University of North Carolina Athletics
Q & A with Jenny Slingluff Levy
March 3, 2002 | Women's Lacrosse
March 3, 2002
CHAPEL HILL - Carolina's women's lacrosse team will co-host with Duke its annual South of the Border tournament of exhibition games this weekend in Chapel Hill and Durham.
With the regular-season opener less than two weeks away, Carolina head coach Jenny Slingluff Levy made the following comments on the 2002 season, her seventh at the helm of the Tar Heel program:
Goals for 2002:
"The 2002 season should be an exciting one for the Carolina women's lacrosse program. We return a lot of experience this year. Going into our seventh season as a team, we've been the young or up-and-coming team. We've learned some tough lessons in the last couple years and haven't been back to the Final Four since 1998. This team is very hungry. The seniors came in with some specific goals for this season and they don't feel like we've gotten to where we can be as a team. They will be the driving force for us this season.
"What's unique about this team is the leadership the seniors are providing along with the talent and passion for the game they have. They did a great job in the fall of making sure that this is a great team rather than just a group of individuals. We're playing well together. Just having talent isn't enough - you need to play well as a team.
"Our goals for this season are nothing short of an ACC and an NCAA championship. We want to get better in each aspect of the game as the season progresses. We're not only looking forward to April and May, but we also are working on the little things that will help us play to our potential late in the year. We feel like we have more depth than we have in the past. Our freshman class played at a high level in the fall and we expect a lot from them in 2002.
A trio of returning senior All-Americas anchor the Tar Heel midfield - Christine McPike, Kellie Thompson and Lindsay Stone. They form the nucleus of what promises to be one of the best midfield units in the nation in 2002.
"Our midfield is not only fast, but also very skilled on both ends of the field. Leading the way are Christine McPike and Kellie Thompson, both of whom are coming off fantastic junior seasons. They're both members of the U.S. team and are committed to making not only themselves better, but the team as well.
"Kellie and Christine are our captains this spring, along with another senior, Lindsay Stone, who played more on attack last year and had a breakout season. She was a second-team All-America in her first year as a starter and is as explosive a player as I've ever seen in Division I women's lacrosse. She's physical, tough and hard to defend because she's tough and goes hard to the cage. She should be a force again.
"Beth Ames is a sophomore who came on strong toward the end of last year and finally looked like she was comfortable on the field. She and Betsy Gaines will make up the other corner of our midfield attack. Both of them are confident and ready to keep improving.
"Our incoming freshmen should give us some zip in the midfield. Nicki Barnes and Allison Higgins have the ability to play several positions. They took their hits from the veterans in the fall and learned a lot. They're not afraid to go after it. We should have better depth in the midfield this season than we've had in some time.
Carolina returns its top playmaker from last season, attacker Erin McInnes. As a junior in 2001, McInnes set a school record with 25 assists. She had arthroscopic knee surgery last November and should return to the lineup in late February or early March.
"Erin McInnes will miss the preseason, but she's a veteran who we hope will recover quickly. We need her up front, making things happen, like she did for us last year.
"Brooke Young is returning as a sophomore. She's really developing into an extremely explosive player, whether it's feeding the ball to someone or actually getting the drive herself. She's a pretty dynamic player who is difficult to mark. Rachel Szakmary has the ability to fill Lindsay Stone's shoes as far as being a strong attacker. Kate Boyle had a tough sophomore year because of leg injuries, but she's worked hard to be healthy this year. She's a vocal leader who makes smart decisions. She's a great team player.
Carolina's defense is a veteran group led by two-time All-ACC choice Porter Wilkinson and returning starters Andy Fortino, Jazmine Norton and Katelyn Hoffman in goal.
"Our defense was young last year, but our starters from the end of last year are all back, so we look to step up our play on defense and in the goal. The defensive end of the field is exciting for us this year because of players we have like Andy Fortino and Porter Wilkinson, who will anchor the defense. Jazmine Norton played great last season in her first year as a starter and we look for her to take another step up. Her one-on-one skills and footwork defensively are among the best in the country. She can be more of an overall force on the field this year.
"Laurie Milback is a veteran who started some games last year. She'll be in our starting rotation. She's a very good athlete, deceptive with great speed and size. She could be an impact player for us as a defensive midfielder. Lynne Quattrone came back to school in great shape after the summer and she was a nice presence for us in the fall. Meghan Kelly is someone else who got quite a bit of playing time last year. She's an extremely hard worker and a good one-on-one, takeaway defender.
"In terms of our freshmen defensively, Gina Allen has come in and done a fantastic job so far. If she doesn't start, she'll definitely see quite a bit of playing time. Courtney Lombard has been injured in the fall but provides size and is vocal in the backfield.
Options in the cage:
"Katelyn Hoffman and Margaret Garofalo both have improved markedly. They both better than last year and had a spirited battle for the starting job all fall. Katelyn is the starter entering the season but it could go either way. Our goalkeeping should be more of a strength for us than it has in the past and should allow us to do some different things strategically this season. We have confidence in both of them to play at a high level this season. I know the defense has a lot of confidence in both of them.
