By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/4/08

Five local women were among the 49 players named Sunday to the U.S. national teams for 2008-09. The announcement came after three days of tryouts concluded at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Sisters Jessi Lieb (Radnor, Penn State graduate) and Nikki Lieb (Radnor, Virginia), Michi Ellers (Strath Haven, Georgetown), Regina Oliver (Pottstown, Ohio State) and Whitney Douthett (Newtown, Peddie School, Dartmouth).

The player pool will be divided into Elite and Developmental teams following US Lacrosse’s Stars and Stripes weekend Oct. 10-13. All players are eligible to represent Team USA at the 2009 IFWLA World Cup in Prague, Czech Republic, with the final 18-player roster expected to be announced following the US Lacrosse Champions Challenge in January 2009.

Jessi Lieb graduated this year from Penn State while sister Nikki and Douthett were 2007 grads. Oliver graduated in 2005 and Ellers 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.