BERKELEY – With her first season in Berkeley on the horizon, California’s first-year lacrosse head coach Ginger Miles named four veterans as team captains and announced the schedule for the 2012 season. Fifth-year senior Emily Abbood and seniors Tara Arolla, Tori Harrison and Vail Horn will captain the Golden Bears during a season that features four opponents who played in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, six home games and the Feb. 19 opener at Saint Mary’s.
“I couldn’t be happier to announce the selection of Emily, Tara, Tori and Vail as our team captains for the 2012 season,” Miles said. “With so many tremendous leaders in the program, this selection was a difficult one for their teammates and coaches, but we are quite pleased to entrust these four with guiding this team in 2012.
“They each bring a different element and style of leadership and will give us a well-rounded group of captains. They are each role models of work ethic, commitment and reliability both on and off the field and have been integral in leading our team through this transition. They are dynamic and dedicated, and they have the upstanding character it will take to lead this team to new heights in 2012.”
Abbood, who redshirted the 2011 season, last played in 2010, when the midfielder scored a career-high 11 goals in 17 games. The Jamestown, R.I., product has played in a 54 games as a Bear. In 2011, Arolla led Cal with career highs in goals (36), points (47) and four-game-winning goals. The attacker from Carlsbad, Calif., has donned the Blue and Gold in 48 games.
Harrison, a defender from Austin, Texas, has played in 45 college games and collected the first assist of her career last year. She also co-writes a blog for Cal Athletics called “Bear TaraTori” with Arolla. Horn, who aptly hails from Vail, Colo., scored 33 goals, four assists and 37 points as a junior. She ranked third – behind Arolla and leaderMegan Takacs (48) – at Cal in points last season.
Miles’ first season at Cal starts in February, when the Bears trek to nearby Moraga, Calif., for a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) clash with the Gaels. Cal opens its home schedule on Feb. 23 against James Madison in a non-conference match at Witter Rugby Field, which will serve as the Bears’ home for a second straight season.
James Madison is the first of Cal’s opponents that played in last year’s postseason. The others are Navy, which Cal plays March 28 in Annapolis, Md., Boston College (April 14 in Boston) and, in the regular-season finale, MPSF rival Stanford (April 20 in Berkeley).
The Bears’ other home games include the following: March 14 vs. Boston University, March 21 vs. MPSF foe Denver, March 25 vs. Hofstra and April 10 vs. Fresno State.
Cal will play seven conference matches including its first one against newcomer San Diego State on March 10 in San Diego.
