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UCSB Season Formally Ends With Awards Banquet

Jun. 10, 2009

Santa Barbara, CA - The UCSB women's lacrosse end-of-the-season banquet was held at Glen Annie Country Club on May 30th and a mix of players, siblings, parents and friends of players attended. The awards ceremony started while the cheesecake was being served after a meal of mixed greens under vinaigrette and chicken breast parmesan over mashed potatos with mixed vegetables. Individual award recipients for both the A and B teams from this past season and captains for the A Team next season were announced. All awards and captains were selected by vote of the players on the teams.

The 2009 campaign was a successful one for UCSB. The A & B teams were a combined 32-7, although, it didn't look like there was much chance for that kind of combined record before everyone took the field for Fall Ball. Entering the 2008-09 academic year UCSB returned only five starters and eight players overall from their A Team of the previous year. Gone were 7 starters from a team that was 20-2 overall and finished 4th in the country. Three All-Americans from the 2008 team, including the program's two leading scorers and the WDIA Defensive Player of the Year, were all graduated. However, bolstered by players moved up from the B Team and a throng of strong freshmen the 2009 UCSB A Team numbered 20 players with 12 new faces by the time the season started. Then it took some serious on-campus recruiting all fall and into the start of winter quarter but eventually twenty-one players made up the 2009 UCSB B Team. Eight of them were returning to the program while 13 of them were new faces. Eight of the 13 new faces were also new to the game. Without them taking a chance on a new sport the B Team would only have rostered  13 players. The Gauchos faced a rebuilding year for both programs with 25 new faces completely new to UCSB lacrosse spread out between both teams.

With the youth, however, came unbridled enthusiasm and talent. Ten underclassmen started on the A Team  and while inexperience playing together showed at times it was offset by some serious unity on and off the field. Similarly, 11 of 12 starters on the B Team were also underclassmen but the team came together like magic to display an amazing solidarity that helped them get through a building phase. Ultimately, the A Team finished the season 22-3 overall, won a second consecutive WWLL Championship and won the third place game at the WDIA National Championship Tournament. The B Team finished 10-4 overall and missed out on the WWLL Play-Offs by one game. Heading into the 2010 season UCSB has 35 of 41 players eligible to return to the program. It's a night and day occurrence compared to the beginning of this season and it bodes well for both teams.