STANFORD, Calif. – Promise. Potential. Possibilities. When the new Stanford women’s lacrosse coaches describe the landscape that brought them West, those were the thoughts that made the job so enticing.
Stanford has had its share of success. The Cardinal is a four-time defending Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament champion. It reached the NCAA tournament in 2006. It’s ranked No. 18 in the national preseason coaches’ poll and is playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, one that includes seven Top-20 teams and three East Coast trips.
But it’s the allure of what has yet to be achieved that’s so compelling. The reason: Because at Stanford it’s possible. History proves it.
Nineteen of Stanford’s 35 sports have combined to win a total of 109 national team championships; the school has won 14 consecutive Director’s Cups symbolic of the nation’s best overall sports program; and, as Northwestern has shown, lacrosse championships can be won outside the strongholds of the Eastern-dominated sport.
“We’re trying to find those players that will help us build a national championship team,” said assistant coach Brooke McKenzie, who accompanied head coach Amy Bokker from George Mason. “A lot of programs say they’re capable of doing that, but we’re one of the schools that can. People understand and respect the type of potential that Stanford represents.”
So, where does Stanford begin? How about March 9, 2008? That was the day Stanford stunned visiting Penn, 10-8, to complete its second upset of a top-10 team within a week. Earlier, Stanford beat Notre Dame, 13-9. The significance grew as the season wore on. The loss was the only one for Penn until the NCAA championship game. Notre Dame also went on to the NCAA tournament.
For a Stanford team that returns 21 of its 29 players and six starters, those victories from a 12-8 season may provide a lasting effect.
“They put themselves on the map,” Bokker said. “And I feel a high level of confidence. Our players want to be established as a top team, and to be recognized nationally as so many of the teams at Stanford are.”
A new coaching staff that also includes Jaime Sellers, a standout at William and Mary last season, spent a large amount of its fall efforts getting to know what it had. That meant evaluating players, solidifying defensive principles and techniques, and determining the styles that work best for its personnel.
What they discovered was a versatile team with good instincts, scoring ability, solid goalkeeping, athleticism and depth. With those attributes, the team will play a high-paced style that features defensive pressure to create turnovers and trigger fastbreaks.
“We couldn’t hold them back,” Bokker said proudly. “I feel like they were busting at the seams to really start showing what they can do.”
Now comes that chance.
