Badgers Primed
By Marty Henwood for Niagara Sports Wrap

The Brock University Badgers women’s lacrosse team is on a mission, and that doesn't bode well for the rest of the Ontario University Athletics West Division.

After reversing a 2 and 10 record from 1998 to a division-leading 10 and 2 mark last season, the Badgers, with five first-teamall-stars and the OUA's top goaltender in Tisha Barnes, appeared poised to make a run at a national championship until a family emergency forced Barnes from the line-up in the playoffs. Without a back up goaltender, the result was a double overtime setback to the University of Toronto in the bronze medal game - which didn't exactly sit well with the Badgers in the off-season.

"This team wants to win so badly, they came so close last year, but fell a little short of their goal," said Head Coach Mike Accursi, now in his second year behind the Brock bench. "Obviously, these girls enjoy winning, but what happened in the playoffs last year motivates their drive to win."

The Badgers' turnaround since Accursi came on board is not just coincidence. Accursi captains the National Lacross League's Buffalo Bandits who hace just started training camp across the border, and has also toiled for the Canadian national team.

As for his coaching philosophy? "We've got a lot of leaders on this team, but I just expect all my playyers to come and give it their all. Brock was a league joke a couple of years ago. Now we have gained a lot of respect, and other teams know not to take us lightly anymore."

Team captains Lesley Maybury and Megan Ryan have both represented Ontario at the Canadian championships. They agree that the Badgers let an opportunity slip through their fingers a year ago, and have learned the lesson well.

"Knowing how close we came in 1999 semms to have us more focused this season," said Maybury, who has also spent time with the Canadian national team. "We have a good mix of new and veteran players, and we all feed off each other."

Ryan, a fourth-year psychology major, is more straightforward. "This is going ot be our year. Even though we lost in the playoffs last year, we gave ourselves a reputation of being a dominating team. We learned from last year... we won't make the same mistake again."
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