ST. PAUL, Minn. – As Concordia-St. Paul opens the 2019 women's lacrosse season this Friday evening at Rockhurst in Kansas City, Missouri, the Golden Bears will look to shed the 'young program' label under first year head coach Heather Coppola.
 
STARTING 2019 ON THE ROAD
Concordia's non-conference slate will be entirely on the road in 2019, playing a pair of games this weekend in Missouri, departing the Kansas City area on the west side of the state on Friday for a high-powered tilt in the St. Louis area on the east side of the state on Sunday against #4 Lindenwood at noon in St. Charles.
 
The lacrosse program has played each team in its young history, with a 2017 win at Rockhurst representing the program's first road win, first win over a Division II program and first come-from-behind victory with a 16-12 win on March 3 of its inaugural year. Concordia's only game against Lindenwood came last season, a 19-7 loss in the Concordia Dome to a Lions team that entered the contest ranked #3 in the country.
 
This year, Concordia enters its third season ranked fourth in the 2019 GLIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll in a new-look nine team conference as the sport continues to grow at the Division II level. CSP holds a 15-17 all-time record, a solid mark for a program's rookie and sophomore years.
 
The GLIAC is formatted into divisions in 2019, with CSP playing a home and home against its division: Northern Michigan, Davenport and Grand Valley State while playing the opposite division once each.
 
"The goal is to win your side while proving yourself in the one opportunity you have against the other division. It's nice to have new teams coming into the league, and it means we aren't the new kids anymore. Davenport and Northern Michigan are in the same spot as us, getting better each year and we can't take any team for granted. This year will be the hardest yet in GLIAC-play but we're going to show that we deserve to be picked at our spot in the poll, if not better."
 
Like Concordia, Rockhurst is also a program on the rise as the Hawks finished with a winning record (8-7) and made the RMAC Tournament a year ago and returns RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Hanna Meek. They were placed sixth on the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll in the 10-team league. The Hawks are off to a slower start, producing a 1-3 record but won their third and final game on their trip to Florida 18-8 at Palm Beach Atlantic. They also faced the third-ranked team in the country, Florida Southern, taking a 19-7 loss in their second game of the year.
 
Sunday's opponent, #4 Lindenwood, is tied with Regis University (Colo.) for first in the 2019 RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll and features the RMAC Preseason Midfielder of the Year in Carly Federowski and RMAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in Morgan Reader. Reader was an IWLCA All-America Third Team selection a year ago. Lindenwood is coming off of a 19-1 finish in 2018, winning the RMAC Tournament 19-14 over Regis before falling to the Rangers 15-14 in the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Lions also return Preseason All-RMAC attacker Maria Johnson. Lindenwood will bring its 2-0 record to Sunday's noon home opener against Concordia, coming off of a 20-1 win at Maryville (Mo.) in the season opener two weeks ago and a 21-3 win at Virginia-Wise last weekend.
 
"The start to our season sets the bar for the high standards we have in our program," said Coach Coppola. "We get two tough opponents right out the gate including one of the top teams in the country. It gives us a chance to prove where we stand in Division II lacrosse, making a name for ourselves when we play the best."
 
Concordia's road slate remains in the Rocky Mountain (RMAC) for three more games, as the Golden Bears head on their spring trip to Pueblo, Colorado where they'll face Adams State (3/5), CSU-Pueblo (3/7) and Fort Lewis (3/9). The spring trip gets progressively tougher each contest according to RMAC coaches, going from the #10 to #8 to #5 teams in the RMAC. In all, Concordia will play the #1, #5, #6, #8 and #10 ranked teams in the RMAC.
 
"Our Colorado trip gives us three great opponents, each better than the next which will give us a good look in how the GLIAC will set-up as well in the fact that we'll be playing two games per weekend. That's tough both physically and mentally, and playing three games every-other-day will get us acclimated to that grind. It's a great way to prepare our team for when we'll be seeing some of the best teams in Division II lacrosse in league play."
 
THIRD YEAR, THIRD STAFF
In an emerging sport that continues to thrive nationally, it's no surprise that coaching opportunities arise in a similar manner. For the third year in a row, Concordia lacrosse features a new assistant coaching staff. But the biggest change is also the one constant between 2018 and 2019 with the promotion of Heather Coppola from offensive coordinator to head coach, entering her first year as a head coach.
 
"The offensive side of the ball is definitely my specialty, but we have a great defensive coordinator in Summer Fowler and we feed off of each other and bring completely different personalities to the team allowing us to counteract each other," Coppola commented. "While I have an eye on the whole field and the big picture, it's been great to empower Summer and utilize her strengths as a coach on the defensive side, giving her the opportunity to make the defense her own."
 
Coppola, in her second year overall in the program, went through her first fall offseason as head coach last semester, allowing the team a chance to get acclimated to her leadership style as well as adapting to the new staff roles.
 
"The fall season went really well, it was all about setting the tone, getting to know the expectations and then meeting those expectations from our coaching staff. We're expecting a lot more this year than has ever been expected of them in the past, we're no longer 'that young program,' we feel we have turned that corner. What are we willing to sacrifice to be better, to make the jump to being noticed nationally?"
 
She added, on the continuity of the coaching staff, "So far, the biggest challenge has been figuring out what works for the coaching staff, the ebbs and flows of working day-to-day with Summer, our new goalie coach Joe Nelson and assistant Lydia Sutton. We're determining what works best for the four of us and applying that to what the girls need, how to structure our plays and defenses to fit the girls on the roster in the best way possible."
 
Fowler has been thriving in her role working alongside Coppola, with the two playing off each other in a productive relationship within the team structure. And while that has been an important dynamic for Coppola, she has been equally impressed by the results on the field under Fowler's relentless style and high level of intensity.
 
"Summer has done a great job of flipping our defense, it's an area we needed to improve to match the style of play at the Division II level. We don't sit back and wait for things to happen, we take charge and demand the girls to be more aggressive. When the ball is on the ground, Summer expects us to be hunting it down and pushing the pace of play."
 
Joining Fowler on the defensive end is goalie coach Joe Nelson in his first year in the program.
 
"Joe is one of the best in the state when it comes down to goalie knowledge. He's been pushing our goalies to hone in on their specific training, building them from the ground-up. I give a ton of credit to Joe, working with Lotts (Katie Lottsfeldt) who was All-GLIAC last year while Claire Hagen has proven herself that she isn't the 'backup goalie' and that she deserves every minute she's given. She's put pressure on Lotts to raise the bar and that's a huge credit to Joe in getting them to be well-rounded goalies and leaders of this program."
 
Sutton provides the coaching staff with some incredible playing credentials as an All-American at the University of Southern California, one of the most decorated prep players in MSHSL history who played at the highest level on the international stage.
 
"Being that Lydia has played on the biggest stage of the game and mastered every level, we're able to utilize her knowledge to really push the pace of play that's expected when our team steps out on the field."
 
Coppola concluded on her first year as head coach, and working with a new staff, "We've adjusted really well, we've set some pretty high standards but we let the team play loose and free. We want them to make their own style of play which is different. As a staff, we look at who we have as players, what are their strengths and how can we utilize each player's strengths more. It definitely shows on offense where we'll have some players filling new roles. What's great about our staff is each of us brings something different to the table and we see things through different lenses and that plays well with what's happening in the future here."
 
TEN PLAYERS HEAD TO YEAR THREE AT CSP
When Concordia announced the addition of women's lacrosse in the spring of 2015, administration understood that there would be some growing pains in building a program from scratch. The program has been built largely on the backs of prep recruiting classes with transfers sprinkled in each year which has helped the youth of the program have players with experience as college student-athletes to emulate.
 
But the 2019 Golden Bears will be led by a core of 10 players in their third year in the program. Half of that group has been elevated to team captain status and each player will be relied on to play big minutes all over the field.
 
"We constantly talk about the culture of this program and what they'll leave behind. They're stepping into those leadership roles now, starting to mold this into what they want it to look like and expectations that players will have coming into this program for years to come. They know with two years left that as seasoned players, the clock is ticking and they know how important this year is in terms of setting the precedent for the future.
 
Last year, eight of the 10 players started at least half of the team's games, made up the top three point scorers, three of the defenders to start at least 11 of the team's 16 games and 15 of the 16 starts in the cage.
 
Three from the class were named All-GLIAC Second Team: Maddie Hentges on the attack, Sara Stickler on defense and Katie Lottsfeldt in goal.
 
Not only has this group played big minutes from day one, but they've been put in roles where they've been forced to be the leading goal scorers, the leaders on the draw, top defensive players and starting goalie.
 
"We have that competitive edge now, we know what it's like to be in those high intensity games. Every player out there in this class will be in our starting lineup. They have the reps, they know the pressure, they know what it feels like and they know the competition they're up against. They really get to set the tone for the freshmen and sophomores for what it's like in these big-ticket games," said Coppola.
 
She continued, "We're no longer 'that young program' and we can no longer use that as a crutch when things don't go well."
 
The team's five captains are Cassidy Leininger, Kylie Christensen, Maddie Hentges, Katie Lottsfeldt and redshirt sophomore Katie Moynihan.
 
"This is the most captains I've ever had as a coach and it just shows the leadership this team has. All five bring something different to the table and that's what we are looking for: we want a voice for and a face that every player on this team can look towards if they feel they are not being heard. This group is committed to developing their leadership skills and they are really stepping into themselves. As a staff, it is our mission to ensure that we can guide them through this process in developing as leaders and help them leave a lasting impact."
 
MEET THE TEAM – ATTACK
The offensive part of the squad features some returners who have done serious damage to opposing nets over the past two years in juniors Maddie Hentges and Alina Boyce. They rank first and third in team history in career points, goals and assists with Hentges leading the way across the board with 79 goals, 34 assists and 123 points while Boyce has registered 58 goals, 21 assists and 79 points.
 
Another junior, Kaci Reid also brings experience to the group with the fourth most career assists (18) and eighth most points (28).
 
They'll be joined by first year transfers Sara McNicoll from Embry-Riddle and Anne Colwell from Mount Olive who both came to CSP mid-year while sophomore Erica Peterson is coming off of a freshman year in which she produced 10 points on six goals and four assists. Freshman Hannah Distad rounds out the position group in her first year in the program.
 
"We have a fearless attack, led by our all-conference captain Maddie Hentges. We're fun, we're loose and we like to push the ball forward and into the back of the net. What you'll see this year is a lot of different role players than in the past with everyone in this group bringing something important to the table that we'll look to utilize that fit each player's strengths," said Coppola.
 
MEET THE TEAM – MIDFIELD
A constant on this team is seasoned experience returning to lead each position group, with the midfielders being paced by junior Kailey Heinl who is second in school history in goals (77) and points (88) offensively but also a force all over the field with a program high 81 career draw controls while also ranking second in ground balls (59) and caused turnovers (38).
 
"Kailey is a dynamic threat on both sides, and sophomore Lex Seifert brings us a similar style of aggressive play. They won't ever let an opponent beat them regardless of the situation. They are key role players on both sides and huge in the transition and on the draw."
 
As Coach Coppola previously mentioned, the importance of playing to her roster's strength is going to be a focal point of this team.
 
The midfield is where this philosophy seems to breathe the most, too. Contrasting the relentless play of Heinl and Seifert are incoming speedsters Izzy Snow and Mary Keating. Snow is a senior transfer from Augsburg where she was an All-Midwest Lacrosse Conference First Team selection with 50 goals and 21 assists to help the Auggies reach a conference title and the NCAA DIII Tournament. Keating is a versatile two-sport athlete, securing four starts on the soccer pitch in the fall where she helped the team post five shutouts among the nine contests she played.
 
"The speed that Izzy and Mary bring to our middies is something we've never had in our offense before," commented Coppola. "Mary will be a surprise, and we're excited to see the impact she makes in her first year."
 
Adding another player dynamic to the group are sophomores Katie Moynihan and Margot Coomes. A third year sophomore who used a redshirt in 2017, Moynihan returned to the field last year as she played all 16 games as a key reserve, ranking sixth on the team in goals (10) and seventh in points (17) while tying for fourth in assists with seven. Coomes started all 16 games as a true freshman and had seven goals and five assists.
 
"They are smooth and consistent players. They never really make any big errors, they are always there on both sides of the ball to really be the level-headed side of the offensive and defensive sets. We are excited for Margot to come into her own as a player this year, we're looking for her to be the backbone of the offense and we're excited to see her excel in a huge new role for us in her second year."
 
A versatile player, Coppola is looking to utilize Boyce more in the midfield in 2019, "She brings a completely unconventional style of middie to the table. She's an 'all-out' defender who is a little unconventional but will do anything to get the ball back and can take it the full length and bury it on offense."
 
The group will buoyed in the future by sophomore Lexi Dahl and freshmen Molly Moynihan and Julia Monson, who are all expected to miss significant time this year.
 
MEET THE TEAM – DEFENSE
Of the four position groups, the defensive combination of defenders and goalies brings the most cohesion and is considered a strength of the 2019 roster entering the season. What stands out on defense, according to Coach Coppola, "They are just so seasoned. They are fast, aggressive and don't make consistent errors. The defenses that we will throw at opponents is going to be big, in your face and disruptive. We have the right group of players to hone in and lock that down."
 
The unit returns four juniors including All-GLIAC Second Team selection Sara Stickler who has started in 31 out of 32 possible games in her career. As a sophomore, she increased her ground balls output from 13 to 23, and her caused turnovers from nine to 21 in a breakout year.
 
She's flanked by junior captains Cassidy Leininger and Kylie Christensen. Leininger has 26 career starts and after starting all 16 games last year, Christensen has started 25 career games. Like Stickler, Christensen made a huge jump as a sophomore, going from eight to 18 in ground balls and seven to 16 in caused turnovers. Leininger is ready to return to her freshman year form that saw her break out with 26 ground balls, 17 draw controls and 13 caused turnovers before her working through injuries as a sophomore.
 
"Sara is a returning all-conference performer for a reason. She makes little-to-no errors, is a consistent performer and always in-your-face. Kylie has that all-conference potential, is stepping into her leadership role and coming into her own as a forceful defender. Cass is a consistent player, a key ingredient as a captain and that consistency is the biggest word to describe all of our defenders."
 
Junior Tia Zachman went from playing in nine contests as a reserve during her freshman year to having a key role as a sophomore, starting in half of the team's games. She's secured 20 career ground balls across her 24 games played.
 
"Tia is a key part of our defense and locks down the crease for us," said Coppola.
 
The lone sophomore of the crew is Lexi Stanley, who was an immediate impact player as a rookie a year ago as she started in half of the team's games and racked up 23 ground balls in just 10 games played, adding 13 caused turnovers as a disruptive force before her season was similarly disrupted due to injury.
 
"Big Lex is fast, aggressive, smooth, and coachable and has bought into everything we've said and it's changed her completely as a player," said Coppola. She continued, "She always had the type of size and speed that you just can't coach, but she's ready to prove herself as the youngest defender that we have. She works day-in, day-out to prove that she deserves to be in the lineup. She's a ball-hawk and that knack for the ball will put her on the circle on the draw."
 
MEET THE TEAM – GOALIES
The other half of the strength of the team on defense, the goalies give Concordia a versatile look that provides strong depth and competition led by junior All-GLIAC Second Team standout Katie Lottsfeldt who has started 31 out of 32 games in the program's history.
 
Despite playing in over 350 fewer minutes as a sophomore, Lottsfeldt recorded nearly the same number of saves in her sophomore year (121) as her freshman year (133) when she played all but 20 minutes in the crease as a rookie.
 
Most importantly, Lottsfeldt's save percentage had a substantial increase from .390 to .437. Her aggressive style of play has allowed her to secure 142 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers in her career.
 
She was backed up last year by Claire Hagen who enters her sophomore year, giving the Golden Bears a pair of starting-caliber goalies at a premium position. During her first year, Hagen registered 48 saves in 13 games including one start and was credited with wins in her only two goalie decisions.
 
"With Lotts' style of play, being a disruptive, out-of-the-cage goalie, she brings a lot to the table when she's in the net. Claire is peaking every single day. Her consistency, ability and fluidity in the net is something we are beyond excited about. We have two completely different goalies and either one of them has the ability to backbone this defense and make some big impact in games.
 
SEASON OUTLOOK – EXPECTATIONS
Coach Coppola communicates freely with a relaxed demeanor, an authentic match to her coaching philosophy which shows a strong self-identity. She balances out her style of communication style with the externally intense and energetic style of her top assistant, Fowler, who runs the defense.
 
And while Coppola has an easy going external demeanor, her words and ideas are clear, concise and feature the type of intensity and intent aimed at achieving high results and lofty goals.
 
The genuine combination of allowing her personality to flow freely along with her razor sharp focus and inner drive are exemplified in the team's goals. While she is focused on building a championship-caliber program, she understands the process of building those traits within her program.
 
"We have a number of small monetary goals that we set for each game, and those are always different. The goal is always to win and be the best, but our mindset is how we get there. We can't win a game without high shooting and save percentages, caused turnovers, success on the draw and so on. Overall, we think that if we can come in and disrupt things early in league play that we'll have better opportunities in the long run. The bigger picture, getting on the national scale is something we've set forth and is a vision for this year to lay the foundation to build for the future of this program."