What a difference a year makes! After finishing just one game above .500 in Mindy Manolovich's first season as head coach, the Oberlin women's lacrosse team won a school-record 14 games and ran out the season with an 11-game winning streak and a conference championship. What's most impressive is how the Yeowomen dominated games, outscoring the opposition 186-40 during the winning streak.
Offensively the Yeowomen were almost unstoppable, reaching double figures 14 times and scoring 18 or more points in seven contests. Their 254 goals set a new North Coast Athletic Conference record, while five team records also fell during the season.
Much of the success can be attributed to seniors Elizabeth Barry and Katherine Williams, according to Manolovich. "Elizabeth is the most incredible attack player I have ever seen," Manolovich said. "She has great stick skills, and when an opponent isn't fundamentally sound, she will beat them every time." Barry scored five or more goals in seven games and tied the school record of 10 points in a game on three occasions.
Although Williams didn't have Barry's speed and flash, she could control a game with her own style. "Kate was our most consistent player and led the team in possessions, and when you have the ball and they don't, you are going to win. She also became a scoring threat when opponents marked Barry," Manolovich said. In the NCAC championship tournament, Williams led the Yeowomen with 13 goals and six assists, including five goals and three assists in an 18-4 win over Ohio Wesleyan University in the title game.
Barry and Williams finished first and second, respectively, among the conference scoring leaders, and both surpassed the school record for points and goals in a season and career. Barry led all players with 64 goals and 20 assists for a school record 84 points, while Williams finished with a career-best 69 points and 42 goals.
A high-powered offense produces excitement, but it's defense that provides victories. The Yeowomen held the opposition to just 5.4 goals per contest and, for the first time in team history, shut out two opponents in the same season.
One of the main reasons the Yeowomen were able to stifle the opposition was the ability of junior Katherine Roberts to move between the defensive and offensive ends of the field during a game. "Katherine is our first line of defense, and she has great perception, which is the key to stopping fast breaks," Manolovich said.
Roberts also makes things happen on offense, setting an NCAC tournament record with five assists against Wittenberg University and, along with Williams, an Oberlin single-season record with 27 assists. With a total of 66 assists, Roberts stands as Oberlin's all-time assist maker.
The Yeowomen earned the top seed in the NCAC tournament after finishing 7-0 against conference opponents during the regular season. They swept through the three-game tournament, battering their opponents with a combined score of 57-11 and earning the team's second conference title in three years. And in just two seasons Manolovich has built a 22-10 record and has won more games than any other coach in the team's 20-year history.
--Scott Wargo
On to Student-Athlete honor highlights
See related Significant Figure.
See the Big Picture of the victorious women's lacrosse team
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