Central Michigan University Athletics
Eyeing 3rd Straight Win, Chippewas Head To Marquette
3/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Lacrosse
Zach Libby, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Prior to Central Michigan's two-game home stretch last week, Central Michigan lacrosse coach Sara Tisdale said that having a multitude of freshman presents the opportunity to find multiple potential leaders offensively.
That search may be over with Jocelyne Lemay garnering positive attention nationally.
Lemay, a Peterborough, Ontario, Canada native, leads CMU in shots (21), goals (12) and points (12).
The winner of the Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Week award on Feb. 23, Lemay was the hero for the Chippewas in their second home game in program history, Sunday, as she scored the game-winning goal with 34 seconds remaining - her fifth tally of the game - against Virginia Commonwealth, bringing CMU's record to 3-2 on the season.
Saturday will commence the final non-conference road game for CMU when it voyages west of Lake Michigan to Valley Fields to face Marquette (2-5), CMU's second Big East opponent this season.
The overall record of Marquette can tell a different story on paper than what has transpired on the field this season.
The Golden Eagles have yet to back away from cutthroat competition. Three of their games have been against top-20 teams, the latest a 17-11 loss to perennial power Northwestern, which is ranked 13th.
"We know that it's going to be a tough game and every play has to count," Tisdale said. "I think we know obviously that they have faced these opponents and that they're a big and tough team."
For Tisdale, what's been beneficial for her team in this week of practice is the advantage of having film sessions, as both the Chippewas and Golden Eagles have squared off with Michigan this season.
The Chippewas fell to the Wolverines, 14-1, in the season opener. Michigan defeated Marquette, 11-8, three weeks ago.
"For our young program, we think that ignorance is bliss," Tisdale said. "We are going into every game the same way regardless of who the opponent is because it's still a first time."
Goalkeeper Dominique Hamman, one of the 24 freshmen on the Chippewas roster, has shined, leading the Atlantic Sun Conference in goals against (8.54 per game) and landing in the top five with a .507 save percentage.
Hamman has weathered the aggressive offenses from Michigan and Cincinnati this season and stood as a roadblock to lower-tier programs, having allowed just four goals to Gardner-Webb on Feb. 20.
"Dom's a gamer," Tisdale said. "Her focus and intensity in a game is almost eerie in how she's goes about her business. As a freshman, to do that, you can't ask for much more for someone to step up and not be fazed by whatever the name on the (opposing) jersey it is."
Allison Lane leads Marquette with 14 goals and is second on the Golden Eagles' roster in points. in goals with 14 and second in points behind Amands Bochniak, who has recorded a team-high 10 assists this season.
"Allison's [Lane] name has come up in practice," Tisdale said. "But we know that she's not just a one-trick pony. She has many aspects to her game that we need to be concerned about than just scoring."
Central Michigan will counter with Lemay, who has transformed herself into a major asset for a program that is continuing to look for an identity in its debut year.
Tisdale describes her offensive weapon as a player who has attributes that are uncoachable: instincts and an understanding of the game and the field.
Which isn't to say that Lemay does not benefit from a strong supporting cast. The Chippewas' Logan Halvorson is the reigning Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Week and Anna Schoonover is second on the roster in shots (17) and points (nine).
The Chippewas maintained possession for more than three minutes late in the game against VCU, waiting to pounce when the time was right. Lemay got credit for the goal off a Riley Huda assist, but "it took all seven players to hold the ball for those three minutes and get it into the right hands," Tisdale said. "Definitely Lemay is standing out in the statistical categories, but the folks that are playing around her are doing a good job."
