Nov. 11, 2010
WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University women's lacrosse team saw a little bit of everything this fall. The squad recently concluded its fall season and Head Coach Ricky Fried liked what he saw as things wound down.
"We had a lot of ups and down this fall, but we had a really positive outcome at our tournament and it was a nice way to end the year," said Fried.
The Blue & Gray began fall play at Johns Hopkins facing the Bluejays, Rutgers and Hofstra. After a tough game at Maryland, Georgetown traveled to the U.S. Naval Academy for a match with the Mids as well as the Penn State Nittany Lions. George Mason hosted a large event featuring Lehigh, Towson, Oregon and Adelphi where the Hoyas struggled to stay consistent. However, the squad capped off the fall with outstanding performances against Florida, James Madison and Delaware.
"We were consistent throughout the day at our tournament," said Fried. "We weren't always perfect, but we overcame our mistakes. We can be proud of how we finished and take the momentum into the spring."
Fall was also the coaches' first opportunity to see the squad's eight newcomers. The adjustment to the college game is always a major transition, but the staff saw positive play from a number of Hoyas. This was the first time the team had been together since the freshmen came to campus and their bond as a class gelled well with the personalities on the team.
"The freshmen have been keeping in touch over Facebook so they were a tight-knit group when they came in," said Fried. "They have already contributed both on and off the field."
Fried noted that on the field, the newcomers bring athleticism to the turf. The college game is faster and they have had to feel comfortable in their roles. However, despite this natural ability each player has had to learn the Georgetown system and tailor her game to fit the overall scheme on the field.
"The transition for the freshmen is much more mental than physical," said Fried. "It's not about just playing the game, it's about playing the game we play."
When looking to the 2011 season, Fried is optimistic.
"We have an incredibly deep and athletic midfield. Throughout the fall we came together with an understanding about playing on both ends of the field."
This understanding does come with challenges as the coaching staff will have a plethora of players to insert into the lineup. Competition will be tough to be on one of the coveted first two lines. With such a talented group of players, Fried was happy the staff was able to observe a number of combinations throughout the fall.
"We were able to see everyone that we could, which is important," said Fried. "Every player who could play competed in every tournament so we really had a nice opportunity to tinker the lineup and see what will work best come March."
