The Waynesburg University lacrosse team was selected to finish 11th out of 12 teams in the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference (ORLC) during the 2018 season.

Interim head coach Gennaro Bonaventura said the team is using the preseason polls as motivation.

“It is definitely motivating,” he said. “Some of the girls are pretty upset about it…but they have been working pretty hard every day at practice so far just to get better and to move up those standings as high as they can not to finish dead last in the conference again.”

Although finishing in 10th place last season with an overall record of 0-14, Bonaventura said the program isn’t where it needs to be.

He plans to work on the team’s biggest weaknesses.

“[One of the biggest] weaknesses we have is that we lack the stick skill right now because there are a lot of beginners and new faces out for the team, so we just have to pick up the basics like passing and shooting,” Bonaventura said.

Bonaventura, who has been with the team as an assistant since 2015 when he became a graduate assistant for the wrestling team, was announced the interim head coach in January. He had three years of experience in high school and was able to assist then-head coach Stephanie Benkowski.

While now taking on full leadership roles of the team, Bonaventura is familiar with the program and most of his responsibilities, one of the big ones being recruiting.

Bonaventura, who is also the interim equipment manager for the remainder of the year, said the seniors from last year will be missed.

“It will be an impact [losing us] because we don’t have that stick skill or experience,” Bonaventura said. “Their leadership and their stick skills will be missed.”

Holly Bachman, a 2017 graduate, led the team in goals and total points last season and finished as the program’s all-time leader in goals, with 125. She was an All-ORLC honorable mention. Bonaventura said the team will miss Bachman’s offensive attack as they won’t have the experienced senior to run their offense through.

Bachman’s classmate Kassidy O’Keefe, who was a second-team all-conference member, will also be missed on defense.

However, Bonaventura said the team’s athletic ability this year will be one of its strengths.

“We are a really athletic team,” he said. “There are some two sport athletes on the team…I think they’re a pretty close group and they are getting a hang of playing together. We’re going to have to score goals this year and I think with [the athletes we have] we can, it’s just we just have to find a way.”

Bonaventura mentioned two new members of the team as possibly having an impact on the season. Freshman Samantha Barlow, who is a

Barlow is a Bonner Scholar but has worked being a member of the lacrosse team into her schedule this season and Bonaventura believes her talent will positively impact the offensive attack.

He also sees sophomore Bre Martini as having an impact on the team. Martini, who did not play last season due to personal reasons, brings more athletic ability and skill to the team.
Sophomore Christina Bauer is one of the returners who Bonaventura believes will emerge as a leader.

“Christina is very vocal in net, so she’ll have to be a big factor for us again too,” Bonaventura said.

He said that while the team did let in a lot of goals last season, Bauer’s play kept the team alive in certain situations.

“She has to pick up some of the stick skills, but she has very good hand-eye coordination and she made a lot of big saves last year,” he said.

Seniors Rachel Eng and Delaney Denniston are also big contributors going into the season.

“Rachel Eng is another girl who is coming off of basketball and had a pretty good year,” he said. “She surprised some people last year with her athleticism, I think she’ll do very for us this year.”

He commented on Denniston and Bauer, the team captains this season.

“Christina and Delaney are our captains and they are going to have to have a lot of leadership this year and just set a good example,” Bonaventura said.

With an experienced goalkeeper and athletic players, Bonaventura thinks the team will be in better situations than last year.

“I think she’ll have another good year,” Bonaventura said on the goalkeeper. “She surprised me a lot last year, she never actually played lacrosse, she was a field hockey goalie, she was a pretty good field hockey goalie. So the transition over to lacrosse was pretty easy for her.”

Bonaventura mentioned a new rule to the lacrosse season – a 90-second shot clock – that will work in favor of the Yellow Jackets.

Bonaventura is embracing his new role as interim head coach and cannot wait to be back on the Yellow Jackets’ home turf this season.

“I’m excited to test out the new field because last year we played at the high school every game.”