BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Lehigh head coach Jill Redfern has announced the women's lacrosse class of 2013, which includes nine incoming student-athletes. The list includes Celia Belmonte (Fair Haven, N.J.), Kenzie Dambach (Chester, N.J.), MaryLeah DiNisco (Newbury, Mass.), Alissa Hardiman (Medford, N.J.), Ashton Hellmuth (Alexandria, Va.), Megan Kelly (Mendham, N.J.), Anna Patterson (Severna Park, Md.), Annalise Penikis (Swarthmore, Pa.), and Carolyn Trespasz (Manlius, N.Y.). Seven of the nine newest Mountain Hawks earned All-America honors during their high school careers.

"This is an accomplished group of student-athletes," Redfern commented. "Their spirit and enthusiasm for Lehigh lacrosse is obvious. They have aspirations of a championship and share our upperclass players' vision of achieving our goal of becoming a nationally recognized lacrosse program." She added, "(Assistant coach) Kelley (Putnam), (volunteer assistant coach) Erin (Goodman) and I look forward to their arrival on campus in August."

The first member of Lehigh's class of 2013 is Celia Belmonte from Fair Haven, New Jersey. Belmonte graduated from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, where she was a four year varsity letter winner and senior captain. She finished her career tenth in the state of New Jersey in scoring, with 309 points (204 goals and 105 assists) and earned honorable mention All-America accolades in 2009. As a senior, Belmonte was a Second Team All-State selection, and First Team All-Shore Conference. Belmonte was second in the Shore Conference in scoring with 128 total points (74 goals, and 54 assists), and her team won Shore Conference "A" Central Division championship.

Belmonte was the 2009 recipient of the Monmouth County Directors of Athletics Sportsmanship Award, and also the Rumson-Fair Haven Bulldog Booster Club Female Athlete of the Year Scholarship Award. Belmonte is also a four year varsity letter winner in soccer, and was senior captain. Off the field, she is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honors Society. She received the 2009 Edward J. Boulstein Distinguished Scholars Award, the Gold medal of President's Education Award, the Viola L. Sickles Memorial Scholarship Award, and the RFH PTSA Scholarship Award.

Kenzie Dambach is a defender from Chester, New Jersey where she graduated from West Morris Mendham High School. Dambach was a First Team All-Area, First Team All-Conference, and First Team All-Morris County selection. She also received Second Team All-State, as well as Honorable Mention All-America honors, and was named MVP of the Morris County Tournament. Off the field, she is a member of Steps Lacrosse and High Honor Roll.

A goal keeper from Newbury, Massachusetts, MaryLeah DiNisco was a four-year starter at The Governor's Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts, where she played all but 50 minutes during her career in between the pipes. DiNisco totaled 633 saves in over 1,144 minutes, earning All-America honors in 2008 and honorable mention All-America honors this past season. A two-time All-League selection, DiNisco also participated in basketball where she earned a pair of All-League accolades, and soccer, where she was a three-year member of the program. In addition to her on-field success, DiNisco volunteers with the Special Olympics, she serves as a Peer Advisor, and is a member of the Youth Conservation Corps.

Arriving by way of Shawnee High School, Alissa Hardiman is a defender from Medford, New Jersey. Hardiman is a 2009 honorable mention All-American, a two-time First-Team All-Conference selection and a two-time First-Team All-South Jersey selection. In addition she received South Jersey All-Star laurels, a spot on the All-Burlington County First-Team, as well as First-Team All-Group 3 accolades. She was also named a 2009 First-Team All-South Jersey selection by the Courier Post and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Hardiman was a two-year captain of the Shawnee basketball team, a four-year member of the Honor Roll, a recipient of the People's Choice Award, and she participated in French Club, FCCLA, DECA and Shawnee Volunteers.

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