Women's Lacrosse Welcomes Newcomers For 2016
10/07/2015 | Women's Lacrosse
As the fall practice sessions are ongoing, Richmond women's lacrosse head coach Allison Kwolek introduces 11 newcomers to the program for the 2016 season.
Columbia University transfer Tegan Helms, who will play her sophomore season for the Spiders in 2016, is joined by freshmen from six different states on campus for Richmond this year.
Attackers Kathleen Berkery, Mia Castagnero, Margot McTiernan and Anna Moorhead, midfielders Julie Ball, Marissa Brown, Aly Fries and Helms, defenders Maria McDonough and Tatiana Monds and goalie Danni LeServe join the 17 returning Spiders from their 10-9 season in 2015.
ATTACK (click name for full bio)
Kathleen Berkery – 24 – East Williston, New Jersey
Coach Kwolek on Berkery: “Kathleen's lacrosse IQ is incredible. She's a very quick learner and is always putting herself in position to score or assist her teammates.”
Mia Castagnero – 15 – Apex, North Carolina
Coach Kwolek on Catagnero: “Mia has size, speed and athleticism make her a huge threat offensively. Her ability to get a step on her defender and finish make her a serious threat on the offensive end.”
Margot McTiernan – 21 – Garden City, New Jersey
Coach Kwolek on McTiernan: “Margot is a very skilled attacker. What I love about Margot is how hard she re-defends. Margot is a tenacious player who is constantly working to get the ball back after a save or a turnover.”
Anna Moorhead – 12 – Darien, Connecticut
Coach Kwolek on Moorhead: “Anna is a skilled attacker. She has the ability to feed and dodge from behind the cage at a high level. She also has the ability to be a scoring threat in front of the cage.”
MIDFIELD
Julie Ball – 23 – Winnetka, Illinois
Coach Kwolek on Ball: “A tough competitor, Julie stands out the most when the ball hits the ground and she's giving everything to come up with it.”
Marissa Brown – 18 – Davidson, Maryland
Coach Kwolek on Brown: “Marissa is a true midfielder - her strength and power are evident on defense and her athleticism and quick first step make her a huge threat offensively.”
Aly Fries – 4 – Victor, New York
Coach Kwolek on Fries: “Aly is a very smart player who shows the most when she is working off the ball. She has a knack for losing her defender and being in the right place to catch and finish in front of the cage.”
Tegan Helms – 26 – Wilton, Connecticut
Coach Kwolek on Helms: “Tegan brings size to our midfield unit. She has great defensive awareness and adds a lot of depth to our team. We're excited to have join our program."
DEFENSE
Maria McDonough – 27 – Pennington, New Jersey
Coach Kwolek on McDonough: “Maria is a very smart defender and has strong footwork. Her defense is best described as gritty. I'm looking forward to watching her game grow but also excited to see our attackers step up their game in response to her pressure.”
Tatiana Monds – 7 – Syracuse, New York
Coach Kwolek on Monds: “Tatiana's footwork makes her a formidable defender. She's also a workhorse who constantly pushes herself and teammates to get better.”
GOALIE
Danni LeServe – 34 – Winnetka, Illinois
Coach Kwolek on LeServe: “At 5-11, Danni has great size in the cage, good hands and is an extremely quick learner. Her size and ability to adapt and learn make her a tough goalie.”
Richmond completed back-to-back seasons with 10 or more wins for the first time since 2007-2008. Kim Egizi won the 2015 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year.
The Spiders finish their fall practice season in tournaments at George Mason (Oct. 17) and Duke (Oct. 24).
