The Fast and the Furious: Women's lacrosse still scoring despite lack of a coach, fan base

By Chris Dunn and Kelsey Proud, Of The Maneater Staff
March 9, 2007

The action on Stankowski Field resumed with a fury. Then came to a sudden halt on a chilly, windy Sunday afternoon after Missouri center Lauren Conroy and Arkansas midfielder Whitney Turnbull drew for the ball and hotly pursued it.

The two were too close for comfort, and Conroy fell to the ground. Seconds later, three of her teammates and a referee surrounded her as every voice went silent and every player went down on one knee.

A minute later, Conroy stood up, the referee blew her whistle and the action began again.

The MU women's club lacrosse team, now undefeated in the Central Plains Women's Lacrosse League, validated its abilities with aggressive play against a quick Arkansas squad Sunday at Stankowski Field. Leading up to the games, the team's 3-0 overall record was a source of strength for Missouri.

"We were all confident, but with Arkansas, we really didn't know what to expect," Missouri Co-captain Kim Kamper said. "They're a new team, and we knew that they had gotten some players from our biggest rivals."

Led by Lindsey and Whitney Turnbull, who transferred from Lindenwood University, Arkansas set a lightning pace for the first few minutes, which seemed to turn the game into a more of a footrace than a typical lacrosse match.

"It ended up being a big win, but the first 10 minutes were like 'This might be a little bit more than we're used to,'" Missouri Co-captain Abby Schamel said.

After a deflection off Arkansas goalie Sam Meadors resulted in a solo goal by Missouri's Co-captain Jackie Lueders, the Tigers refocused and gained control of the contest. Changing the pace and allowing the defense to be effective was key.

"We slowed the ball down and the defense was able to stop a lot of their shots," Missouri Co-captain Lisa Haferkamp said.

With a 5-3 lead after the first half, Missouri widened the margin in the second with six more goals and fierce defensive effort.

"The defense really came together, and it was girls that were willing to play defense that usually don't, particularly Marissa (Guziec)," Schamel said. "She really stepped up and said, 'I can do this.'"

Missouri continued to overwhelm Arkansas, leaving the Razorbacks scoreless in the second half and without a possession for a full six-minute stretch. In a dominating fashion, the Tigers prevailed with an 11-3 victory.

The game against Arkansas was not the only demonstration of Missouri's prowess last weekend. The Tigers had a commanding 19-1 show against Saint Louis University on Saturday, just a day before their win over Arkansas.

Missouri now boasts a 4-0 record in Central Plains Women's Lacrosse League play and is ranked 25th by the U.S. Lacrosse Women's Division Intercollegiate Associates as of March 7.

The team owes its beginnings to two freshmen in 1998. Julie Polsky from St. Louis and Carissa Varnell from Plano, Texas, began the team and saw it become an official club sport at MU in July 1998.

Never in its history has the team had a coach. Instead the captains work together to direct the players, set up game days and develop travel plans. These responsibilities help distinguish the captains from the other players, but the team still operates somewhat democratically.

Senior Maggy Carlyle, who had been a captain since her sophomore year but who stopped playing this semester, said not having a coach helps define the team's dynamics.

"We're responsible for our own successes," Carlyle said. "The captains are responsible for pushing people, but in the end, they can't make anyone do anything. It's a 'We're all in it together,' sort of feeling."

This dynamic might be an advantage to a team whose roster changes dramatically every year. The captains noted that freshmen and sophomores make up more of the team's demographic than older players do.

"It's just kind of a continuously new team," Schamel said.

One undisputed downside of the team's status as a club sport is limited publicity. The captains have noticed continual difficulty in raising awareness about the team, in terms of both recruitment and a fan base.

"The worst part about not getting recognized is that people don't know about our team," Lueders said. "A lot of people come here and want to play lacrosse. But I guess if you really want to play, you'll figure it out."

Geographically, most of the team hails from the St. Louis or Chicago areas, and all of the captains were rivals when they played in high school. Haferkamp still remembers her immediate reaction upon meeting Kamper at a party during freshman year.

"We lost to her (high school) team, and she was the goalie," Haferkamp said. "She stopped all my shots. I'm pretty sure I cussed her out the first time I saw her."

But any resentment quickly dissolved, and the advantages of getting to play alongside former rivals soon made themselves clear.

"Once you start playing together, it's so great," Kamper said. "It's like the people that you played against and were like, 'Oh my gosh, if they were on your team, it would make (your team) so much better.'"

Given its overall 5-0 record, the team does not seem to suffer for want of qualified players. Last weekend's games were limited to a few devoted parents and friends and several passersby who paused for a few minutes at Stankowski Field.

Efforts to establish a fan base have thus far been limited to a Facebook group and word of mouth. Efforts to recruit members, on the other hand, have been more successful.

The club sports program, established in 2005, has helped the team amp up its publicity. This year marked the first time there was a club sports fair, at which different club teams set up tables in the Student Recreation Complex and encourage students to become involved.

The club sports program has also been helpful with funding. Last year, the women's lacrosse team could not go to nationals due in large part to lack of funds.

"I don't want to see that happen again," Schamel said. "I hope that money will not be the sole reason why we wouldn't go. That would be awful. That would not look well on Mizzou's behalf."

Kamper said the club sports program directors have offered to help the team. But Zac Cutler, assistant manager of club sports, said funding is allocated a semester in advance. The club sports program cannot guarantee to fund the team's trip to nationals because the team has yet to qualify.

"We thought of creating some kind of bonus system for teams going to nationals, but we don't have that in place quite yet," Cutler said, attributing the uncertainty to the program's newness.

Challenges aside, the captains' devotion to the game is evident.

"I always thought it was really unique how you start the game with players on both sides, and how when the whistle blows, you have to stop," Lueders said. "And there used to be no out of bounds. It's like no other sport."

Schamel said lacrosse's uniqueness might account for the team's weak fan base.

"I think the reason why our fan base isn't so great is it's hard to watch and understand what's going on," she said. "I remember my dad coming to a high school game and going like, 'What is going on, Abby? Please sit me down and talk to me.'"

Schamel's father might soon have another occasion to talk to his daughter about the sport she loves and plays. Missouri will play its final home game and a highly anticipated match against Kansas' undefeated team on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Stankowski Field.

The captains expect a fast-paced game enhanced by intense rivalry, but Schamel is only encouraged by the sense of competition.

"I'm not intimidated," she said. "It just adds to the excitement of the game because we're both going in undefeated. It'll be a big game for whoever comes out on top. Hopefully, that'll be us."

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