Pep pushes lady laxers
Halftime talk turns team

By MICHAEL PALM
Collegian Sports Writer

At the end of the first half on Saturday, the women's lacrosse team trailed Delaware 5-3.

During halftime, the Lady Lions received a wake-up call from Assistant Coach Mary Ann Foley. That speech worked its magic, as No. 8 Penn State (4-3) scored eight goals on the way to an 11-8 victory against No. 11 Delaware (5-4) at Lady Lion Field.

"I'm very happy with the second half," Lady Lion Coach Julie Williams said. "When they decide to play, they play real well."

That wasn't happening at the beginning of the game. Six minutes in, the Blue Hens opened up a 3-0 lead with a blend of speed and strong passing. Senior midfielder Sue Daddona led Delaware with four goals.

The Lady Lions were thrown off guard with the Blue Hens' speed at the beginning of the game.

"They were scared," Williams said. "Delaware was very fast. (The Lady Lions) couldn't quite snap themselves out of it."

But in the second half, the Blue Hens ran low on energy from the frenetic pace of the earlier period. Delaware scored the first goal of the half, one minute, four seconds in. The Lady Lions answered with two more goals within the next minute. Delaware suffered from then on, scoring only two more goals.

"I think our skills got a little sloppy when we got tired," Delaware Coach Denise Wescott said.

Penn State capitalized on those mistakes with an offensive outburst dictated by crisp passing instead of individuals trying to control the game.

"We didn't run the ball," Williams said, "we passed it."

Foley's speech revitalized the team.

"She just said that we weren't playing as a team, and the way we played against Virginia was what we needed," sophomore defender Amy Carnaggio said, referring to the Lady Lions' 9-6 victory over the Cavaliers on March 25. "We just came out and played like a team and spread it out and made those passes."

Making those passes was junior midfielder Joanne Connelly, who led the Lady Lions with three assists. Sophomore attacker Michele DeJuliis led the team, scoring four goals.

"She knows when to take the moment," Williams said. "She pretty much ignites the field."

Carnaggio, sophomore midfielder Tamara Crowe and senior attacker Christy Way also scored two goals apiece.

Way's second goal occurred after a defensive lapse by Delaware. Way snuck behind the defense and snagged a pass from Connelly for a mini-breakaway and goal.

"It was beautifully played, very poised," Williams said. "It's an easy goal to blow."

Although the Blue Hens didn't win, Wescott said she was happy with her team's performance considering its youth.

"I thought we played well," she said. "We're young in spots where it hurt us."