By Jon Buzby
MaxPreps.com
MaxPreps.com’s Maryland Correspondent Jon Buzby caught up with Archbishop Spalding’s girls lacrosse head coach, Moira Leavitt, following her team's Cinderella season (13-6).
Following two consecutive seasons in which Spalding was winless in the league, the Cavaliers qualified for the prestigious IAAM A playoffs and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 12-8 win over Mercy in the first round.
The Cavs’ season ended when they were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Notre Dame Prep, 10-8.
MaxPreps: You just finished what many would consider a “Cinderella” season following the previous two seasons, is that how you look at it?
Moira Leavitt: Yes and No. As soon as I saw the talent I knew we had the capabilities to affect change immediately. The only question was how much? We laughed at how nice it would be if we could flip the record from 5-13 (2007) to 13-5. We got that, so yes, I suppose “Cinderella” applies.
MP: What do you think was the major difference between this season and the last two seasons?
ML: It took some time, but the biggest change was getting the girls to see themselves as winners. The Bryn Mawr win (9-5) was the watershed moment not only because it was our first IAAM A win but because Bryn Mawr has always set the bar for excellence in lacrosse. The light went on with that victory. Players and parents actually cried.
Also, strategically, I felt there were a few players playing out of position (the past two years). Christy Konrad saw herself as a defender, and to me, she is a fantastic finisher. Rachel Hannon on the other hand is very hungry for the goal but she plays outstanding defense, reads plays well and has remarkable timing on take-away checks. She was named All-IAAM at defense and was the quarterback who held it all together.
So, we made personnel changes but we also implemented several different defensive schemes, one of them being a zone. I have a fantastic assistant coach in Carey Zinkand, so we were able to teach twice as fast. The zone was a pretty big gamble. The teams we play are so skilled I was worried they would rip it apart, and they did at times. But ultimately, it helped us take our opponents out of their comfort zone. It at least negated any offensive sets they normally practice because man-to-man plays do not usually work against a zone.
MP: I’m sure you think the world of your seniors. What will you miss most about them?
ML: They were all seasoned lacrosse players. As a coach that is a great luxury because you can go places tactically since you don't have to worry about execution. The seniors combined for 108 goals.
MP: Tell me about some players that your fans might not have heard much about but were valuable to the team. I’m sure you had some unsung heroes.
ML: Absolutely. The first that comes to mind is junior Stefanie Paskal. As the second-highest-scorer on our team she was obviously critical to our offensive output. She has an uncanny knack for finding the holes in the net.
Senior Christy Konrad (37 goals, 8 assists) was actually named the “Unsung Hero” by the coaching staff. She presented herself to us as a defender but when we saw her shoot I knew we had a pure finisher. Christy is a natural lefty but her right was just as good. We exploited that by setting picks to release her in either direction.
Halfway through the season we realized that we had some issues with transition and needed more speed. A pair of speedy freshmen were tearing it up on the junior varsity team but I was not sure their sticks were ready for the heat of the IAAM A conference. We moved them both up and they were an instant impact. Morgan Dalton notched 14 goals and Maggie Morrison registered 25 ground balls and caused 18 turnovers.
MP: Your team went from winless in the league two years in a row to winning a playoff game. What is next year’s realistic team goal?
ML: We will return 13 varsity players, six of our seven starting defenders, three IAAM all-stars and our junior varsity staff did an outstanding job developing the younger players. Our goal will be to make it to the finals.
MP: Have you named team captains yet and if so, who are they and what will each contribute? Are they hand-picked by the coaches, players, or both? If you haven’t picked them yet, when will you and how are they elected?
ML: We have not selected captains yet because it is such an enormous responsibility. We allow the team to vote and then the coaching staff looks at the results and makes the final determination. We do give the "captain speech" regarding what it takes to be a great captain. People think it’s about motivating on the field and that is important, but an excellent captain is one who can deliver bad news with the good and not worry about peer pressure. It takes a mature young lady to handle those pressures well. Nine juniors return and they would all make excellent leaders.
MP: Does your team have a summer conditioning/playing program that they follow? Is it mandatory? And if not, does everyone participate anyway?
ML: Most of the players are very involved in the club lacrosse scene so they are busy with that through July. The fall sports kick-off in early August so there is not much time. I am a firm believer that kids need to play multiple sports, so I actually prefer it when they can get away from lacrosse for awhile.
MP: This isn’t your first coaching job. How does the pressure to win in the IAAM compare to your other coaching stops?
ML: The pressure in the IAAM is different because it is non-stop. All 13 teams are incredibly strong. If you blink, you lose, it’s that simple. At my other jobs you had easy games where you could re-arrange the line-up, experiment with plays and ultimately release the pressure valve. The kids in the IAAM leave for college seasoned because they have learned how to compete under pressure on a weekly basis. I am impressed by their emotional strength.
MP: I would think after you turned around a program like this, your name might pop-up for other vacancies, even at higher levels. Has it? Either way, do you hope this is your last coaching stop?
ML: I am very happy at Archbishop Spalding.
MP: Lastly, tell us something about the Spalding Lacrosse program that the casual fan might not see from reading headlines or watching your team perform.
ML: I am very proud of the addition of a freshman team. When you get a freshman you really do not know what they will look like in three years. This gives those kids a chance to play as they continue to grow both emotionally and physically.
