Brighton's Quintina Mengyan Named Captain of Urbana University Lacrosse Team

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Quintina Mengyan

URBANA, OH (01/14/2011)(readMedia)-- Just a couple of months before the Blue Knight women's lacrosse team takes the field for the first time in Urbana University history, first-year Head Coach Sheyna Grabowski announced the selection of the program's first four team captains.

Leading the team in their inaugural season will be an eclectic group that includes a freshman, a sophomore, and two juniors representing four different states.

Alyssa Ashcroft, a junior from Amherst, New York, will sit out a year after transferring from Erie Community College, but her vast playing experience and outspoken nature made her a prime candidate for captaincy.

Fellow junior and transfer Tiffany Angelo joins Ashcroft as a captain after enrolling for the spring term. Angelo comes to Urbana from Orlando, Florida and Valencia Community College.

Sophomore Nora Boerger (Milford Center, Ohio/Fairbanks HS) is a newcomer to the sport of lacrosse, but she's already a veteran student-athlete at Urbana. Boerger is currently in her second season as a member of the women's basketball team. This past fall, she made great strides on the lacrosse field after deciding to take up the sport when the University instituted the new program a year ago.

The fourth captain, freshman Quintina Mengyan, comes to Urbana University from Brighton, Michigan where she played goalie on the 2010 Division I state runner-up Brighton Bulldogs.

All four captains recently sat down with Urbana University Sports Information Director Chris Anders before the 2011 season to discuss their thoughts heading into the program's inaugural season. The players' questions and answers are below.

Quintina Mengyan

1.What are your thoughts on being a part of a new program and the inaugural season of women's lacrosse at Urbana University?

It's a new opportunity that I'm glad to take part in. It will definitely be a change to come from high school to a brand new team at this level, but I think it will be a good change for me.

2.What does it mean to you to be named a team captain in your first season at Urbana?

I'm very honored to take a captain position. It makes me more excited for the season knowing I have that much more responsibility on this team. I was captain of my high school team, so being named a captain again really helps me reflect and realize that all of that hard work in high school really did pay off.

3.Tell me a little about the 2011 captains and the roles they play on this team.

I think each captain has different strengths that they bring to the team. Coach saw those strengths and did very well picking the captains based on what they bring to this team.

4.What have you learned about Coach Grabowski this off-season?

She wants all of us to work hard in the off-season, and everything she has us do is for a reason. Whether it's to run so many miles or just be together as a team, it's for a reason. I feel like if she continues doing that, we will be a stronger team because of it.

5.Nearly half the team is from out-of-state, creating a very diverse group of backgrounds and playing styles. What effect does that have on the team's chemistry and dynamic?

We definitely have to learn to be open-minded with each others' playing styles, because we all come from such different backgrounds. Some players come from a big team and others played on a small club team. My old team went to the state finals my senior year, so that's a different dynamic than the girls who played at the club level. But we all love the sport, and as long as we continue loving the sport, than we'll play well together.

6.Is there a game or a team on this year's schedule that you are looking forward to playing this year?

I'm excited to play Ohio Wesleyan because that's Coach's old team. I'd like to see how they play. Also, I'm looking forward to the game at Trine because my best friend goes there, so she can attend that game, and my family can come to that game too.

7.In your opinion, who is a player to watch on offense?

Alyssa Ashcroft. She has a quick New York stick. She's tough and she knows how to play like she from New York.

And who is a player to watch on defense?

I'd say the players to watch on defense are the twins (Nora and Emily Boerger), because they don't mess around.

8.What are the team's goals and expectations this season?

We have a lot of expectations with our workout schedules. We've been lifting weights, working out in the pool and running, but I think we are expecting more workouts as we progress. I hope everyone is following through with all of their workouts, so we're on the same page. If everyone's working out at the same level and working out together, it will make our playing time on the field a lot more close-knit and cohesive. When we work out together, and play together, the results will be better.

9.Do you have any personal goals heading into your first season as a Blue Knight?

I'd like to continue to broaden my lacrosse skills. I played goalie in high school, and now I'm playing middie. That's a huge change, but I know I can do it if I stick to my workouts and my own expectations. Overall, I hope to play well as a middie on the field.

10.Who is your biggest inspiration on and off the field?

Michael Lesher. He's my best friend who drowned last year. After his death, I realized that once I do something, I can't give up, because if I give up or start to think that I can't do it, then I'll sink in the negative thoughts. I always try to stay positive and keep my thoughts positive, so I'll never give up.