Phllylacrosse.com, Posted 10/27/16
From Press Release
Monmouth University Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach Eileen Ghent and her staff welcomed 11 newcomers to her squad this fall.
Izzy Balcer (Plymouth Meeting, PA/Mount St. Joseph), Nicole Ceraso (Massapequa, NY/Plainedge), Shannon Gaghan (North Massapequa, NY/Farmingdale), Sarah Gillogly (Edgewater, MD/South River), Megan Hart (Clarksville, MD/Atholton), Olivia Mangum (Potomac, MD/Wooton), Stephanie Miller (Cordova, MD/Easton), Chloe Novak (Landsdale, PA/North Penn), Sophie Rosenzweig (Verona, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy), Megan Sullivan (Jupiter, FL/Jupiter Community HS) and Allison Turturro (Sound Beach, NY/Miller Place) have enrolled and begun fall practice with the Hawks.
Balcer was a four-year midfielder at Mount St. Joseph High School under Coach Brian Madeira. The Plymouth Meeting native scored 111 goals and assisted on 198 others while recording 102 draw controls in her career. Balcer, an All-Catholic Academy League selection, played club lacrosse for Ultimate PA.
“Izzy is a tough competitor. She has a very high level of game sense which often puts her in the right place at the right time to make a big play.” – Ghent on Balcer
Novak, a midfielder, played for Coach Heather Mellow at North Penn High School. As a senior she led the league in draw controls with 105, finishing with 199 draws over her final two seasons. Over that span she tallied 43 goals and 35 assists, earning first team all-conference honors as a senior and second team honors as a junior. The PLA Senior All-Star Team selection played her club lacrosse with the Phantastix.
“Chloe stood out to us initially due to her ability on the draw, but has since become a huge presence as a true midfielder. She has great instincts and is able to adapt very quickly.” –Ghent on Novak
Ceraso played attack under Coach Anthony Giovanelli at Plainedge High School on Long Island. The accounting major recorded over 275 points in her career, including 168 goals. Ceraso was named as a Top-100 Players by Newsday and earned all-conference and all-county honors on multiple occasions. She led the Red Devils to a conference championship as a junior and played her on the Long Island Yellow Jackets club lacrosse team.
“Nicole never stops working on her game. As a natural crease player, she is a dual-threat that has the ability to drive and feed simultaneously.” -Ghent on Ceraso
Gillogly, a midfielder, played at South River High School in Maryland. She played her club lacrosse with Integrity and also starred for the Seahawks’ field hockey team.
“Sarah’s game has exploded over the last two years. She is a threat on both sides of the ball and plays with incredible poise and control.” – Ghent on Gillogly
Gaghan is a defender from Farmingdale High School on Long Island under coach Shari Campbell. Gaghan was a two-time Elite 120 player, helped lead the Dalers to a NYS Class A State Championship and to the finals of the Nassau County Championship. She was selected to the Next Level All-Star Team. Gaghan played her club lacrosse with the Long Island Yellow Jackets.
“Coming from a strong high school program, Gaghan knows what it’s like to compete at a high level. She is a very aggressive, physical and communicative defender.” –Ghent on Shannon Gaghan
Hart played defense under Coach Martha Dyer at Atholton High School in Columbia, MD. She starred for the Raiders in both lacrosse and basketball. She was a member of the Rebels Lacrosse Club.
“Being a multi-sport athlete her entire life, Megan brings a high level of field vision and a unique ability to anticipate. She is a tall, strong athlete that will be able to succeed at multiple positions.” -Ghent on Hart
Mangum played goaltender at Wootton High School under Head Coach Shannon Holliday. During her time with the Patriots, she helped backstop the team to a pair of regional semifinals and a regional final as a junior. She earned first team all-county and All-MET honors as a senior. Mangum was a three-time all-county honorable mention and a second team all-conference performer in 2014. She played club lacrosse with MC Elite.
“Olivia brings versatility to the goalkeeping position. Her height, length and athleticism serve as her foundation, her potential is limitless.” -Ghent on Mangum
Miller, a midfielder, played under coach Rachel Strang at Easton High School in Easton, MD. She was a 2016 Mid-Shore First Team Midfielder, and a three-time US Lacrosse Women’s National Tournament selection. In 2013 she helped Easton to the Maryland Class 2A/AS East Regional Champion and to State runner up.
As a sophomore she was a 2014 Brine High School All-American. A standout in the classroom, she was a 2016 Bayside Conference Scholar Athlete Award winner. She played her club lacrosse as a member of Maryland United.
“Steph is a natural leader. She has an unselfish style of play and is always trying to make her teammates look good.” – Ghent on Miller
Rosenzweig was a three year varsity defender under Coach Sue Montegari at Immaculate Heart Academy in New Jersey. She helped the Eagles to three straight county finals while earning first team all-county and second team all-league honors. Rosenzweig was also selected to the New Jersey All-Star Tournament as a senior. She was a member of Tri-State Lacrosse Club.
“As a defender, Sophie really understands the game and is able to listen, talk and play at the same time. Being one of our Honors School students, she brings that same high level of IQ to the lacrosse field.” –Ghent on Rosenzweig
Sullivan played attack for Coach Claire Posa at Jupiter High School in Florida. Selected as a Brine All-American at both the NJ and VA camps, she was also named to the Brine All-Tournament team. As a senior she was selected to the Florida Senior All-Star Team and led both her high school teams in scoring and assists. She also played high school lacrosse in Virginia and was a club member of the SOVA Swell.
“Although she is coming from Florida, Megan has a long family history with Monmouth. She brings a lot of positive energy and takes tremendous pride in her game.” – Ghent on Sullivan
Turturro played attack under coaches Kerri Finn and Tom Carro at Miller Place High School in NY. She also competed in field hockey and track and field for the Panthers. Turturro played club lacrosse with Team 91.
“Ally is a quick, sneaky attacker with a knack for finishing. Her stick skills and shooting technique really set her apart.” -Ghent on Turturro
In Ghent’s first season the Hawks went 6-2 in league play and finished as runners up at the 2016 MAAC Tournament.
