Malayter Helps Wagner Lacrosse Pull Out Thrilling Season Opener

March 4, 2010 by Greg Lederer

Senior mid-fielder Krista Malayter, a 2006 Cheshire High School graduate, sparked the Wagner College (Staten Island, New York) women's lacrosse team to a strong start on Feb. 24. Malayter and classmate Teri Noll each had three goals and an assist each, as Wagner held off Bucknell 12-11. The Seahawks hadn't beat Bucknell in five years, nor had they won a season opener since 2001.
“All of the hard work finally paid off,” said Malayter. “It's a great start to the season.”
Malayter scored consecutively to put Wagner ahead, 4-2. After Bucknell cut the deficit to 8-7 at halftime, she tallied the first goal of the second half. Bucknell rallied to take 9-8 and 10-9 leads before Wagner scored three straight goals for the victory.
“It was kind of a nail-biter,” explained Malayter, a captain with classmate Janine Bright and junior Karen Vitkus. “We hadn't had a game like that in a long time. There wasn't a point when we felt we weren't going to win this game.”
“It's definitely a great victory for us going forward,” added Head Coach Christina Curiale. “We did a great job as a team and that's something they've been working on since they stepped on campus in the fall. We still have adjustments to make over a competitive schedule.”
Curiale was pleased with how Malayter accepted the captain's role starting last year. An All-Southern Connecticut Conference selection at CHS, she captained the Rams to the SCC regular season and tournament titles during her senior season in 2006.
“Within our leadership council, she was able to build in that. She is a great leader on and off the field,” reflected Curiale. “Everybody on our team is there for each other. She helped Karen Vitkus make that transition this year.”
The opener meant a great deal to five seniors. Wagner has compiled a 11-38 record over the last three years. For the first time in her college career, Malayter has the same coach in consecutive seasons.
While their record was frustrating last spring, Curiale emphasized individual accomplishments and hustle statistics, such as ground balls. The strategy was aimed to develop everybody's skills.
“Especially last year, we were able to build a strong foundation,” said Curiale. “The turnover didn't provide consistency. The silver lining is that we are a team. The support from each other helped them overcome that. It helped them set the bar for themselves on a consistent basis.”
That improvement has them thinking positively for their standing in the Northeast Conference. Wagner has a 1-1 record heading into Saturday's game against Manhattan, at 1 p.m.
“It's not a rebuilding year again. We know what to expect and I think it keeps us together as a team,” Malayter explained.