Garden City, N.Y. - The 2014 women's lacrosse team is standing on the precipice of something great and will begin their journey on Friday, February 21 against Grand Valley State. For the past two seasons Head Coach Rob Grella and his team have worked, hours upon hours, to put the Brown and Gold back on top of the Division II lacrosse mountain and feel like 2014 is going to be the year of the Panther.

"After last season we realized we could beat anyone," Grella said. "The attitude has changed and the team has started believing in themselves and that's what we've been stressing, belief.  We'll get you there, but eventually you're going to have to do it yourselves, and this year we're ready to do it ourselves and go get it."

For the past two years, Adelphi was not far from the top of the lacrosse landscape. Bowing out, in the NCAA quarterfinals in 2012, in a tight three goal loss to eventual National Champions LIU-Post. The Panthers fell again to the Pioneers in 2013, this time in the National Semifinals, by a single goal, that was scored with just six seconds left.

However, Adelphi is poised to charge back to the National Championship game, returning eight of their top-10 scorers from a year ago and returning all but one piece from a stifling defense. The Panthers will be battle tested by the time May rolls around, thanks to a challenging Northeast-10 schedule and some strong non-conference opponents and expectations are sky high for this talented group.

"It has been a lot of fun, but it has also been a challenge. And with that challenge comes criticism," Grella explained. " They say 'Oh you were here, now you're here...' I think we're back on that National Championship level. I'm not claiming we're going to win 10 national titles, but to be back here is important for the school, and the expectation at Adelphi every year."

The rest of the Northeast-10 Conference and the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Association agree with Coach Grella's expectations. The coaches in the Northeast-10 selected the Panthers as the top team in the league, in a preseason poll, while Adelphi was slated second in the IWLCA preseason coach's poll.
 
OFFENSE

The office returns six of eight players that reached double digits in points last season, including 100 point scorer and All-American senior Devan Crimi. Adelphi will also get a boost from the return of graduate student Meg Brown, who missed all but two games last year with an injury. Crimi led the Panthers in goals (69), assists (32) and points (101) a year ago, while Brown was fifth on the team in points (54), two years ago.

Bolstering Adelphi's offense will be reigning Northeast-10 Rookie of The Year, sophomore Rachel O'Brien, IWLCA All-Region honoree junior Danielle Jaycox, along with classmate Alexa Froccaro. O'Brien had an immediate impact a year ago, closing out the year second in points with 75 (56G, 19A), while Jaycox earned her first all-region honor after turning in a 38 goal and 10 assist season. Froccaro showed major growth in 2013, scoring more goals (45) and handing out more assists (10) then in 2012.

Sophomores, Emily Keesling and Rachel Aitkens gained valuable experience last spring, appearing in a combined 38 games with seven starts and tallying 28 points for the Panthers. This year they will be asked to step into voids left by graduation and to contribute more to an already potent Panther attack that averaged better than 15 goals a game last season.

There is also a solid mix of newcomers and returners who have been pushing for time on the field and added depth to an already dangerous Adelphi attack. Junior Felicia Mills is strong on the draw and gets up and down the field in transition for the Panthers, while fellow returners Stefani Jackson, Kelly Osmulski, Alaina Lamont, Danielle Montano and Gianna Gallo give coach Grella plenty of seasoned options.

A couple of new faces have made quick impressions as practice and in exhibitions this season, as Jackie Jahelka, Natalie Badalato and Casey Zalewski have shown flashes of what they are capable of at this level. Fellow freshman Jill Graziano, Kristen Vath, and Kate Beier will give the coaching staff plenty of offensive options and keep the opponents guessing.

DEFENSE

The Panthers held the opposition to just 6.33 goals last season and return ever member of that stellar unit except for IWLCA All-Region selection Katelynn Ciaci. Leading the defense this season is four-year starter and All-American senior Jacqueline Williams. Williams has started every game since her freshman year and led the team in draw controls last spring, as the lone senior on the back line, she'll be looked to for leadership.

Williams is joined on this experienced group by junior Lauren Janelli, senior Laura Hedges and sophomore Camille Rosellini. Janelli and Hedges bring speed and experience, while Rosellini is a shutdown defender, who played her best game of the season in the National Semifinal, against LIU-Post.

Adding depth to the core of the Adelphi defense will be freshmen Ryley Weber and Jen Graham. Sophomores Nina Stoia and Katy Richardson are experienced options for Grella at defense.

GOAL

Adelphi has three experienced net minders vying for time in goal. Jordann Dempsey, Taylor Hayes and Taylor Langston all saw more than 100 minutes in goal last season. Dempsey made 20 appearances, while Hays saw time in 12 games and Langston seven. Combined the Brown and Gold goalies posted a record of 18-3 and had a save percentage of .470.

Dempsey was 15-2 with a save percentage of .446, while Hayes was 1-1 in goal with a percentage of .547 and Langston stopped .429 percent of shots sent her way and won both her starts. All three options give the Panthers a change to win, so Grella has a luxury few coaches in the country enjoy.

SCHEDULE

As usual the Panthers are not shying away from anyone and have put together a challenging slate of games for the spring. Their non-conference schedule will feature out of region opponents, Grand Valley State University (2/21), Lindenwood University (3/1), Philadelphia University (3/8), St. Thomas Aquinas College (3/17) and Mercy College (4/2).

"We assembled a strong non-conference schedule against some quality opponents that we hope will test us early," Grella stated. "I'm excited to see how we fair with our first four games on the road. It will be a great early season test for us before we get into conference play."

The rigorous conference schedule starts on March 15 in North Andover, Massachusetts with Merrimack and continues on until May with just two breaks, to play St. Thomas Aquinas and Mercy. Adelphi's home opener is scheduled for March 17 against the Spartans and is one of just eight home contests for the Panthers.

"The Northeast-10 is always a tough conference and with five teams ranked in the top-15 in the division, there are no easy games," Grella said. "We also play three of those four ranked opponents on the road. So the schedule is challenging, but I love that and it will prepare us for the post season."

Some key Northeast-10 opponents for the Panthers include, a March 29 meeting with Stonehill in North Easton, Massachusetts, followed by an April 8 contest against the University of New Haven in East Haven, Connecticut. The most anticipated contest of the season for Adelphi will be a rematch of the Panthers come from behind victory over LeMoyne in the NCAA quarterfinals. That meeting with happen on April 16 on Motamed Field in Garden City.

Adelphi has the mix of talent, experience, youth, depth and the schedule to push them back to the top of the Division II lacrosse world, and the lacrosse community will be watching as the set rises on the 2014 season for the Panthers.