Red Flash Lacrosse in the Midst of Record-Breaking Season
LORETTO, Pa. (April 15, 2009) – After ending a 48-game losing streak with a 20-3 victory over Howard on March 18, the Saint Francis women’s lacrosse team finds itself in the midst of a record-breaking season that will wrap up on Sunday with a non-conference contest against Manhattan.
The Red Flash offense, which includes 13 freshmen, has been revived and reloaded and has shattered program marks all season long. Freshman attack Chelsea Kent (Winter Springs, Fla./Winter Springs), tied the school records for goals (5) and assists (3) in a game, and set a new school record for points in a game (8) in her first collegiate match up against Niagara on March 12. Against Howard, Kent set a single-game record with six goals. She has been at the top of the Northeast Conference scoring list all season long, and sits third in the league with 2.73 goals per game. Currently, she ranks 51st among all Division I lacrosse players in goals per game. With two games left to play, Kent has shattered the single-season points record with 42 this season, and could double the previous record of 24, set in 2005 by Katy Green. Kent also broke the single-season goals record with a team-leading 30 goals this season. The old mark of 20 was also set in 2005 by Katy Green. Kent has tied the single-seasons assist record of 12.
Kate Simmons (Delran, N.J./Delran) is another freshman who has made a significant impact on the Red Flash offense. Simmons, who is third in the NEC with 3.64 draw controls per game, ranks ninth nationally in the same category. Simmons has tallied 28 goals and 8 assists for the Red Flash. Her 28 goals surpasses the previous school record, as does her 36 points, though she will remain second to Kent in the record books. Her 40 total draw controls is also a new single-season record.
Key veteran Danielle Pokusa (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) has been the backbone of the team all season long, helping the team to hang in tough games. Last week against Saint Mary’s (CA), Pokusa made 13 saves, including four stops in overtime, thought the offense couldn’t find the net to pick up the win. Pokusa, who leads the team in ground balls with 32, ranks second in the NEC in saves per game with 11.55. She is fifth nationally in the same category, and her 271 career saves ranks second in school history. Pokusa also ranks nationally in ground balls, coming in at 23rd with 2.91 per game. She leads the conference in the same category.
The play of Pokusa, combined with the stellar play in the field, has resulted in team records for the Red Flash. After notching 37 goals last season, the Flash have tripled that mark with 122 this season, breaking the single-season school record of 68 set in 2006. The Red Flash have also surpassed the former single-season points mark of 98 set in 2006, as they have combined for 172 this season. The single-season program record for assists of 30 set n 2006, is also gone as the Flash dished out 50 helpers in 2009.
Saint Francis will wrap up the 2009 season this weekend with a 7 p.m. game against in-state rival Robert Morris on Friday and a Senior Day match up with Manhattan on Sunday at 11 a.m. Both contests will be played at DeGol Field.