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| Photo by BLADEN FINCH Anne Marie Nash battles defenders from Guilford College as she looks to pass the ball to her teammate Kristen Cabido. |
“A player like Meagan only comes around every once in a while,” said former teammate and current team captain Anne Marie Nash. “She can never be replaced.” So, instead of replacing DiCave, who now plays professionally in London, England, the team decided to deal with the loss and develop more team chemistry. “We were so reliant on Meagan that we couldn’t think for ourselves,” recalled junior captain Gayla Dalrymple-Smith. “Now we are all comfortable in decision-making situations.”
For three straight weeks the Lady Marlins have taken the ODAC Player of the Week award, and three different players have received the honor. Freshman goalie Margie Baker was the first to obtain the honor, followed by Nash and sophomore forward Megan Parris. Parris and freshman forward Laura Wallace were also recognized nationally by womenslacrosse.com. Wallace was selected as Rookie of the Week and Parris received Honorable Mention status in the National Player of the Week selection. After losing two of their first three games, the women have been virtually unstoppable as hey have won seven straight, and outscored their last three opponents 56-11.
Leading the women is Parris with 50 points, totaling 38 goals and 12 assists. She is followed by Wallace with 44 points (37g, 7a) and Nash with 35 points (29g, 6a). The high-powered trio has combined for 85 percent of the team’s goals. Nash is currently ranked no. 1 in D III in draw controls, Megan Parris is ranked no. 22 in goals per game, and Summer Foster is ranked no. 23 in caused turnovers. But, according to players, the defense is should not be shortchanged.
“Normally we have to rely on a strong offense,” said Dalrymple-Smith. “But this year the defense has stepped it up, balancing out the team.” Anchoring the defense is first-year goalkeeper Margie Baker. Baker, also the goalie for the field hockey team, has stepped in to make an immediate impact, stopping 100 shots already this season. A position that has been suspect in the past is now anchored by a solid netminder. “Margie has done an amazing job for her first year,” said Nash. “She has been the missing link for this team.”
Some veteran players like Dalrymple-Smith and sophomore Laura Mills surround Baker in the back though, making her job easier. “We have an awesome goalie,” stated Mills. “But we are tactically much better this year.” DiCave, a front-runner for last year’s National Player of the Year award, repeatedly awed fans with her stickwork and breathtaking goals, and even her teammates would often find themselves admiring her play. Sophomore defender/wing Jessica Williams said, “we were very reliant on one person last year. This year we have learned to trust the team and each other more then we need to in the past.”
The “team” approach has thrust the Lady Marlins off to the best start in school history and ironically has propelled individual players into the national spotlight as well. The Lady Marlins host Greensboro College on Sat. April 13 at 1p.m.
With the desire to get their games in order, the Marlin golf team has been spending as many hours as possible at the Cypress Point golf course playing rounds and practicing short-game drills. Although the recent inclement weather has made regularly scheduled practices an obstacle for the team, the Marlins had a strong showing when they traveled to play the season-opener at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Many premier Division III golf teams from up and down the east coast were in the tournament. A tourney of this magnitude is an important factor for all team’s and their national ranking.
The Marlins placed 16 out of 32 teams, defeating a handful of division rivals. Sophomore Cole Herrington led the pack with a three day total of 223, posting the team’s lowest score each day. His two day total set a school record of 145, breaking the long-standing mark of 146 recorded by Kenny Downes at Bow Creek in 1991. After a solid team score of 309 the first round, the team rallied behind Herrington and sophomore Mike Hessler to shoot a VWC record of 287 for 18 holes in the second round. They smashed one of the oldest records in the VWC athletic books with a 296 score carded by the 1981 team at Bow Creek.
During Saturday’s record-breaking round, all five Marlin golfers shot 75 or better, a first in VWC tournament history. Herrington and Hessler led Saturdays charge, each posting individual round records of 70, ousting the previous record of 71 held by Tim Foley and junior Larry Antinozzi. Jeff Bradford, shot a 72 Saturday, closing the back side with a career best 35 to end his round. Antinozzi and freshman David Wheeler both contributed 75 to the record breaking effort.
Sunday’s final round was accompanied by unseasonably windy and rainy conditions, a force that most of the golfers were unable to compete with. The Marlins were no exception to that, but Herrington did salvage a hard-fought 78. “The rainy weather on Sunday made it a lot harder to play well,” said Herrington. “It was tougher mentally to keep the round going. You just had to grind it out.” After suffering from setbacks during the 2002 fall season, Herrington was unsure of his future with the golf team. Following his outstanding performance last week at Camp Lejeune, it is apparent that Herrington is back in the swing of things. “We finally came together and played to our potential,” said Herrington. “There’s tough competition within the team, but we are looking forward to breaking more records over the next few years.”
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| Photo by BEN RUEHLMANN Jason Jarrett pitches during the first game of a double-header against Bridgewater College. |
The hot streak continues as the Marlins continue to shell their opponents going into the final week of the regular season. The Marlins are 23-5 overall and according to Coach Boothe should be undefeated. The team has pushed forward and has not looked back. The high-powered offense has not slowed down either as the Marlins have produced five or more runs in six of their last seven games.
As the team enjoys the wins the Marlins have to learn to deal with the loss of starting pitcher Derrick Rawlings and center fielder Dan Sellers to injuries. Rawlings will be out at least four to five weeks while rehabilitating a broken ankle. Sellers return to competition is on a day-to-day basis. He is also nursing a bad ankle.
“I am going to try and get healthy sooner then that,” said Rawlings. “I am hoping to start pitching again for ODAC’s.” The ODAC tournament begins Apr. 24. Rawlings injury has forced sophomore Adam Hamilton to replace him as the number two pitcher in the rotation and Sellers injury has thrown several new players in the outfield. “These guys have shown signs of a good team,” said head coach Nick Boothe. “Having two starting players out, and the team coming together to pick up their positions. That makes a good team.”
The last week of the regular season proves to be the toughest of the year as the Marlins play three teams that are ranked in the nations top 25. The Marlins travel to Eastern Mennonite University, an ODAC rival on Apr. 12.
The Marlins softball team traveled to No. 13 Roanoke College on March 29 to play a double-header. The box score was 5-4 for the first game, and 6-5 for the second. On April 3, the ladies went to North Carolina Wesleyan and defeated them 1-0 in the first game. Cara Byrd tagged a double and a single in the opener. Devin Allen was three-for-three in the second game, helping the Marlins to a 11-2 victory. Both Elizabeth Askew and Becky Sowell recorded pitching victories.
On April 5 and April 6 the ladies continued their travels to Randolph-Macon
and Lynchburg. The ladies defeated Macon 11-0 in the first game, and 13-4 in
the second. At Lynchburg the ladies were defeated 12-6 and 8-0. "The girls
have not quit," said Head Coach Conrad Parker. "We are going to turn
it around.”
-ALC
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