Pride in the Puzzle: U.S. Coaches Thrilled of Progress at Training Camp

AUSTIN, Texas — Acacia Walker-Weinstein closed the final practice session of this week’s U.S. Women’s National Team training camp at the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex with words of encouragement.

It was the fifth practice in three days. The athletes were spent, drained from some Texas heat and the transition drills they ran and ran again until perfection.

It was Tuesday evening, just about 24 hours after Walker-Weinstein wasn’t shy about letting the 25 players know she expected more from them in a few drills. It was, after all, the final camp before a 22-player roster would be decided.

She expected everyone’s all. That’s what she got after two spirited sessions on Tuesday, one in the midday heat and another as the sun set in Round Rock.

In the eyes of the coaching staff, something clicked Tuesday. Finally, after significant progress made since November’s training camp in Tampa, Fla., they became a team.

“I just think they were proud of being a piece of the puzzle and not looking to be the whole thing,” Walker-Weinstein said, beaming at the prospect of it all coming together. “All these girls are the stars on their teams, but we’re not looking for that here. You’re a piece of the puzzle.

“As soon as they have a passion for that, they’ll be unstoppable.”

The offense seemed unstoppable under the guidance of Kayla Treanor, the all-time leading scorer in U.S. Women’s National Team history. It seemed like the system became second nature by that final practice, with the ball zipping around so fast that it felt instinctual.

The stars did what you’d expect, like Charlotte North and Sam Apuzzo and Chloe Humphrey and Madison Taylor, but others popped, too – like Emma LoPinto and Kate Galica.

Izzy Scane was her usual self, and Kenzie Kent scored one of the goals of the camp on a no-look flick over her left shoulder that found twine before anyone else could realize it.

“The offense gelled,” Walker-Weinstein said. “They’re playing with so much flow and style and creativity. The chemistry’s off the charts.”

Midfielders moved at breakneck speeds with transition dominance being one of Walker-Weinstein’s primary goals for this team. Some, like Kori Edmondson, took on a more defensive role in kickstarting transition, while the likes of Ally Kennedy, Cassidy Weeks and Brigid Duffy used their unmatched speed to push the ball up the field.

Sound, versatile midfield play is perhaps the core to the roster, and choosing from a group that also includes Anna Brandt, Galica, Kayla Gilmore, Ally Mastroianni, Marie McCool, Emma Muchnick and Eliza Osburn will be one of the coaching staff’s taller tasks.

“Any of these girls can be on the roster,” Walker-Weinstein said. “We’re just going to have hard decisions to make. It’s like centimeters of a choice. You have to whittle it down to the smallest detail. Splitting hairs.”

The defense, too, brings decisions. Walker-Weinstein felt it really started to stabilize things in Texas. You can’t have good transition without good defense, making their efforts paramount.

Goalies Shea Dolce and Caylee Waters were hoarse after barking instructions for three days straight, all followed expertly by their defenders in front.

Shea Baker, Maddie Burns, Sam Forrest, Katie Goodale and Sydney Scales all offer something a little different, perhaps explaining why their synergy resulted in such excitement from the coaches.

“The defense became a stabilizer, which is important,” Walker-Weinstein said. “Some people took leaps in anticipating what we were expecting.”

Becoming a unit was the last box to check before the team goes its separate ways for their respective college seasons, some as players, some as coaches and others has avid spectators. There’s a chance they’ll resume once more in June for another training camp before departing for Tokyo, Japan, for the World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship this summer.

The coaches stressed continuing the efforts to maintain this chemistry even during the whirlwind of an NCAA season that begins in earnest next week and will run for many through Memorial Day weekend.

“One of the greatest teams I was ever a part of was my ’09 World Cup team with [assistant coach Devon Wills], and everyone was just happy to be a piece of the puzzle,” Walker-Weinstein said. “That’s a formula that cannot be beat on any level. You don’t get it on any team. It’s the thing I’m most proud of.”

FULL CIRCLE IN THE CAGE

Shea Dolce was in seventh grade when she first met Caylee Waters.

She had already known a good deal about her. How could she not? Waters was one of the big names in NCAA lacrosse and a product of Dolce’s hometown of Darien, Conn.

Dolce only began playing goalie as a sixth grader, so with a year or so under her belt, she turned to Waters for lessons.

“I met her at the high school field for the first time and had a blast because she’s Caylee,” Dolce said. “You’re going to have a blast every time you’re around her.”

It didn’t take long for Dolce to pick up plenty from her mentor. Waters actually felt as if there wasn’t all that much to teach her eager apprentice. That’s how polished Dolce was even as a relative newcomer to the position.

“Caylee’s a great teacher,” Dolce said.

Now the pair are on the doorstep of coming full circle as goalies on the U.S. Women’s National Team. It’s a place neither could have imagined being nearly a decade ago but now want so desperately with the final roster announcement on the horizon.

They share similar roots. They’re products of the same high school and success stories from the same program, coached by USA Lacrosse Hall of Famer Lisa Lindley. Dolce is the padawan turned Jedi master, hosting clinics of her own back in Darien.

It’s not quite a passing of the torch with both goalies being at the top of their games. But it sure does feel like a symbolic moment for the duo.

“It would be the most incredible full-circle moment,” Dolce said. “Goalie’s a very unique and niche position, and to get two goalies out of the same high school and town, it would just be incredible.

“She is much older than me, but it feels like there’s no age gap. I think that’s what makes it so special.”