THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 19, 1996 TAG: 9604190670
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Anne Windover figures the best-kept secret in town is probably that Old Dominion has a lacrosse team, but that didn't stop her from country-hopping to play for the Lady Monarchs.
The ODU senior from Canada, knew she could find what she wanted in Norfolk: Sue Stahl.
Stahl has coached the United States National Team for more than seven years and has been at Old Dominion for six. She guided ODU to its first Colonial Athletic Association title last year, which the Lady Monarchs begin defending today at American University.
The third-seeded Lady Monarchs (7-6 overall, 4-2 CAA) play sixth-seeded George Mason (3-9, 1-5) at noon. Loyola, ranked No. 2 nationally, is the top seed.
``I didn't know much about the school,'' Windover says. ``I had seen Sue coach the U.S. team and a couple of people had recommended her to me.''
Windover grew up playing ``box cross,'' a game more similar to ice hockey than field lacrosse. The full contact with slams against the boards is still more appealing to Windover, the only girl on her club team in Ajax, Ontario, than the finesse game of lacrosse.
``They're both so different,'' she says. ``They are two totally different atmospheres. Even off the field dealing with girls, everything can be a problem. Guys are very carefree.''
She switched to lacrosse at 13 when she realized there were no college scholarships for box cross. At 19, she became the youngest athlete to compete in the 1993 World Cup Lacrosse Championships. Windover was Canada's leading scorer during that tournament and has played with the national team in Scotland, England and Japan.
Competing internationally led Windover to Stahl, and she picked ODU over William and Mary and Penn State.
``ODU wasn't ranked when we got here. We were really in a building state,'' says Windover, who is often asked about this thing called lacrosse at Old Dominion. ``All the time I hear it: `Oh, are you on a club team?' ''
Now the Lady Monarchs are ranked 11th nationally, despite their near .500 record. They play in a tough conference.
Windover, a senior attacker, has led ODU in scoring the last two years with 82 goals and 22 assists for 104 points.
Windover scored the winning goal with six seconds left in the Lady Monarchs' last home game, in front of her parents.
``She's really tough mentally,'' Stahl says. ``When I was coaching at Temple I knew she was looking for schools, and we were interested.'' ILLUSTRATION: Anne Windover, a senior attacker, has led ODU's women's lacrosse
in scoring the last two years with 82 goals and 22 assists for 104
points. She leads ODU into the CAA tournament today at American
University.
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
by CNB