Cortland Standard .net

By ALAN BUTLER
Sports Editor
Though the person in charge is new, SUNY Cortland women are still chasing the same old lacrosse dream.
After making four consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division III Final Four — and having all four of those visits halted in the semifinal round — Cortland still considers itself a contender to be among the nation’s elite. So winning an elusive nation title is the main goal for the Red Dragons, who were ranked No. 1 for a big chunk of last season before losing to eventual champion Trinity College 8-7 in the semifinals to conclude a stellar 22-1 campaign.
That’s the challenge for new head coach Kelly Lickert-Orr, who takes over for Kathy Taylor. After six seasons at Cortland, the Red Dragons with 115-17 won-loss success over that stretch, Taylor has moved on to coach Division II Le Moyne College in Syracuse.
Lickert-Orr arrives from Keuka College, where she was 52-11 the past four seasons including losing just once in 33 games against North Eastern Athletic Conference competition.
“It’s a good challenge, something I’m excited for,” said Lickert-Orr prior to this afternoon’s 4 p.m. hosting Union College in a non-league season opener for both sides at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex. “These girls have built a tradition here that we want to carry on.”
Lickert-Orr was not able to get involved too much in recruiting for this coming season, and will have to replace the team’s top scorer and defender from a year ago. Erica Geremia, an All-America on attack who had 54 goals and 70 assists last year, has joined Coach Taylor at Le Moyne. Jessica Lavelle was the top Division III defender and has graduated.
“It just opens up space for seven others,” said Coach Lickert-Orr of overcoming the loss of Geremia, though five of the top eight scorers from a year ago are all back.
KRISTEN OHBERG HEADS that group of returnees after a splendid rookie campaign, when the sophomore scored 53 times to go along with 31 assists. Senior attack Marilyn Farrell (29 goals-32 assists), senior midfielder Emma Hayes-Hurley (51-8), senior midfielder Tara Monaghan (45-9) and junior midfielder Ashley Gentile (26-3) are also back to keep the offense going. Cortland averaged just under 16 goals per game last year.
Farrell, Monaghan and Hayes-Hurley are team captains along with senior defenders Melissa Halstead and Chelsea Martin.
“We have a very strong attack We have a ot lof kids who have potential to own that role,” said Lickert-Orr of finding a play-maker to take over for Geremia on offense.
Having also played midfield last year, Martin will take over the Lavelle role of being the top defender. Martin, junior Colleen Wright and sophomore Hilary O’Neil will be starters on defense working in front of returning goalie Liz Ingalls, who had a .517 save percentage with 114 stops as the starter in all 23 contests. Sophomore Jaclyn Beshlian is also back to provide depth at goalie.
Hayes-Hurley will also handle most of the draws for Cortland, where she had a team-high 71 draw controls last season. Monaghan and Gentile can also handle that chore when called upon.
Juniors Nicole Bello (8-3) and Elizabeth LaComb (9-0) are also back at midfield, along with sophomore attack Ally McNerney from Tully who had four goals and five assists last year.
Among the nine freshmen on the Cortland roster is Liza Ferro out of Cortland High, who is also seeking to fit in at midfield. “She’s kind of turned the corner the last would of weeks. She’s stepping up and getting more and more used to the faster pace of the college game,” said Coach Lickert-Orr.
CORTLAND WILL ALSO be seeking to repeat at SUNY Athletic Conference champions for the 17th consecutive season, though last year’s top league contenders Geneseo, Fredonia and Oneonta are among vastly improved teams to challenge the Red Dragons.
Going the distance in the NCAAs is also on the Cortland radar.
“We obviously take it one day at a time, though we would like to return (to the Final Four), absolutely,” says Coach Lickert-Orr. “But it’s a new coach and a new season, and everything in Division II has been shaken up a little bit, so it’s wide open.”Union is the first of six non-league foes to open the season before the Red Dragons get the SUNYAC underway with a visit from Fredonia March 28. Union finished 10-7 last season, including a season-opening 20-4 loss to Cortland.
With the same old expectations of success, a new coach will bring some new things to the Cortland, too.
“We’ve tried to keep traditions the same, but pretty much as everything else goes things have been shaken up a little bit,” noted Lickert-Orr prior to her Cortland debut..