Lucas attempts to bring program back to national prominence

10 years ago, JMU won its first and only national title.

The Dukes beat the University of North Carolina in Boston, Mass., 4-2. The sport was field hockey.
That team was coached by Christy Morgan, whose philosophy is embodied by the inscription on JMU’s championship rings, "together … fight."

After all those years, Morgan’s presence still is felt today on the turf of the JMU Field Hockey Complex in some of the remnants of her final recruiting class.

Redshirt senior forward Alissa Santanna and senior forward Heidi Beck both were recruited by Morgan.

"My decision to come here was strictly based on the school," Santanna said. "The coach who recruited me, I never got to play for. I came because the team was scrappy and a lot like the team I played for in high school."

Morgan left in 2000 after nine seasons at the helm of JMU field hockey. Her coaching record for the Dukes stands at 153-66-2, including that one NCAA title. She also left just as Beck was deciding to commit.

"They were a good team when I came in," Beck said. "Because it was such a strong program, I still came."

However, this year, after the departure of JMU’s intermittent four-year coach Irene Horvat, the Dukes look energized for a new start under first-year coach Antoinette Lucas.

"This new coach is a lot like Christy, so in essence it is like playing with Christy my senior year," Beck said. "She has a hard job coming into a new team and putting together a team that was mangled the past three years."

Lucas comes to JMU after 12 years of playing for the United States National team, retiring in 2002 after numerous World Cups and Olympics.

"She was an Olympian for many years," Beck said. "She’ll come out here and play, and tool us all over the field. She’s more fit than anyone else on this team."

Lucas has 16 years of previous collegiate coaching experience. The past two seasons, she was an assistant at the University of New Hampshire. Before that, Lucas was an assistant at Northeastern University (1999-’01), Duke University (1996-’99) and the University of Connecticut (1992-’95).

"I think I’ve always had my eye on JMU as somewhere I’d like to coach," Lucas said. "We have all the pieces here to win it again and I’m excited about it."

So far, it hasn’t gone ideally. The Dukes opened their season, and Lucas’ JMU coaching career, with a five-game losing streak — the most recent coming Friday against Penn State when the Dukes were shutout for the third time this season.

"I came in without expectations, except to take to take it one day at a time," Lucas said. "I really enjoy the athletes that we’re working with. They have a lot to learn, but they take it in and they’re bright."

But the competition has been stiff. The Dukes already have taken on three NCAA tournament powers of last year in the Nittany Lions, Michigan State and defending national champion, Wake Forest.

"You can’t put your head down. It’s a sport, and someone wins and someone loses," Santanna said. "These aren’t CAA games, and we just have to believe in what we can do.

"If we lose, I’m sure we’re going to be better playing these teams than easy teams that we could just walk all over."

The Dukes are eying a certain Oct. 16 game where the team celebrates the 10 year anniversary of their lone national title and play the team they defeated ten years ago.

"I am totally pumped for that," Lucas said. "It could make you gulp to see Carolina out there. It would be great to knock them off on the

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