BY JON PRESSMAN ’14
Copy Editor

Following a disappointing conclusion to its 2012 season due to a hazing incident that resulted in the removal of the team’s head coach and a number of upperclass players, the F&M women’s lacrosse team is back on the rise and ready to prove itself as a new and improved organization here on campus.

Change is in the air for the Dips as they prepare for the upcoming season under the wing of newly appointed head coach Mike Faith. Though new here at F&M, Faith is no stranger to lacrosse and has a multitude of accolades as both a player and coach to show for it.

As a player, Faith made a name for himself at Salisbury State University, where he was a first-team All-American selection. Following his career at Salisbury, Faith began coaching high school lacrosse, which he continued for two years before ascending to the collegiate level.
After coaching at Richmond University and UMBC, Faith landed himself a job as the head coach at Elizabethtown College, where he remained for eight years. At Elizabethtown, Faith earned the Coach of the Year Award twice, while producing four All-Americans, four Players of the Year, and two Rookies of the Year.

This year, Faith is looking to capture a Centennial Conference title, and to make a run with the Dips to the Final Four. Though there are still several months before the season starts, Faith is already working tirelessly on offensive and defensive strategies and is ready to make F&M his home—home to a championship team.

“We have a lot of talent coming back, and everybody is anxious to move on and make sure that anything doesn’t repeat itself,” Faith said.
Though Faith is under a lot of pressure after last year’s incidences, he is excited for the opportunity to coach here in Lancaster at such an academically reputable institution.

“It’s one of the top institutions in the country, and it has a great history of academics and athletics, so to be a part of that was something I wanted to take a chance on,” Faith said. “The facilities here are incredible, and it’s a place I know I could win a national championship at.”

His two new assistant coaches and Faith are confident in the team’s ability to thrive and intend on doing much more than just winning.
“I’ve met with a bunch of the girls on the team and they’re very excited and know all eyes will be on them,” Faith said. “They’re going to play hard this year, we’re going to have high expectations, and we’re going to have some fun.”

If one thing is certain, it is that the lacrosse team will not be unheard from, and you can bet, when March rolls around, the F&M women’s lacrosse team will be the news on campus, making a name for itself once again.

Questions? Email Jon at jonathan.pressman@fandm.edu.

[fblike layout=”standard” show_faces=”true” action=”recommend” font=”arial” colorscheme=”light”]