VILLANOVA, Pa. – Head coach Jebb Chagan has assembled a group of seven incoming freshmen that will bolster the Wildcats' roster in 2009. "This is a talented group of young women who will help our program," stated Chagan.

Justine Donodeo is a midfielder from Holbrook, N.Y., who attended Sachem East High School in Farmingville, N.Y. She earned four varsity letters in lacrosse and three others in soccer. A 2007 Academic All-American, she was an all-county performer in each of her four seasons and her team's most valuable player.

"Justine possesses excellent speed and vision," states Chagan. "We look for her to be a contributor for us in the midfield as a freshman."

Christina Habicht comes to Villanova from Baldwin, Md. She played on both the attack and defense at Loch Raven High School but figures to be used on defense in college according to Chagan.

"Christina is a very coachable young player," Chagan states. "We look for her to be an impact defender at this level as she becomes acclimated to college lacrosse."

Danielle Freiji is another member of this class from metropolitan Baltimore. She was a strong defender at Notre Dame Prep and also earned varsity letters in swimming.

"We expect Danielle to see playing time early in her freshman year," says Chagan. "She possesses good vision and is strong with both her left and right hands. We feel she can help us as midfielder and defensive wing."

Princess Livingston is a midfielder from Danbury, Conn., who played three sports at Danbury High School, including lacrosse, basketball and field hockey. She was a two-time all-state selection and an honorable mention All-American as a senior. During her career at Danbury she established a new school record for points with 127 (63 goals, 64 assists).

"This is another very coachable young lady," notes Chagan. "She possesses very good speed and sees the field well in transition. We look for her to be an impact player here in the future."

Trish Shanagan is a talented forward who the coaching staff believes can bolster the attack.

"Trish finishes very well around the cage," states Chagan. "She has excellent vision and a very good work ethic. The fact that she is very coachable will only help her development."

Mary Liva comes to Villanova from nearby Bryn Mawr, Pa. She played lacrosse and field hockey at Villa Maria Academy in Malvern, Pa. and will look to carve a niche for herself on the attack in college.

"One of the things we really like about Mary is that she is capable of playing a number of different positions on the lacrosse field," states Chagan. "She's a very smart player and sees the field exceptionally well. Mary's brother is a senior captain on our men's team here at Villanova and we look forward to seeing her add to that tradition."

Rounding out Villanova's crop of newcomers is Lauren Gallagher. She is a native of Madison, N.J., who was an all-conference second team selection at Villa Walsh Academy in Morristown, N.J.

"Lauren is going to look to compete for a spot on the attack," says Chagan. "She does a nice job of finishing around the goal. We look for Lauren to compete at a number of different positions on the field."

2008-12-19