PHILADELPHIA (5/26/04) -- Whenever a team records more victories in one season than it had in the previous two combined, it certainly qualifies as a successful year. The Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse team compiled an 8-6 mark, tying a program record for wins in a season during 2004, and placed two players on the all-conference team for the first-time ever.

Senior Kristin Teklinsky and sophomore Kerry O'Connell each had offensive outbursts that ranked them among the best to ever wield the crosse at SJU. Teklinsky led the team in scoring with 53 points (43 goals, 10 assists) for the third straight season while O'Connell added 49 points in her second season on Hawk Hill. Both ranked in the top 20 nationally in goals per game, while O'Connell's 3.14 draw controls per game placed her fifth in the nation.

Junior Courtney Huff, who along with Teklinsky was honored on the All-Atlantic 10 team, was again the anchor of the SJU defense. The junior sported a 9.91 GAA and her .545 save percentage led the A-10 and ranked in the top 15 nationally.

Saint Joseph's opened the season with wins in three of its first four contests marking its best start since the 2001 season. Two straight conference losses to Temple (17-5) and St. Bonaventure (13-12 OT) followed, putting the Hawks behind the eight ball early in the league slate. SJU responded, however, by winning three-straight over Lafayette, La Salle and Lehigh to improve to 6-3.

After back-to-back losses to Massachusetts and Duquesne, the Crimson and Gray downed Villanova and George Washington before a season ending loss to Richmond dropped SJU's record to 8-6, 2-5 in the A-10. With the win over GW, head coach Denise Szatkowki became the winningest coach in program history with her 30th victory.

Teklinsky capped her career as one of the best offensive players in program history. The senior finished second in points (147), third in goals (117), and fourth in assists (30) and along with Huff, became the first Hawk to earn all-conference honors since Bernadette Smith in 2001. Seniors Megan Gresh and Amie Schmoltze were named to the Academic All-Atlantic 10 team.

Junior Shannon Scott had a breakout season at attack, scoring 24 goals while Schmoltze and Gresh proved to be offensive threats. Junior Michelle Van Wert helped hold down a young defense and ranked among the league and national leaders in groundballs.

Despite losing Teklinsky and Gresh to graduation, Saint Joseph's should challenge for a spot in the conference tournament in 2005.