Women’s lacrosse team struggles to find players

By: Benjamin E. Lykens (Whetstone Staff Writer)

Men’s lacrosse 31, women’s lacrosse 17.

These two teams didn’t play, but 14 is the difference in the amount of players each team holds.

This difference begs the question: Where have all the girl lacrosse players gone?

Girls lacrosse head coach Debbie Windett attributed the low number to losing recruits.

“We had three girls who played last year decide not to play this year,” she said. “We also had kids that we recruited to play lacrosse and then who decided not to play.”

The women’s lacrosse teams have struggled to stay consistent, going 6-11 last year after an 8-8 campaign the year before.

Linnea Cavallo, a junior defender, believes the Wolverines’ poor record and expensive college tuition rates deter recruits from playing for Wesley.

“We don’t have a lot of players because we don’t have the best record,” Cavallo said. “You could go to a better school that is cheaper and has a more established team.”

Windett said that when the Wolverines moved to a bigger conference, Capital Athletic Conference, several years before she arrived, it might have made some of the players a little hesitant to play.

Before then, “it was a lot of small schools that were a lot like us,” she said. “I think if they would come out and meet our team, they would see that we are a family and just how close-knit of a group we are.”

Alyssa Prudente, a senior and team captain, said she wasn’t fazed by the lack of players.

“It’s been a lot of bad luck,” she said. “But we work with what we have and work hard.”

Grad assistant Ellie Merritt said the lack of players might have something to do with Wesley’s size.

“I really think it’s because we’re a small school and you’re not going to get as many kids as a Division One school,” she said.

It doesn’t reflect on the coach, players said.

Alyssa Prudente backs her coach 100 percent.

“Coach Windett is very patient, looking to build and recruit,” she said. “I think she’s the right person for the job.”

Cavallo agrees.

“I love her, she’s great,” she said.

She also said Windett is open to Cavallo’s schedule.

“She’s really understanding with my situation, that I have class and can’t go to a lot of the practices.”