Into the home stretch: A look into the final weeks of spring sports

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Men's Tennis / THE DEPAUW
Men's Tennis / THE DEPAUW

With the playoffs starting today for men’s lacrosse, sports teams are heading into the final part of the spring season. Here’s a quick look at where the tennis and lacrosse programs stand. Check out next week’s issue for baseball, softball and track.

 

Women’s Lacrosse: After their first winning season in the program’s history, the Tigers have struggled all spring to find a rhythm. Bright spots included sophomore midfielder Sarah Ramsey (26 goals, 2 assists) and sophomore attacker Kate Flynn (4 goals, 16 assists), who have put together impressive performances on offense. With the team only losing one senior in defender Marisa Ellison, DePauw will look to build on the strong seasons of their underclassmen.

The Tigers will close out their season with two more games, which come against conference opponents Denison University and Kenyon College.

Record: 2-12

Newcomer to Watch For: First-year Kathryn Hopkins. In her first year, Hopkins has made the most of her time in goal, starting all 14 games and accumulating 144 saves.

 

Men’s Lacrosse: Following a six-game losing streak in March, the Tigers won their first four games in April. The team has since taken a step back, dropping their last two matchups, one which included a tough come-from-behind win from Oberlin College. DePauw will have their work cut out for them later today as they enter the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) tournament against Ohio Wesleyan University, a team that beat the Tigers 20-2 last Tuesday.

Record: 7-10

Newcomer to Watch For: First-year attacker Ben Davis. On a strong offense, Davis has made his presence felt, scoring 28 goals to pair with 14 assists through his first 17 collegiate games.

 

Men’s Tennis: Despite back-to-back wins earlier this month that included a huge come-from-behind victory over rival Wabash College, the Tigers have since struggled, dropping their last four matches. Led by senior Michael Kolbus and junior Greg Frauenheim, DePauw will open the NCAC tournament on Friday, when they take on Oberlin, a conference opponent the team has yet to face this season.

Record: 5-16

Newcomer  to Watch For: First-year Bryce McClanahan. In his first season, McClanahan has shined on the court at No. 2 singles.

 

Women’s Tennis: Despite struggling to find consistency throughout the season, the Tigers won two big matches against conference opponents Wittenberg University and Ohio Wesleyan earlier this month. Senior captain Alyssa Seneviratne will be returning from a torn ACL injury this week to join the Tigers as they enter the NCAC tournament. The team will also open up conference play on Friday, taking on College of Wooster in the quarterfinals.

Record: 7-12

Newcomer to Watch For: First-year Amanda Showalter. Like Seneviratne, Showalter will be returning from an injury to help the Tigers compete in conference. Showalter has been out for the past week with a torn soleus.