When Angela McMahon was named head coach of the women's lacrosse team in July, her experience as a player and ability as a recruiter made her the perfect choice to resurrect the program.
In November, she claimed that UConn provided "all the necessary resources to get better right away." Just seven months into her tenure, substantial progress has already been made. If the super-talented, 10 player recruiting class that has already committed for the 2009-10 school year was her first step, then signing Kiersten Tupper was step oneB
A First Team All-American, Tupper led West Genesee High School to consecutive New York State Championships in 2007 and 2008, and was ranked the fifth best high school lacrosse player in the nation on takkle.com - a Web site devoted to high school athletes and college recruiting.
Tupper initially committed to Le Moyne College - where she spent this past Fall semester - but quickly realized that a school with an enrollment total of only 2,300 students would not enable her to fulfill her goals. She noted the options - both academically and socially - that are provided at UConn had just as much to do with her decision as lacrosse. The presence of McMahon didn't hurt, either.
"Angela definitely played a big role in my decision," Tupper said. "She had been recruiting me while she was at UMass, so it was nice to come to a place where I had a pre-existing relationship with the coach."
Along with the presence of McMahon, Tupper was also influenced by Shannon Burke - another West Genesee graduate and UConn's all-time leading scorer.
"Shannon talked [UConn] up," she said. "She's always been my role model, she's my idol."
If following in Burke's steps is a goal of Tupper's, then she is already well on her way. During her senior season at West Genesee, she broke Burke's record with a mind boggling 93 assists and 130 total points. Her field vision and knack for setting teammates up should make her the perfect fit in McMahon's offense, which stresses team passing and athleticism.
Her pass-first mentality could potentially create a dangerous partnership with senior Whitney Michele, who led the team in total points and was fourth in the Big East in assists. Tupper views herself as a "feeder" on attack, noting how rapidly the different strengths of the team have come together.
She noted the creativity of other offensive players, saying that she has already formed good playing relationships with Katy Ryan, Ashley Mitchelides and Megan Bohns, among others.
On the other side of the ball, she is excited to see the defense play against other teams, rather than her.
"The defense has been really intense in practice," she said, specifically noting the play of junior midfielder Laura Eichert.
"Every time I go up against her, it's really a challenge."
Coming off of a 1-15 record, McMahon will lead the Huskies in their first action on Feb. 8 at the South of the Border Tournament, which is hosted by the University of North Carolina. The team has every intention of continuing its strides towards improvement, with Tupper as the centerpiece.
"I love it here," she said. "[McMahon]'s building a dynasty."
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