Q&A with Towson women's coach Missy Doherty
Missy Doherty's Towson Tigers have played in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament in four of the past five seasons, won two conference championships and went to the NCAA tournament twice over the past four years. In 2008, Doherty and her team had a record-setting season with a 13-6 record and a conference title.
Doherty was an assistant at Princeton for the 2002 and 2003 NCAA championship seasons after coaching at Brown and Vanderbilt. She’s a 1997 graduate of the University of Maryland, where she helped the Terrapins win three NCAA titles. At Maryland, the teams she played on compiled a 68-2 record, including an NCAA-record 50-game winning streak.
Towson will open the regular season March 1 at Mount St. Mary's.
What are your specific goals for the preseason?
Missy Doherty: We want to finalize our defensive and offensive programs, and continue to improve fitness and stick work.
Are there any battles going on for key positions?
Missy Doherty: We have three great goalies, and only one spot. So this is a really important decision. But we have great athletes all over our team so each position is really being contested.
How will the personality of the 2009 team differ from the 2008 squad?
Missy Doherty: We have a lot of leadership coming back. We are also coming in as defending CAA champions, so this puts a little extra pressure on us every game.
Who are your captains and what are their strengths?
Missy Doherty: We have incredible captains. Hillary Fratzke, Britt Woodfield and Julie Ondrako. They are great people, players, and role models for our younger athletes. We are looking forward to having their leadership back on the field this year.
What is the biggest weakness of your 2009 team, or the thing you will look to improve over the season before the playoffs?
Missy Doherty: I think we have to make an effort not to take any team for granted. We have a tough schedule, so we have to focus on each team and be ready to bring our best to each game.
Are there any freshmen that will break into the lineup and impress us?
Missy Doherty: We have Jackie LaMonica on attack who is a fast and talented attacker. Also, one of our goalies, Mary Teeters, is a freshman competing for an attacking position.
Who’s your hardest shooter?
Missy Doherty: Nikki Marcinik.
Best stick handler?
Missy Doherty: Lauren McAfee.
Fastest middie?
Missy Doherty: Fratzke.
Toughest defender?
Missy Doherty: Megan Mullis.
Unsung hero?
Missy Doherty: Woodfield.
Surprise player?
Missy Doherty: Jess Dunn.
What is the strength of your 2009 squad?
Missy Doherty: We have a lot of leadership returning, especially in key positions. We have a great camaraderie among the team, and we are looking forward to the challenge of defending our title.
How do the coaching roles work in your program? What are the key responsibilities of your assistants?
Missy Doherty: Sonia LaMonica, who is currently a member of the Australian national team, will compete in Prague in the World Cup this summer. She is our offensive coordinator and has helped improve our team's stickwork. Katie Doolittle heads up our defense, and Harry Alford, a former Maryland goalkeeper, is helping out with our goalies.
How strong are your seniors?
Missy Doherty: Four of our seniors have been starters since their freshman year. And all of our seniors contributed greatly to our success last year and they will continue to do so.
Which teams are you most looking forward to playing this season? Which teams provide the biggest challenge?
Missy Doherty: We have a tough schedule, but I love it. In March, we compete against some of our local rivals like Johns Hopkins and Loyola. Then, in April, our CAA battle begins, which is a mini-season in itself. Every game on our schedule this year is going to be a challenge, but this is the best time of the year for the players and coaches.
How strong is your conference in 2009?
Missy Doherty: We are extremely strong. We always have two to four teams in the top 20, so you can be guaranteed a great game [in] every CAA matchup.
What’s your funniest recruiting story?
Missy Doherty: I don't like blueberries, and for a home visit one mother made a fantastic blueberry pie. I sat there and ate it -- and I'm sure it was very good to the blueberry lover -- but it was tough for me to get through it.
Give us your feedback on any rules changes you think are good or bad for 2009.
Missy Doherty: I like all of our rule changes. I'm on the rules committee!
How strong is the Maryland/Baltimore area for recruiting these days?
Missy Doherty: Maryland/Baltimore has always been the strongest area to recruit from. It has been great to see the talent grow and get better every year.
Where’s the farthest you have gone to get a recruit?
Missy Doherty: We have an athlete from Ohio, and a few from the Syracuse area.
Do you do a summer camp?
Missy Doherty: Yes! July 14-17. For more information, e-mail me at mdoherty@towson.edu.
How many camps should a kid play in the summer if she wants to play in college?
Missy Doherty: If she has a particular school she is interested in, going to camp is a great way of getting to know the players, coaches and school. I would say one or two camps, as well as competing on a summer club team. I just started coaching a club team, so if any youth players are interested, please contact me!
Are you a fan of multi-sport athletes when recruiting?
Missy Doherty: Yes, you can learn a lot by playing other sports!
Who were your influences in coaching?
Missy Doherty: My teammates at Maryland were actually very encouraging and supportive when I mentioned to them I might want to get into coaching. Also, Gary Gait was one of my coaches and was a great influence.
Would you rather be the underdog or favorite in a big game?
Missy Doherty: Underdog.
What’s the most important trait of a great player?
Missy Doherty: Work ethic and speed.
More lacrosse Q&As:
• Mount St. Mary's men's coach Tom Gravante
• St. Mary's men's coach Chris Hasbrouck
• McDaniel men's coach Matt Hatton
• Loyola women's coach Jen Adams
• Loyola men's coach Charley Toomey
• Stevenson men's coach Paul Cantabene
