Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/4/20
From Press Release
In 2019, the Lehigh women’s lacrosse team overcame a tough, 0-5, start to league play to win its final four games and reach the Patriot League Tournament for a program-record sixth straight season.
Now in 2020, the Mountain Hawks look to continue that success, and continue pushing the program to new heights.
“We have a strong mix of talented younger players, combined with veterans who provide significant game experience,” said Lehigh head coach Jill Redfern (Ursinus College). “We believe those two things create a very nice balance and strong potential.”
Balance is a word you should hear often about the 2020 Mountain Hawks, due to a large number of threats all over the field. A pair of seniors are helping serve as anchors, with two-time All-Region honoree Sondra Dickey (Conestoga) in the midfield along with 2019 All-Patriot League honoree Alexandra Ladda (Harriton) at defense.
Last season, Dickey led the Mountain Hawks in goals (53), points (67), groundballs (34), caused turnovers (28) and draw controls (78). Ladda put up 18 groundballs, while her 16 caused turnovers and 26 draw controls were both third on the team.
“Alex is a mark-up defender for us. It’s nice to have her back,” said Redfern. “The biggest thing about Sondra is every year, she just gets better. She’s a complete player. Her defense is probably underappreciated. She’s even better this year.
“Our offense will have some new looks,” Redfern continued.
The Mountain Hawks have a number of returning, and new threats, all over the field. It’s creating strong competition at practice, with every student-athlete playing an important role in the team’s success.
“Everyone is competing with each other. It’s a great practice environment,” said Redfern. “We’re getting better every day.”
Depth is another word that describes this group, which should lead to more options on the defensive end of the field as well.
“We’re hoping to play more than one defense and be able to use more personnel within the two defenses,” said Redfern. “We believe that’s going to contribute to our success. We have a very solid midfield as well. Lots of pieces are coming together.”
Things are coming together due in large part to Lehigh’s senior class of six, who have helped set the course for the year.
“We’re excited about the contributions of our senior class,” said Redfern. “They’ve done a great job uniting the team. We feel their commitment on a variety of levels and know they’re having a significant impact on our team’s development.”
The season begins on Friday at home vs. Iona. These Mountain Hawks aren’t thinking about a potential seventh straight Patriot League Tournament. They’re focused on the task at hand, and winning the day.
“We’re focused on one day at a time and our own progression,” said Redfern. “We believe in the team’s upside and how much they’re going to develop over the course of the spring. We have a lot of work to do, but the team has the attitude and work ethic to reach its full potential.”