Lake Forest College Sports Information
Contact: Mike Wajerski , SID

2002 Preview: Encore Performance
  

The 2002 Foresters hope to walk off the field with another Midwest Conference Title.
LAKE FOREST, IL - After near misses in three of head coach T.R. Bell's first four years at the helm of the Foresters, the team finally claimed the Midwest Conference Championship in 2001. The title is the second in the history of the program, and the first since 1989. "We have had a long tradition of winning here at Lake Forest and for one reason or another stumbled when the title was on the line, now that we have overcome that hurdle, we will look to carry on a new tradition of winning MWC Championships." 

To repeat as league champions, Bell will need to replace a quartet of seniors that accounted for almost a third of the team's goals and nearly half of its assists in 2001, not to mention six all-conference selections in the last four seasons. "This next recruiting class will be big for this program as we look to take the next step and begin to compete for a National Championship."

Returning for the Foresters are forwards Aviva Landin and Stephanie Fink, who achieved all-conference status as sophomores in 2001. Landin had a streak of seven consecutive games with at least one goal and Fink already ranks 13th in the program's history in total points. Coach Bell expects no scoring decline from a season during which the Foresters came just six goals shy of matching their highest-ever scoring output. 

The Foresters' defense also looks to be as solid as ever, led by all-conference sweeper Cassie George and goalkeeper Rachael LaFin, who are back for their junior and senior seasons, respectively. Lake Forest held all but three of their 2001 opponents to one goal or less and tied the school record for least goals allowed in a season (13).

As the program's all-time winningest coach, Bell is used to setting records. Having coached 12 players to 22 all-conference selections (including four freshmen) in just five years, he obviously gets the most out of his players. After approaching a number of records en route to the Foresters' first championship season in a long time, Bell and his squad have their sights set on another run at the record book, the league title, and the school's first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.