Friday, February 15
Ann Arbor, Mich.
3:00 p.m. ET
Central Michigan University
at
Michigan
Photo by: Stan Barnhill
Lacrosse Aims High In Year 4
2/14/2019 10:21:00 PM | Lacrosse
Chippewas open season on Friday at Michigan
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Planning, pragmatism, patience.
Look who's all grown up.
The Central Michigan lacrosse team begins its fourth year of varsity competition on Friday (3 p.m.) when it goes to Michigan for a nonconference game
A dozen Chippewa seniors are looking to go out on top after building the foundation of the program just four seasons ago under coach Sara Tisdale. The Chippewas captured the Southern Conference regular-season championship a year ago, winning a program-record 11 games.
The goal now is to take it a step farther and win the conference tournament and earn the program's first NCAA Tournament berth.
"They want it so bad and I think they're willing to put in the time and energy to make it happen," said Tisdale, a CMU alumna who began building the program from scratch when she was named to head the program in July, 2014. "I don't think anyone is holding onto the tomorrows. The vision statement they wrote for themselves starts with the word 'today.'"
BLOSSOMING
The Chippewas have made tremendous strides in their three years of existence. Last year, there were myriad records and firsts, the league title, obviously, topping the list.
Among the other highlights were program season records for points, goals, shots, shots on goal, clears and draw controls; and a program-best six-game win streak that came during a span in which CMU won nine of 10 games.
RETURNEES
Eight Chippewas, each of whom returns in 2019, earned All-SoCon honors last spring. Jocelyne Lemay, Shannon Doyle and Natalie Karlen were named to the first team; Tyra Prince, Dominique Hamman, Anna Schoonover and Logan Halvorson each earned a spot on the second team; and Hannah Potter was named to the all-freshman squad.
Lemay led the Chippewas with 36 goals, while Karlen finished with a team-high 56 points. Prince, Doyle, Karlen and Schoonover each scored at least 30 goals, while Hamman finished with a 12.39 goals-against average and a .451 save percentage.
Junior Jessica Schuchardt (15 goals, 32 assists, 47 points) also returns along with several other non-seniors who saw significant playing time last season.
TIME FLIES
Lemay, a native of Peterborough, Ont. who tops both the career goals (120) and career points (135) charts, was Tisdale's first signee.
"It's gone by so fast," Tisdale said. "I still remember, vividly, sitting down with Jocelyne Lemay and her parents when she was 17 and (she) spoke no more than three words to me the entire time on the visit. To think that we're here already, that's a little crazy."
STEP BY STEP
Crazy? Not really. Tisdale had a plan when she returned to her alma mater.
And she's stuck to it.
"Everybody has that same goal so it's what you do along the way that makes you different," Tisdale said. "Two years ago, there's no way we could have run the offense we are running right now because they didn't have a high enough level of a lacrosse IQ, and that's nothing against them. Experience is the toughest teacher. You can't teach experience. You just have to go through it."
That experience will help in spades, and it will allow the Chippewas to become more diverse and less predictable on offense, and better able to adjust on defense.
"In the years past, we've been very predictable," Tisdale said. "Teams have been able to scout us and know, 'I can expect this drive from this person at this angle; we know how to set up here if they do this.' Now what we have is a very loose and fluid offense that's going to be very hard to scout.
"Defensively, it comes down to communication and chemistry. That's one of the things that you can't rush. It takes time."
BULLS-EYE
The Chippewas, who played in the Atlantic Sun Conference in their first two years as a varsity program, have gone from the new kids on the block to the top spot, from the hunters to the hunted.
Tisdale said she will happily take the bulls-eye, and all that comes with it.
"I'll take that target any day," she said. "I'd like to be the program that's always being chased. I'm never a follower."
STEELED
The Chippewas have also grown and developed a program-wide attitude. It's no longer about playing and developing, but about producing. They proved last season that they are capable of that.
"A big change for us this year," Tisdale said, "at the top of our scouting report it just (reads) 'Opponent No. 1.' It doesn't say anything about Michigan. All that matters is us. If we're going to buy into that, you've got to believe that through and through. Every game is the same. It doesn't matter if you're playing Howard or Michigan.
"We've all learned a ton and I've said this to them: I'm not afraid to admit where I've learned and made mistakes in reflection."
Look who's all grown up.
The Central Michigan lacrosse team begins its fourth year of varsity competition on Friday (3 p.m.) when it goes to Michigan for a nonconference game
A dozen Chippewa seniors are looking to go out on top after building the foundation of the program just four seasons ago under coach Sara Tisdale. The Chippewas captured the Southern Conference regular-season championship a year ago, winning a program-record 11 games.
The goal now is to take it a step farther and win the conference tournament and earn the program's first NCAA Tournament berth.
"They want it so bad and I think they're willing to put in the time and energy to make it happen," said Tisdale, a CMU alumna who began building the program from scratch when she was named to head the program in July, 2014. "I don't think anyone is holding onto the tomorrows. The vision statement they wrote for themselves starts with the word 'today.'"
BLOSSOMING
The Chippewas have made tremendous strides in their three years of existence. Last year, there were myriad records and firsts, the league title, obviously, topping the list.
Among the other highlights were program season records for points, goals, shots, shots on goal, clears and draw controls; and a program-best six-game win streak that came during a span in which CMU won nine of 10 games.
RETURNEES
Eight Chippewas, each of whom returns in 2019, earned All-SoCon honors last spring. Jocelyne Lemay, Shannon Doyle and Natalie Karlen were named to the first team; Tyra Prince, Dominique Hamman, Anna Schoonover and Logan Halvorson each earned a spot on the second team; and Hannah Potter was named to the all-freshman squad.
Lemay led the Chippewas with 36 goals, while Karlen finished with a team-high 56 points. Prince, Doyle, Karlen and Schoonover each scored at least 30 goals, while Hamman finished with a 12.39 goals-against average and a .451 save percentage.
Junior Jessica Schuchardt (15 goals, 32 assists, 47 points) also returns along with several other non-seniors who saw significant playing time last season.
TIME FLIES
Lemay, a native of Peterborough, Ont. who tops both the career goals (120) and career points (135) charts, was Tisdale's first signee.
"It's gone by so fast," Tisdale said. "I still remember, vividly, sitting down with Jocelyne Lemay and her parents when she was 17 and (she) spoke no more than three words to me the entire time on the visit. To think that we're here already, that's a little crazy."
STEP BY STEP
Crazy? Not really. Tisdale had a plan when she returned to her alma mater.
And she's stuck to it.
"Everybody has that same goal so it's what you do along the way that makes you different," Tisdale said. "Two years ago, there's no way we could have run the offense we are running right now because they didn't have a high enough level of a lacrosse IQ, and that's nothing against them. Experience is the toughest teacher. You can't teach experience. You just have to go through it."
That experience will help in spades, and it will allow the Chippewas to become more diverse and less predictable on offense, and better able to adjust on defense.
"In the years past, we've been very predictable," Tisdale said. "Teams have been able to scout us and know, 'I can expect this drive from this person at this angle; we know how to set up here if they do this.' Now what we have is a very loose and fluid offense that's going to be very hard to scout.
"Defensively, it comes down to communication and chemistry. That's one of the things that you can't rush. It takes time."
BULLS-EYE
The Chippewas, who played in the Atlantic Sun Conference in their first two years as a varsity program, have gone from the new kids on the block to the top spot, from the hunters to the hunted.
Tisdale said she will happily take the bulls-eye, and all that comes with it.
"I'll take that target any day," she said. "I'd like to be the program that's always being chased. I'm never a follower."
STEELED
The Chippewas have also grown and developed a program-wide attitude. It's no longer about playing and developing, but about producing. They proved last season that they are capable of that.
"A big change for us this year," Tisdale said, "at the top of our scouting report it just (reads) 'Opponent No. 1.' It doesn't say anything about Michigan. All that matters is us. If we're going to buy into that, you've got to believe that through and through. Every game is the same. It doesn't matter if you're playing Howard or Michigan.
"We've all learned a ton and I've said this to them: I'm not afraid to admit where I've learned and made mistakes in reflection."
Players Mentioned
M
/ Lacrosse
M
/ Lacrosse
GK
/ Lacrosse
A
/ Lacrosse
M
/ Lacrosse
M
/ Lacrosse
M
/ Lacrosse
A
/ Lacrosse
A
/ LacrosseLacrosse vs Butler
Wednesday, April 16
Lacrosse vs Youngstown State
Sunday, April 13
LAX Cinematic Recap - EMU
Tuesday, April 01
Lacrosse vs Eastern Michigan
Sunday, March 30