Northwestern University Athletics
Women's Lacrosse Signs Nine to Letters of Intent
12/6/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Dec. 6, 2000
EVANSTON, Ill. - Kelly Amonte-Hiller, who was hired in July to oversee the resurrection of the Northwestern University women's lacrosse program, has gone right to work and announced the signing of nine players to Letters of Intent during the early signing period. These women will be eligible to play for the Wildcats in the spring of 2002, when Northwestern plays lacrosse as a full varsity program for the first time since 1991.
"This group of players has a great deal of speed and athleticism" said Amonte-Hiller of her initial class. "I specifically looked for players that would have the ability to become leaders on and off the field very quickly. I think this class most of all believes that we can compete at the top level very quickly and is very excited about being a part of that process. I am very excited developing these great athletes into become great lacrosse players."
Information on the nine early signees:
SARAH ALBRECHT * Attack/Midfield * Braintree, Mass./Thayer Academy
Three-year letterwinner in lacrosse ... Coaches Award in 1999 ... Third-leading scorer in 2000 with 30 goals (on 46 shots) and five assists for 35 points ... Also third with 49 ground ball controls ... Also lettered in soccer four times and basketball three times, captaining the basketball team two times ... Attends Coach Amonte-Hiller's alma mater (Thayer).
COACH AMONTE-HILLER: "Sarah is a great athlete with excellent speed and tenacity. She has only played lacrosse for two years, yet has established herself as one of the top players in the perennially strong Independent School League. I am extremely excited to have a player from my alma mater in my first recruiting class -- Thayer has a great coaching and support staff that turns out top athletes year after year."
SARA CROSBY * Attack/Midfield * Sudbury, Mass./Needham HS
Standout attacker for defending Massachusetts state champions with 34 goals and 12 assists in 2000 ... Two-time letterwinner in lacrosse and soccer ... Will serve as a captain this spring for Needham ... All-Star Express Tournament participant ... National Honor Society member.
COACH AMONTE-HILLER: "Sara is an outstanding offensive threat who has improved tremendously over the past two years. She is one of the top offensive players in Massachusetts and has a lot of versatility. Sara's exceptional drive and work ethic will help her in college."
KATE DARMODY * Midfield/Defense * East Northport, N.Y./Northport HS
Three-year letterwinner in lacrosse, two-time letterwinner in soccer and track ... Member of league and conference championship teams ... All-conference selection in lacrosse and soccer ... Lacrosse team captain in 2001 ... Five-time scholar-athlete ... Member of Long Island Elite Team ... All-Star Express Tournament participant ... National Honor Society member.
COACH AMONTE-HILLER: "Kate is a tenacious midfield defensive player who has the ability to attack as well. Her strength and drive should help her become an impact player at the college level."
COURTNEY FLYNN * Attack * Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle HS
Leading scorer at Concord-Carlisle with 52 goals and 15 assists for 67 points ... Also had 46 ground balls and 26 draw controls ... C-C went 12-8-1 overall ... Played for New England team at All-Star Express Tournament in Annapolis, Md. this past summer ... Also attended Run and Shoot Elite 150 and Elite 300 Women's Lacrosse Camp.
COACH AMONTE-HILLER: "Courtney is a strong athlete with a keen eye for the net. Her athletic ability has helped her excel at lacrosse despite being involved for a short period of time. Courtney is also a standout basketball player, and her ability on the court has clearly boosted her lacrosse game. Courtney's offensive prowess should help Concord-Carlisle have a strong season this year."
JENNA GANTNER * Midfield * Califon, N.J./West Morris Central HS
Has lettered two times for one of New Jersey's top high school teams ... Scored 25 goals and had 12 assists in 2000 ... Team won county, division, conference and North Jersey championships and finished season ranked 10th nationally by Allacrosseamerica.com ... First team all-area, second team all-conference ... Will captain her team in 2001 ... Metro Select Team member ... All-Star selection at Elite 300 and Penn State summer camps ... Also an all-state selection in soccer, and captained the 2000 team.
COACH AMONTE-HILLER: "Jenna is a tenacious left-handed lacrosse player with the ability to impact on both ends of the field. Jenna's high school play, along with her involvement with the Metro All-Star team, have allowed her to gain valuable experience that will benefit her at the next level."
ASHLEY GERSUK * Goalkeeper * Loudonville, N.Y./Albany Academy
Standout athlete is a four-year letterwinner in lacrosse, hockey and soccer ... Team has won two league titles in lacrosse ... Section II Class B champions and regional finalist in 2000 ... First-team all-conference in 2000 ... Three-time participant in All-Star Express Tournament ... Starting goalkeeper for Team New York 2 at U.S. Lacrosse National Tournament ... Played for Team Capital at Empire State Games.
COACH AMONTE-HILLER: "Ashley Gersuk is one of the top goaltending recruits in the nation, her athletic ability and quickness sets her apart from the rest. Ashley has not only been a standout in lacrosse, but she excels in ice hockey and soccer. Her involvement in these sports has allowed her to develop unique skills that will benefit her as a college lacrosse player."
KAITLIN LENAHAN * Defense * Needham, Mass./Needham HS
Standout defender for Massachusetts state champions in 1999, 2000 ... Team has not lost a game in her two years on the roster ... Had six goals and 15 assists as a defense wing in 2000 ... Second team Bay State League All-Star ... Will captain Needham in 2001 ... Also lettered in soccer ... Played for New England team at the All-Star Express Tournament in Annapolis this past summer.
COACH AMONTE-HILLER: "Katie is a solid defender that you can count on in each and every game. She has established herself as one of the top defenders in Massachusetts and been a big part of Needham's success over the last few years. Those experiences should help her at the college level. In general, I have been very impressed with the drive and discipline displayed by many of the Needham lacrosse players -- Coach Paula Kelley does an excellent job preparing her athletes for the next level of play."
DONNA McCANN * Midfield * Huntington, N.Y./Huntington HS
Three-year letterwinner ... All-County as a junior in 2000 ... Member of 2000 New York Team #1 at national schoolgirls tournament in Longmeadow, Mass. ... Member of 2000 Long Island Team #1 at All-Star Express Tournament ... Member of 2000 Long Island Elite Team ... Named All-Tournament at 2000 Empire State Games as member of Suffolk County team ... Also attended 2000 Elite 300 Camp ... Academic All-America ... Will serve as captain of her team in 2001 ... Also lettered in soccer and basketball, captaining the soccer team in 1999 ... National Honor Society member ... Math and Spanish Honor Societies member.
COACH AMONTE-HILLER: "Donna is a quiet but potent player all over the field. She has speed to keep up with the fastest players at the college level, and her experiences at the Empire State Games and the National tournament have showed that she can excel among the top players in the nation."
MEREDITH PHILIPP * Goalkeeper * Towson, Md./Notre Dame
Plays in one of the more powerful high school programs in lacrosse hotbed Baltimore area ... Played on JV team as a junior (two seniors split at varsity level) and led them to 9-1-1 record ... Save percentage above 60 percent ... This past summer, played in Ladies Metro Lacrosse League and backstopped team to championship game ... Played for the Metro All-Star League team in the All-Star Express Tournament in Annapolis this past summer.
COACH AMONTE-HILLER: "Meredith is a solid goaltender who has improved tremendously in the last year. She has only been involved with lacrosse for a few years but has blossomed in that time. She has excellent composure in the net, which will help her in college, and shown through her involvement at all star tournaments and summer leagues that she can compete at any level."
