Lady Panthers
start season 7-0
The number two ranked Adelphi Panthers Women’s Lacrosse team has gotten off to a fast start to their 2014 season and show no signs of slowing down. Head Coach Rob Grella, entering his third season at the helm, has led his team to an impressive 7-0 record to kick off their campaign. Six of the Panther’s first seven games have been won in commanding fashion in which they have outscored the opposition by a staggering margin of 122-14.
Last season, the Panthers continued their tradition of playing hard and fighting off tough challenges. They would finish the 2013 season with an impressive 11-1 record within the Northeast Ten Conference and overall at 18-3, making it to their fourth consecutive trip to the NE-10 Conference Championship where they eventually lost to Le Moyne.
The girls also earned their sixth consecutive run at the NCAA Tournament, featuring a thrilling 9-8 victory in the opening round against Le Moyne. The team’s quest for the title ended in a heartbreaker where the Panthers would fall to the eventual champions LIU-Post in the semifinals on a last second goal at the buzzer 7-6. Despite coming up short, the 2013 Brown and Gold Squad featured seven players named to All-Conference teams, five selected to All-Region teams and two named to the IWLCA All-America First Team.
This season, they seem to be on a mission to win every game they play and recapture the NE-10 Championship, where they are looking for their fourth championship in five years. “Leadership has been the key to our fast start this year” said Grella. “They remember how far and close they got last year.”
Many of the Panthers’ games so far have been lopsided but Coach Grella still has the girls motivated.
“It’s an everyday process where we try to go out and do the things we want to do, right” explained Grella. “It’s not about the scoreboard, but about execution and accomplishing what we set out for.” While the coach believes he has several impact players on this powerful roster, “the names keep on going but in the end, it’s really a team effort starting with the leadership,” added Grella.
Coach Grella stresses the one game at a time approach but his long term goal is to capture the regular season championship, conquer the conference tournament and eventually move onto the NCAA playoffs and win a national championship. These girls are well on their way to these very reachable accomplishments. If they continue to play up to Coach Grella’s expectations, then they may very well do so.
