via Stetson press release   When Stetson lacrosse opens the 2018 season on Sunday against Arizona State at the Athletic Training Center, fourth-year head coach Christy Leach and the Hatters will be looking for more consistency as the program continues to move forward. Stetson returns 17 letter winners from last season, a campaign which saw Stetson win a program-best five games and reach the ASUN Conference Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons. A five-game winning streak in the middle of the season helped make the year a successful one, but Leach and the Hatters want more. In part, they want to be able to sustain the level of play during the winning streak for an entire season. “There’s a mentality that we want to do better,” Leach said. “We remember the streak and what we did well during those games. We put in the work and paid attention to the details, and that made us successful during that period. We have to continue to get better every day.” In order for the Hatters to do better, they’ll have to find a way to replace the loss of production from two of the best players in the program’s short history. Gone are Lindsey Summers and Sam Maguire, a duo who combined for 139 goals and 95 assists in their careers. “We have a lot of people who can step into those roles,” Leach said. “We have a whole host of middies and that will be one of our strongest groups. We’re going to be a much more balanced team this year. Our returners will be able to step up but our newcomers have similar expectations for themselves.”   Youth will also be a factor for the Hatters in 2018, as Stetson boasts a roster with 15 freshmen and sophomores among 27 players. Many of the freshmen could play key roles. “We need them to have a huge impact,” Leach said. “They’re going to see the field. They have to work on getting used to the game level of collegiate lacrosse. We’re going to rely on them a lot. I’m looking forward to seeing how they impact the field.” Some of Stetson’s most dynamic returning players see time in the midfield. Taylor Patrizi (30 goals, 35 draws), Maddie Holvey (20 goals, 46 draws), and Sandra Stephan (24 goals, 25 draws) lead a multi-talented group. “We have a lot of depth,” Leach said. “That’s the group that has really stood out to this point. We have enough depth that I expect to have a couple of really solid lines and that will be exciting for us.” Stetson’s attack also has its share of veterans returning. Hallie Merz (62 goals, 53 assists career) and Shelby Lehmann(28 goals in ’17) will be keys to replacing the production lost from last season. “Our midfielders and all of our attackers will give us plenty of balance this year,” Leach said. “Hallie is really taking ownership of the attack. Shelby is also a big key, along with players like Sandra and Maddie. It’s finding the right mix, and that will likely change from game to game and within games as well.” On defense and in goal is where Stetson’s youth will be tested. Four of the six players listed as either defenders or goalies on the roster are freshmen or sophomores. Fortunately for the Hatters, three of the six have plenty of experience. Co-captain and senior Kathi Ricci is Stetson’s most experienced defender, with 40 career games to her credit. JuniorTaryn Cook-Grisewood has seen action in 32 games over the previous two seasons, and sophomore Liza Diamond played every minute in goal as a freshman. “Defense is probably our youngest area, but that’s where we’ll need our experienced midfielders to help out,” said Leach. “We’re still building some chemistry but I can see it going well. It’s not a brand new group but we’re pretty young.” As for the goalies, Diamond was an ASUN All-Freshman team selection last year when she led all conference goalies in minutes played and ranked third in saves with 150. After being the lone goalie on the roster this season, she has some company in freshman Kiera McCarthy. “Liza was very motivated last year and she challenged herself to be better every day,” Leach said. “She comes in this year very confident. She knows the ropes now and she’s still pushing herself. Now with Keira, there’s a battle every day in practice. They’re competing against each other and making each other better. They can both lead our defense.” The Hatters were picked to finish fifth in the ASUN preseason poll. Only the top four qualify for the conference tournament in May, so Leach knows the Hatters have some work to do. “I look at our overall schedule in terms of you get 17 opportunities, so you want to take advantage of them,” Leach said. “But once we get into conference play in April, it’s go-time. We look at April as our conference month, even though we play some games that won’t impact the conference standings.” The most important game – the next one – is Sunday at Noon against the Sun Devils. About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University’s Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.