Coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2007, in which the team advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals and two players gained All-America status, expectations were high for the 2008 University of Mary Washington women’s lacrosse team. The Eagles, under the direction of head coach Dana Hall - the winningest coach in program history - UMW would need to replace a deep and talented senior class to remain one of the top teams in the South Atlantic region.
Heading the list was second team All-America attacker Caitlin Erickson, who broke the NCAA Division III season record for most points per game with 7.94. In addition, she led the nation in assists (81) and assists per game (4.5), broke the school record with 14 points in the Eagles’ 18-16 win over Christopher Newport University, and eclipsed the previous school mark of 10 points in a game on seven different occasions during the season. She was subsequently honored with All-CAC, All-Region, and All-America honors, and was named to the Under Armor North-South Senior All-Star Game.
The Eagles ranked prominently in both offensive and defensive statistics, placing among the national leaders offensively in points (17th, with 416), and defensively in caused turnovers (sixth, with 13.39 per game) and ground balls per game (sixth, with 27.78 per game).
Senior defender Sarah Finney gained all-region honors after closing her career as the school’s all-time leader in caused turnovers with 258. She ranked eighth in the nation in caused turnovers per game, with 2.83 per game. Senior Emily Talbot, junior Emily Miller, and freshman Katie Wallis gained all-conference honors.
The Eagles opened the season by topping Villa Julie College in the season opener, before falling to fifth-ranked Gettysburg College, 15-10. In a three-game series in St. Petersburg, Fla., UMW defeated Susquehanna University and Roanoke College. The Eagles returned home to down Wesley College in CAC play before dropping a 12-9 decision at seventh-ranked Washington & Lee University.
But the Eagles rebounded to win three straight Capital Athletic Conference games, over Hood College, York College, and Marymount University, to run its season record to 7-3 and remain ranked as one of the top five teams in the region.
UMW traditionally plays one of the most challenging schedules in the nation, evidenced by the next stretch of games, against eventual NCAA Tournament teams The College of New Jersey and Catholic University. Behind Erickson’s barrage of points, UMW edged Christopher Newport and then downed Greensboro College later in the day, setting the stage for CAC showdowns with St. Mary’s College and Salisbury University. The Eagles fell in both contests, but not before posting an 8-4 halftime lead against top-ranked Salisbury.
UMW entered play in the CAC Tournament as the third seed and defeated Marymount University in the first round, 16-6, thanks to nine points from Erickson. The Eagles saw their season end with a loss at 15th ranked St. Mary’s in the CAC semifinals.
With the loss of six seniors to graduation, the 2009 edition of the Eagles will need to replace scoring and defense to again challenge for national consideration. Three seniors will lead a talented group of recruits and underclassmen as the Eagles look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time this decade.