Things looking up for Stony Brook women

This promises to be a season like no other in the 10 years of Division I women's lacrosse at Stony Brook University.

There's a new coach, Joe Spallina, who won three straight D-II national titles at Adelphi. He brought over some of the biggest stars from that program and added a few others, and those remaining from last year's 4-11 team are anxious for the season to begin. That comes Saturday when the Seawolves host Colgate.

"We have the bar set so high for ourselves,'' sophomore attack Alyssa Cardillo said. "This year it's a whole other level.''

Spallina is thinking and talking big, real big. "We expect to win the America East, we're prepared, we think we're the most talented team,'' he said. "We want to be in the NCAAs. If we're not in the NCAAs, we will have, I believe, underachieved.''

There seems little reason to doubt Spallina, who is all lacrosse all the time. He recently was named head coach of the men's lacrosse Lizards.

At Stony Brook, Spallina has a scoring machine in attack Claire Petersen, who had 57 goals and 125 assists last season for Adelphi. Midfielder Demmianne Cook and goalie Frankie Caridi also transferred to Stony Brook.

"They are awesome,'' Cardillo said of the transfers. "They make everybody else around them better. Frankie stops anything that's in front of her. Demmianne runs like a crazy person; she can run through anybody. And Claire has the best shot I've ever seen in my life.''

But Spallina did not stop with his own players. He added another big scorer in transfer Janine Hillier, who had 34 goals for Florida, an NCAA quarterfinalist last season. "I think Demi and Claire are great players, two of the best players I ever played with,'' Hillier said. "I feel like we are really going to connect on the field. They know how to win, they are going to translate it to D-I and we're all going to win together.''

The top freshman recruit is midfielder Michelle Rubino of Comsewogue.

Petersen sees no reason why her new team can't immediately be successful. "Just because we changed schools doesn't mean we change our motto and how we think,'' he said. "We just always want to find a way and follow that same motto here. Hopefully, we can all be on the same page to win a conference championship.''

Cook echoed those thoughts, saying, "Between the team and the coaching staff, I definitely think it's realistic. Usually, the way coach Spallina works, anything short of a championship is a failure. That's sort of the mentality I and my teammates have.''

For the second straight season, Stony Brook will host the women's lacrosse national semifinals and final. It's far-fetched to think the Seawolves will be involved. Or is it?

"To be good at anything, you have to have visions and dreams,'' Spallina said. "Every morning I walk through the stadium and think about the atmosphere of that place with Stony Brook being involved in that game.

"Whether it be this year or next year, whenever. It's going to happen.''