Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/20/08
The third annual US Lacrosse Stars & Stripes Weekend, featuring the 2008-09 U.S. women’s national team, will be hosted by Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11-12.
The U.S. team – featuring Radnor High graduates Nikki Lieb and sister Jessi Lieb, Michi Ellers (Strath Haven), Regina Oliver (Pottstown) and Whitney Douthett (Newtown, Peddie School) – will compete in exhibition games against international teams Scotland and the Haudenosaunee, as well as collegiate teams Syracuse, Cornell and Vermont.
In addition to the U.S. team games, the star-studded lacrosse weekend will feature a US Lacrosse coaching education clinic and a girls’ lacrosse clinic (grades 3-12).
“There is something for everyone in Syracuse during Stars and Stripes Weekend,” said US Lacrosse’s Upstate N.Y. Chapter board member, Noel Ebner. “We are thrilled to offer training and education opportunities for coaches and players in Central New York.
“Plus, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see so many of the very best women’s lacrosse players from all over the world compete in one location for one weekend.”
“This weekend represents an opportunity to provide a competitive experience for our national teams while helping to prepare us for the 2009 World Cup in Prague next summer,” said Ann Carpenetti, Women’s Division director for US Lacrosse. “Currently, the U.S. women’s World Cup player pool has 48 players on its roster.
After the Stars and Stripes weekend in Syracuse, the pool will be split up into the U.S. World Cup training team and the U.S. developmental team.”
Three of the 48 players on the U.S. team play for Syracuse: Christina Dove, Halley Quillinan and Katie Rowan. Erica LaGrow (Christian Brothers Academy/UNC ‘08) is the lone Central New Yorker on the U.S. team.
The national team program exists as a training program for U.S. teams for international play and to help promote and develop women’s lacrosse around the country. The U.S. has been the most successful country in international competition, winning five of the seven World Cup events held since 1982 and three of the four U-19 World Championships since 1995. The next World Cup is in Prague, Czech Republic in June 2009.
Tickets for Saturday’s 6:00 p.m. game, Team USA vs. Syracuse, are available in advance at local retailers for $8 (adults) and $5 (students and for children 12 and under). Ticket prices will be $10 and $5 if purchased at the gate. All other exhibition games on Saturday and Sunday are free.
Jessi Lieb graduated this spring from Penn State while sister Nikki Lieb (Virginia) and Douthett (Dartmouth) were 2007 grads. Oliver graduated from Ohio State in 2005 and Ellers from Georgetown in 2004.
Jessi Lieb led the Nittany Lions in goals (25), assists (9), points (34), and ground balls (32) in 2008. Lieb, a three-time first-team All-American Lacrosse Conference choice, finished her collegiate career with 107 goals, 34 assists, 144 points, 140 draw controls, 148 ground balls, and 66 caused turnovers.
Nikki Lieb was named Defensive Middie of the Year by Inside Lacrosse her senior year and led the Cavaliers to three Atlantic Coast conference championships.
Ellers led the country in caused turnovers twice and is Georgetown’s all-time leader in the category with a total of 204. She helped the Hoyas reach the national championship game in 2001 and 2002.
Oliver was a first-team All American Lacrosse Conference pick her senior year, leading the Buckeyes in scoring with 25 goals and 11 assists.
Douthett was a three-time all-Ivy League first-team choice who led the Big Green to the 2006 NCAA championship game.
