Before heading to Florida, six local girls team up at 'Classic': Gators will rely heavily on six Under Armour All-Americans in first season

Jun 26, 2009 (The Baltimore Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- UA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- When recent John Carroll graduate Brittany Dashiell stepped on campus at the University of Florida, she knew it was the place for her. It turned out to be the place for five other local lacrosse standouts who will join Dashiell tomorrow at Towson University's Johnny Unitas Stadium for the Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic.

Dashiell, Mount Hebron's Ashley Bruns, Severna Park's Sam Farrell, McDonogh's Kitty Cullen and Colby Rhea, and St. Mary's Haydon Judge will all suit up for the South team in the all-star event featuring the top 47 senior girls lacrosse players in the country. But they also represent a quarter of Florida's inaugural 24-member recruiting class. The Gators begin their first season of varsity lacrosse this spring. Bruns (103 goals, 63 assists), Farrell (43, 11) and Judge -- a defender -- were Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro selections last season, and Dashiell made the second team.

For Gators coach Amanda O'Leary, deciding where to spend the majority of her recruiting time was simple.

"The Maryland-Baltimore area is the mecca of women's lacrosse," O'Leary said.

O'Leary's Beltway-focused strategy paid off, as 17 of Florida's 24 incoming freshmen are from Maryland. Many of O'Leary's top recruits came from the top high school and club programs in the area -- and many had plenty of other options for college.

Cullen, for example, was recruited by established powers such as Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Maryland, while Dashiell also fielded interest from the Blue Jays, Fighting Irish and Vanderbilt.

"I don't think it was a coincidence," Dashiell said of so many local players signing with Florida. "It was just the best choice for each of us."

O'Leary, who came to Gainesville after 14 seasons as Yale's coach, quickly discovered that being able to promise 75-degree temperatures year round is a powerful recruiting tool.

"When we went down there, it was a whole different atmosphere," Bruns said.

And with a $17 million commitment to a new women's lacrosse stadium and facilities, plus two full-time nutritionists and an academic adviser who will travel with the team, O'Leary had plenty of other positives to sell on the recruiting trail.

"It's the best of both worlds," O'Leary said. "These girls will be successful on the field and in the classroom."

Florida won't have it easy in its first season. The Gators -- members of the American Lacrosse Conference -- have scheduled matchups with North Carolina, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Navy, New Hampshire, Cornell, Ohio State, Vanderbilt and five-time defending champion Northwestern, among others.

Being part of Florida's first recruiting class offered the incoming freshmen a challenging schedule, as well as something other more established programs couldn't -- immediate playing time.

"Definitely an opportunity for playing time my freshman year was important," Cullen said. "The school was unbelievable and offered everything I could want. ... We've got good coaches and should surprise a lot of people."

Cullen said O'Leary's staff was a major draw for her. Jennifer Ulehla, a former head coach at Temple and James Madison, will serve as O'Leary's top assistant, and Erica LaGrow, a four-year starter and All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection in 2008 at North Carolina, is also an assistant. LaGrow is a midfielder and Ulehla an assistant coach for the U.S. women's national team, which is competing in the Federation of International Lacrosse World Cup in Prague.

Landing six Under Armour All-Americans is a big step for any program -- let alone a first-year team -- event founder Lee Corrigan said. He says there are numerous All-America programs and events, but the Under Armour games consistently attract the nation's best talent.

"When somebody says, 'Billy's an Under Armour All-American,' it means something," he said.

Saturday's game won't be the first time Dashiell, Bruns, Farrell, Cullen, Rhea and Judge have crossed paths; they've faced one another in high school games as well as club competition. But it will be the first time all six come together on the same team before starting their college careers in Gainesville. Based on the strength of Florida's Baltimore-influenced class, Corrigan expects quick success for the Gators.

"It's a big deal. Mandy O'Leary did an awesome job recruiting," Corrigan said. "They've got some girls who will get them on the map quickly. Northwestern did something similar, and they're always one of the best teams. In two to three years, they'll be a force to be reckoned with."

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