams on Saturday at Noon - should be a beautiful day for lacrosse. Go Bants!

Late Run too Much for Bants

Despite a terrible weather report, the sun was out and the temperature was high for our game against Midd. It was a perfect day to be playing lacrosse - what we dream about in February during the long cold practices. The level of play lived up to the perfect weather, making it quite an exciting day of lacrosse. When all was said and done, Middlebury barely out did us, tacking on several late goals to take the game, with a final score of 13-11.

Our Bants came out ready to play - they were hungry to take down the Panthers who sit atop the conference standings. We did everything we could to put ourselves in a position to win the game. We responded right away after Midd scored the first game, with Caite Irvine connecting on an unassisted goal. Caite would have her way with the Panther defense all day - notching five goals and even drawing a stick check from a nervous Middlebury coaching staff.

Midd went on a small run before we really kicked things into gear. We scored four straight goals, all from different people to take a 5-3 lead. Remer was stellar in the midfield making great receptions and keeping the pressure on the Middlebury defense. Midd made a few adjustments and was able to even things up at 5-5. Caite Irvine continued to push things offensively and found the net late, on a low angle free position, giving us a halftime lead of 6-5.

The second half started off great - we continued to roll on offense extending our lead early
with three more scores in the first 10 minutes of the half. We took a commanding 9-5 lead before Middlebury finally responded with a goal of their own. We would extend the lead once more off of another Caite Irvine free position making it 10-6.

From that point on it was all Middlebury. Our Bants fought hard on defense but couldn't stop a Middlebury offense that was determined to score. Midd scored seven of the last eight goals of the game, taking the lead with just under 7 minutes to play. Our Bants, tried and tried, but could not win possession of the ball and never really had a shot to even things up.

Mish was great in goal all game long - coming up with an amazing 21 saves. While we are disappointed with the outcome, we played a very good game and are confident entering the last leg of our conference schedule. We start things off tomorrow, traveling to Wesleyan for a 6pm game. Go Bants!

Alumnae of the Week:
Gabby Geier

Graduation Year:
2007, Co-Captain
Hometown:
Bethesda, MD
Uniform#: 3



What have you done since graduating: I traveled with my sister the summer after graduation and am now working in New York City for Edelman Public Relations.

What is your favorite memory of Trinity Lacrosse: There are too many, it's hard to give just one. I loved our trips to Florida, bus rides to games, and pumping ourselves up in the locker room before games. However, the most memorable moment was making it to the NCAA tournament my senior year. Winning on our home turf in the first round was amazing and our exciting game against Gettysburg in the second round. I also loved beating Colby on their turf!

What do you miss most from the season, now that you've graduated? My teammates! I miss being part of the team. I miss the excitement before a game and playing lacrosse with my favorite people!

Favorite Robin Sheppard/Kara Tierney saying? I don't have a specific quote, but I will always admire them for their dedication and passion for the sport and Trinity Women's Lacrosse. They always fight for women's athletics and I appreciate that so much!

What advice would you give current players? Never take your teammates and time on the lacrosse team for granted. Enjoy every minute because when you do not have it, you will miss it!

What does Trinity Lacrosse mean to you? It means friendship, dedication and fun! I will never forget my time on the the Trinity Lacrosse team. The reason our team is so amazing is because of the people. The team made me a stronger person and I will carry that with me for life!

Bantam Profile of the Week

Name: Caroline Boiardi
Class: 2008
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Position: Defense
Uniform #: 7
High School: The Holton-Arms School

Post Trinity Plans: I will be a full-time intern at the Brookwood School School in Manchester, MA, while taking graduate classes at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. I plan to have my Master's in Education next spring.

Favorite Trinity Lacrosse Moment: The Bowdoin game my freshman year. We played Eastern Conn and Conn College prior to the polar bears. It was pouring rain an cold. This game was the first time our talent was put to the test and it was a true battle. I remember this game very vividly because it instilled in me the pride I have for playing for Trinity Lacrosse.

Favorite Sports Quote: The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime. - Babe Ruth

Favorite Practice Drill: I love the classic "steal the bacon" or ground ball drill. It reinforces the importance of getting low and running through the pick up, but most importantly we have a good time fighting for the ball. It is always fun competition with my teammates as it often ends with a laugh or joke.

What does Trinity Lacrosse mean to you?: Not only has Trinity Lacrosse taught me valuable lessons in working hard, selflessly, with my team to attain our common goals, but I do not know what my Trinity experience would have been without it. I have become close friends with my teammates and feel very fortunate to be a part of this continuously growing family of amazing girls.

Yanofsky Sets Record in Win Over Springfield

Last night was another great night to be a Bant! The weather was mild and the intensity was high as we faced a tough Springfield College team. Ceej had one of her best performances of the year, notching an impressive 7 assists in one game - a program record! To make the evening more impressive, Ceej scored a game high four goals, tallying 11 points on the evening!! Way to go, CJ!

We got off to a great start rattling off the first six goals of the game. Kristin Phelps gave us a great boost of the bench capping off our six goal run with beautiful finish in front of the cage. Springfield came storming back, and tallied the next 4 of 5 goals, closing the gap to 3 goals. We rallied late in the first half, with Caite Irvine coming up with a couple of goals, one with 4 seconds left, which gave us some breathing room going into the half.

The second half was more of the same - we continued to find the net with some early scores from Rachel and Caite, but Springfield kept battling back, making it a very tight contest. After stretching our lead to 8 goals Springfield closed the gap for a second time, making it a 13-7 game with 16 minutes left to play.

From that point on, it was all Trinity. We had some great connections late in the game, with the highlight coming with just 5 minutes to go. Spanz had a fantastic finish right in front of the cage - off of our favorite play - to finish off Springfield for good, with a final score of 17-7.

Mish was great in net, as she saw a lot of fast break looks from a speedy and fiesty Springfield squad. Mish kept the opponents off the board early in the game, helping us to extend our lead when the game was in the balance with 10 of her 13 saves coming in the first half.

We were pleased with the total team effort and our ability to find success against a talented opponent. The win should help us gain some momentum as we begin to prepare for Middlebury on Saturday.

Alumnae Dinner Canceled

Due to our limited response for the Alumnae Dinner this weekend, we have regretfully canceled the event. We hope that given some more advanced warning next year that we can begin a tradition of memorable Alumnae Weekends!

Bants Down Polar Bears - Improve to 4-1 in the NESCAC

Saturday was definitely a great day to be a Bant! We headed back to Maine for the second consecutive weekend, facing the Bowdoin Polar Bears, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Our Bants came out ready to turn things around after Wednesday's performance against Amherst. Determined to get back in the win column, we knew our hands would be full with the fiesty play of the polar bears. It took a few minutes after the initial whistle to get in our groove, but after going down 2 goals we finally started to take control. Caite Irvine got us on the scoreboard after almost 10 scoreless minutes. Disa and Remer chipped in after a few more minutes ticked off the clock to give us a one goal lead. Bowdoin responded, knotting the score at 3-3. The rest of the half belonged to CJ and Rachel, each finding the net twice before the half. Bowdoin rallied in the waning seconds of the half, notching a late goal with only four seconds to go before the half, making it a 7-5 game.

Our Bants came out with increased intensity to open the second stanza. With the exception of a quick goal by Bowdoin 13 seconds into the half, we controlled the play for the opening minutes of the half. After giving up the quick goal, our offense responded and went on a 4-0 run, capped off by a nice drive and finish from Alisen. Our offense continued to possess the ball for most of the half, firing off several shots in the next 10 minutes of play. After letting some time tick off the clock, Alisen found Rachel open in front of the net and Rachel converted to make it a 12-8 score. Bowdoin, again, not willing to quit, quickly responded to close the game to 3 goals with 14 minutes to play. Again, our attack did a nice job of possessing the ball, taking the pressure off our defense. Finally, after controlling the ball for another 10 minutes on attack, the Bowdoin defense grew restless and started to extend. Rachel took this opportunity to take the ball to net, scoring with just over 2 minutes to play. After a brief timeout by Bowdoin, we spent the last two minutes trying to kill the clock. Both teams traded lates goals to make the final score 14-10.

Pecks had a fantastic game on the defensive side of the ball and in transition. Pecks, Alisen and Remer did a nice job of controlling the ball in transition and limiting our number of turnovers. The defense did a great job of stalling the Bowdoin attack late in the game when they were trying to mount a comeback. It was a total team effort.

We are excited and ready to take on non-conference rival Springfield College on Wednesday night. We'll be on the road - game is at 7pm.

Bants Struggle with Undefeated Jeffs

We had our hands full with the Lady Jeffs from the very first whistle yesterday afternoon. They came out strong, notching the first two goals of the game. After some long defensive stints, we finally moved the ball to the attack and converted on a nice assisted goal from Rachel to CJ. This did not phase Amherst as they continued to possess the ball, finding the net two more times. After a few adjustments on our end, we were able to force some turnovers on the defensive end, yet we continued to struggle getting the ball to our attacking third. Amherst was relentless in their midfield pressure and we fell victim several times to their strong pressure. Our resilient Bants did not give up and made a late rally in the first half, to close the gap to a four goal deficit.

In the second half we tightened up the defense, only allowing 2 goals over the 30 minutes of play. Ellen Cohn had some tremendous play in the defensive transition, blocking up the Amherst fast break. It was an impressive performance. Our offense began to click and closed the gap to 2 goals late in the second half, 6-8 but couldn't get any closer. Amherst tacked on a late tally to make the final score 9-6

It was a great effort by the Bants today. We will cap off our busy week of NESCAC competition with an away game at Bowdoin on Saturday. The game will be played at Noon.

*On a side note - the Amherst game was particularly disappointing as Jenn Calver suffered a very serious ankle injury very early in the contest. We are not sure how long this will sideline Jenn but we are wishing her a speedy recovery!

Alumnae Dinner - April 12th!

Thanks for so many replies back about the dinner. Unfortunately, due to the relatively short notice we gave you, we are really low on numbers right now. We are still hopeful that some of you will plan to make it back to campus on Saturday, April 12th! We can promise a competitive and exciting game - we'll be facing conference foe Middlebury, who is always strong. After the game we are looking forward to hosting a casual dinner at 5pm in Rittenberg Lounge, where Bantams past and present can become better acquainted. We are even presenting a slideshow (although this is an experimental endeavor - so please no high expectations!!).

We have heard from one faithful alumnae that she is attending (Lauren Malinowski '07) so please let that serve as motivation to clear your schedule for the day and plan to head back to your old stomping grounds. We are so hoping to meet alums and catch up with familiar faces!!

Hope you can make it!

Calver NESCAC Co-Player of the Week

Jenn Calver had an outstanding offensive performance this weekend, scoring 10 goals and 1 assist, as the team went 2-0 on the road. She had four goals against Tufts and netted six more against Bates. Jenn's play helped set the tone for the weekend. Great job, Jenn!

http://www.nescac.com/sports/wlax/index