A foundation has to be laid when something is being built, which is exactly what has been happening for the past year and a half with the University of Detroit Mercy's women's lacrosse program.

Since September 17, 2007, when UDM's Director of Athletics Keri Gaither introduced Mary Ann Meltzer as the first head coach of the Detroit Titans women's lacrosse team, the construction has been non-stop. The effort of building the first NCAA Division I women's lacrosse program in the State of Michigan, will be showcased Feb. 21, when the Titans open their inaugural season at Howard University in Washington DC.

“Emotions will be running high when we take the field for the first time,” said Meltzer, “not only because of all the work we have put into building a brand new program, but because it will finally give us an opportunity to compete and compare ourselves to other teams.”

The first game was a distant goal when Meltzer joined the Titan staff 18 months ago. At that time, recruiting was the first priority. Commitment number one came just 1½ months later, when Cincinnati native Brett Yenger, the 2008 All-Ohio First Team goalie, became Detroit's first women's lacrosse signee. A High School All-American as a senior, Yenger's signing provided Detroit with an immensely talented player as its last line of defense.

“It's no coincidence that a goalie was a first recruit,” commented Meltzer. “A team can have a lot of great field players, but if you do not have a great goalie, you're at a serious disadvantage. We believe Brett has the potential to be great and we are thrilled to have her on our squad.”

The goalie position secured, Meltzer reached near and far for the field players who would together make history as Detroit's first team. Senior leadership came early to the new program when Titan soccer players Megan Canty and Liz Hardy decided to join the program after completing their soccer eligibility. Both players, who combined to play in 168 varsity soccer games for the Titans, are fifth-year seniors. Though neither played high school lacrosse, both have the athleticism Meltzer was looking for and have provided the type of leadership the coaching staff assumed they would have to wait years to get as young players deem experience.

“Liz and Megan are doing a great job in terms of leadership and helping us keep everyone on track and focused,” stated Meltzer.

That is no simple task when you consider that besides the two seniors, Detroit's squad is comprised of 11 freshmen and two sophomores.

Joining Canty and Hardy from other Detroit teams is Lauren Memmer, a redshirt freshman and former Michigan Miss Softball, who originally came to the Titans to join their softball team.

Sophomore Olivia Mendoza transferred from Ferrum College, and was a former high school All-Michigan defender in 2007. Both Memmer and Mendoza are slated to play attack for the Titans. Joining those two are a slate of freshman attackers – Anna Eidem, Rachel Iturralde and Alyssa Shaver.

Eidem, who will also see playing time at midfield, earned Minnesota Lacrosse Player of the Year honors as a senior at Totino-Grace High School. While Eidem is the most accomplished of the front line attack, Iturralde, a former high school all-area selection, and Shaver, who netted a Carman-Ainsworth school record 81 goals in 2008, can both find the back of the net.

“We do not have an unstoppable scorer,” said Meltzer. “It will definitely be points by committee. Our focus on offense will be to get the most out of each possession. We need to take care of the ball, run our offensive sets and take advantage of our scoring opportunities. I am very confident our attack can do that. For us to have good scoring opportunities, though, our midfield play will be key. We have really been working on our transition from defensive to offense and vice versa. The key to any young lacrosse team lies in the abilities of its midfield.”

Fortunately for the Titans, the midfield is patrolled by some of the best athletes on the squad – several of whom have played together previously. Canadian prep stars freshmen Emily Boissonneault and Corina Mahorn competed on several Ontario select teams together, as did freshmen Kandice Bogatz and Megan Wallace in their native New York.

Boissonneault earned Midwest Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association All-Tournament team honors junior year at Donald A. Wilson Secondary and Mahorn was Ontario's Most Improved High School player as a senior at Anderson CVI. Bogatz won the Wingate Heisman Award (2008), which is awarded to the No. 1 lacrosse player in New York City. Wallace earned two varsity letters in lacrosse at Hicksville Senior High School in New York.

“Our midfield stick work is improving every day and our players really get what we are trying to do both offensively and defensively,” added Meltzer. “Our midfielders are talented and have an opportunity to be special players.”

In front of Yenger on defense will be Canty, sophomore Alycsa Valentine and freshmen Melanie Hicks and Maya Thomas.

“Defense is all about positioning and anticipation,” commented Meltzer. “I have been really impressed with Megan. Though she's never played organized lacrosse, she really understands the defensive concepts we are putting in.”

Hicks was named Florida's High School Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, while Thomas was one of New York City's top defenders for the last several years while playing with the highly-competitive Brooklyn Admirals club team.

“Offense, defense, midfield…it goes without saying we are young,” stated Meltzer. “But these girls have done everything our staff has asked of them. They are working hard. This is all new to everyone – the college experience for our freshmen, the college lacrosse experience for the entire team. I'm thrilled with the preparation the team has put in.”

That prep work goes for the staff too. Meltzer would not have been able to prepare for this first season if it was not for her assistant coaches, Kelly Gallagher and Nick Ostrowski.

“I feel very fortunate to have Kelly on staff, not only because of her enthusiasm, but also due to her experience in dealing with lacrosse in non-traditional areas, which I know will be an asset to us here at UDM,” added Meltzer. “Nick is also a great addition to our program and he will focus his efforts on the goalies.”

After opening up the 2009 campaign at Howard, the Titans will compete against Navy on Feb. 22 in Annapolis, MD.

UDM will get its first glance of women's lacrosse on campus during the regular season as the Titans face Niagara at Titan Field on Feb. 28 at 11 a.m. and then again on March 15 against Duquesne.

“That first home game will be special,” said Meltzer. “Everything will be new. For our students, faculty and fans, they'll be seeing a new team, a new sport and new home field (Titan Field). I am so excited to be part of the team that brings Division I lacrosse to the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan.”

After traveling to the East Coast for a match-up against Central Connecticut State (Mar. 19) and Quinnipiac (Mar. 20), the Titans will return home for a couple of games. Detroit will host Fresno State on Mar. 27 and will then face Presbyterian College the following day.

“Overall, for being a brand new program, I like our schedule and what it offers,” commented Meltzer. “I believe that we definitely have an opportunity to win some games.”

UDM's final home contest of the year will be against Big Ten school, Ohio State, on Apr. 14 and the Titans will close out their regular season at Cincinnati (Apr. 29) which is also a fairly new program as the Bearcats are in just the their second year of competing on the Division I level.

“I have to remember that starting a brand new program is a building process,” stated Meltzer. “The girls are working hard, are very committed and want to do well. I would love for us to surprise the teams that are already looking past us because we are a first-year program.”

At the end of 2009, Detroit's women's lacrosse program will have more than a foundation; it will undoubtedly have many of the building blocks for a successful program in place.