Last year, the Oakland University women’s club lacrosse team had the best season in the program’s history, capturing its fourth straight divisional title with a record of 16-4 and qualifying as the No. 2 seed for the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association Div. II National Championship held in Scottsdale, Ariz.

This year, the Golden Grizzlies are looking to have a repeat performance, but a difficult schedule awaits them. The team is currently ranked seventh in the Div. II rankings, and head coach Towbey Kassa expects them to compete at the high level they have established and continue the program’s success over the past few seasons.

“I want to win another division, to make it five straight and make another run,” Kassa said. “To finish in the top 10 in the country would be great.”

Good collegiate teams are usually led by senior leaders, and this team has two of them in defender Charlotte Rose and attacker Ashley Krisfalusi.  Both are captains and Kassa said they are critical to the team’s success.

“Charlotte, on the defensive side, really gets the girls going,” Kassa said. “She’s been in the system for four years, and the same thing with Ashley on the offensive side. She’s really helping the new girls develop. Their presence is just huge out there.”

Oakland’s season started in mid-February with a tough opening set of games against both club squads from the University of Michigan at Oosterbaan Field House in Ann Arbor, which has been a house of horrors for Kassa since his playing career at Oakland began. The Grizzlies took the first game against the Michigan B squad, 13-11, and then fought hard in the second game but lost to Michigan’s top Div. I squad 19-6.

Kassa was still pleased with the split, as the win over Michigan B gave him his first ever win at Oosterbaan and put an end to his long losing streak.

“Finally getting that win, it just felt it was a relief,” Kassa said. “I could say that I went into Oosterbaan, and even though it wasn’t their Div. I, it just felt good to get a win at that place that has given me so much grief over the years.”

The Grizzlies have lots of motivation to get back to the National Championship, if only for how their season ended last year. Three straight losses in Scottsdale left much to be desired, and none were as painful as the first one, a heartbreaking 17-16 loss to Southern Methodist University that knocked them out of contention.

The more difficult schedule this year includes a four-game trip to Texas to participate in the Lonestar Showdown in April and a rematch against SMU as well as other top teams. Kassa believes the women will be ready and highly focused to exact a bit of revenge on the Mustangs.

“Losing that game by one goal and being the way that we lost and the circumstances, the girls really want to go out there and win to prove we are the better team,” Kassa said. “It will be a good test.”

Oakland’s next game is scheduled for Thursday, March 10 at 8:00 p.m. against Wayne State University at Troy High School.

More information on the team, including a roster and full schedule, can be found at www.oaklandlacrosse.com