Defensive stand

Dardine, Buchholz anchor women’s lacrosse defense; Dukes’ destiny uncertain

Evan Dyson / staff photographer Senior defenders Johanna Buchholz (left) and Ashlee Dardine lead the JMU defense. Buchholz didn't play defense until coming to JMU and Dardine is a candidate for the Tewaarton Trophy, which goes to the best woman's lacrosse player in the nation.

If the sports adage proves correct and defense really does win championships, then JMU women’s lacrosse coach Kellie Young believes her team still has a chance.

At 6-6 overall and 1-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association, the Dukes are in danger of missing the conference tournament for the first time in school history. But Young — whose JMU teams are 18-4 against conference foes since 2003 — maintains the Dukes are still capable of making a run.

"We have to fight," Young said. "It’s going to take 60 minutes of consistent play for four straight games."

On defense that consistency starts with senior cornerstones Ashlee Dardine and Johanna Buchholz, who have started every game this season.

"They take other offenses out of their mode and make them find other players to score," Young said. "It’s so important to have them in a defensive set."

Dardine, a Tewaarton Trophy National Player of the Year candidate, was a third team All-American selection in 2004. She has been a fixture in the Dukes’ backfield since the 2002 season, starting 67 of JMU’s 69 regular season games since then.

"She’s an incredible presence on defense," Young said. "She can handle passes where she might be under pressure. She’s quick and her instinct to cause turnovers is one of the best in the nation."

The stat books agree with Young. Dardine currently ranks No. 1 in the CAA in caused turnovers, averaging 2.5 per game.

"It’s like she has a magnet on her stick," Buchholz said. "Ashlee is incredible at intercepting passes and knocking shots down."

But that’s not all Dardine does. The Broomall, Pa., native is known for keeping her cool in tough situations.

"In our last game, Towson had a fast break and Ashlee was down there with two attackers," Buchholz said. "That attacker came right at her. Ashlee stayed composed, held her ground and stopped the fast break even though she was a man down."

Then again, Dardine is used to those situations. As mark-up defenders, Dardine and Buchholz are responsible for guarding the opposition’s best attackers. They each receive scouting reports on specific players to guard.

"It’s a description of what they like to do," Dardine said. "By game day we know the ins and outs of our player. It helps us feed off each other very well."

Buchholz came to JMU as W.T. Woodson High School’s all-time leading goal scorer. The Fairfax native spent the majority of her sophomore and junior seasons as a midfielder before settling in as a defender in 2005.

"The funny thing is in high school I rarely played defense," Buchholz said. "It was kind of a hard transition."

But Buchholz has made the shift appear seamless.

"When I came in here, she had a great defensive presence for a midfielder," Young said. "It has grown so much in the last few years to the point where she could use that to match up against our opponent’s top attackers. She gets the ball out of our defense with speed. Her versatility is huge to start our fast-break transition."

And that versatility is what makes Buchholz such a valuable asset. She feels comfortable all over the field.

"Being on defense now, it’s kind of fun when I get the ball around midfield," Buchholz said. "People aren’t really expecting me to know what to do with the ball on the other end of the field."

But she does.

"I think that’s when she’s most in her zone," Dardine said. "She’s hands-down the fastest person on our team and she’s an instinctual player, so when she goes downfield, she can score."

But while Buchholz has no problem surprising unsuspecting goalkeepers, her focus and vocal nature lay on defense.

"I’m pretty aggressive," Buchholz said. "I like to scare the opponent, that’s what I’m good at. I’m loud. Those characteristics of my defense came naturally with the college atmosphere. My intensity picked up."

And if that intensity spreads, the Dukes might be able to catch lightning in a bottle down the home stretch.

"We’re able to look at Jo’s intensity for inspiration rather than it being nerve-racking," Young said. "We have nothing to lose and I think the whole team is taking on that mentality."