In her first season as head coach of the Southwestern University women's lacrosse team, Kaitlyn Hafdell hopes to have the Pirates hit the ground running. Literally.
"Our key phrase this season is let the ball do the work," Hafdell said. "We want to do everything with speed. The faster we move the ball, the more opportunities we have. Fast movement, more motion, more speed."
To that end, the Pirates will lean on two young midfielders who can run for days in first years Emma Pertuit and Deanna Hames. Both bring dual sport experience to the program. In high school, Hames covered great distances in lacrosse and soccer. At Southwestern, Pertuit spent the fall as promising young runner on the cross-country team.
"They're definitely going to be the legs of the team, carrying that midfield line," Hafdell said. "They have the speed and stamina to be a big part of our transition attack. And I think they're going to do really well in draws with quickness right off the circle, getting to those 50-50 balls.
"I believe draws win games and if we can start there, we're going to do pretty well."
Transition will be key for the Pirates in more ways than one. Southwestern has had three coaches in the past four years, ending last year with the first winning season in the program's short history and a trip to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) championship match.
Gone is SCAC Attacker of the Year Hayley Donnelly and All-SCAC defender Julia Tape, but the cupboard is still stocked with some returning talent in All-SCAC First Team midfielder Grace Maynard and All-SCAC Honorable mention selections Natasha Perez-Krause and Johnee Wolter.
Maynard and Wolter are part of a three-woman senior class, along with attacker Haley Hurt.
Maynard transferred to Southwestern from Division I Butler University her sophomore season and has 83 career points with the Pirates. Last season, she had 38, scoring 28 goals and dishing out 10 assists. In the frenetic pace Hafdell wants the Pirates to play, it helps to have someone able to process decisions quickly.
"She has that lacrosse IQ where she can see the next play before it happens," Hafdell said. "Defensively, she does a great job reading the field. Like a lot of great middies, she's everywhere. It's an advantage to haver on the field covering as much ground as possible.
"She understands where the program is and sees its potential and she's leading by example. She knows things are going to be tough sometimes but does the things needed to get where we want to go."
Wolter is a senior attacker who has improved her production each season, posting 44 points last season by scoring 38 goals with six assists.
"I think she's got the drive and that mind set and, like any other player, she wants to have a winning senior year," Hafdell said. "She understands the movement of the ball and she's going to be another key player in draws."
Their leadership will be important as the Pirates seek stability to begin laying new foundations.
"I get there have been a lot of changes in a short period of time, so you don't want to implement too much too quickly. It's baby steps," Hafdell said. "But these girls know they want to improve the program and make it better each year."
Along with a junior class that boasts defenders Ally Bienvenu and Kirhyn Stein, midfielder Annie Ewton, and attacker Jillie Klumbach, the Pirates have a talented duo in sophomores Natasha Perez-Krause and Raven Garcia.
Perez-Krause had 31 points in her first season, scoring 24 goals with seven assists and grabbing 28 groundballs with 15 caused turnovers. Garcia produced 39 points, scoring 26 goals with 13 assists.
"Our sophomore class is small but might. They have a long way to go but the fact they have so much potential and have shown so much already, I'm excited to have them for years to come," Hafdell said. "They understand how to be an attacking threat and I think they're going to get better and better. I can't wait to see their talent grow."
In the net, the Pirates are turning to a goalie by committee with first years Tessa Lewis and Sofia Valdespino.
"We're going to mix things up depending on the situation," Hafdell said. "Both have different strengths and weaknesses, so for now it'll change depending on the opponent. Nothing is set in stone."
Right now, that's where the Pirates are, laying foundations in the moments before the cement dries. Anything is possible, even if it's too early to see how the blueprints might translate to field. When it's working, the Pirates hope to be a dynamic unit capable of changing speed and direction at a moment's notice, showing opponents multiple attack angles.
For now, it's about setting a culture that goes all out, all the time.
"Our girls are going to have to work hard the entire game, no letting off the gas," Hafdell said. "Fortunately, I'll have the time and opportunity to grow these players and keep moving forward with the kind of program we want to implement."
If there's one thing that can be guaranteed in Hafdell's first season, it's that the Pirates will run. Over the next few years, it'll be exciting to see the direction they go.