Women's lacrosse returns with a strong lineup
After ending on a high note last season, the Muhlenberg women’s lacrosse team is ready to defend their championship title this upcoming season. Not only was it the first time the Mules entered the ECAC tournament in school history, but they also won it all after three competitive games to capture the title postseason.
With high energy and concentration, the team is working hard in the preseason to prepare for their first collected team effort against Stevens Institute of Technology this upcoming Saturday. For the past three years the Mules have faced the Stevens Tech Ducks in the preseason in order to test themselves for the official season. They always have a competitive game against their conference rivals.
After graduating six seniors last season and with thirteen new players joining, the Mules are working hard and
getting used to playing with one another on the field. Nevertheless, the Mules still have nine starters returning, as well as three noteworthy captains to help lead them to success. The team is led by three senior captains: Kelsey Nagle ‘17, Nora Fisher ‘17 and Sara Allison ‘17.
Returning starting goalie Allison leads the defense along with two other returning defenders, Allison April ‘17 and Alli Murnick ‘17. Joining Allison, April and Murnick is Caroline Dolan ’19, who received an All-Centennial honorable mention after an outstanding freshman season. Dolan lead the team with 36 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers.
The defenders all individually have a great work ethic; they band together and work as a unit in order to hold teams to a minimum amount of goals. Last season the Mules’ defense allowed 166 only goals against them, while the attack was able to surpass that, scoring 255 goals and averaging about 11 goals a game.
The attack this year will be led by four returning starters, Kelsey Nagle ‘17, Nora Fisher ‘17, Steph D’Ascoli ‘17 and Jordy Bonvini ‘18 (the author of this article). The midfield will also contribute to the attack with two returning players, Amanda Tullo ’19 and Eliza Clark ‘18. The various athletes provide the attack with many strengths. Whether it’s on the move or a quick stick, the attack will be ready for any defense that comes their way.
The Mules have big shoes to fill this year after having a record-breaking team last season. As seniors and captains of the team, it must be an exciting time for Allison, Nagle and Fisher, as they will take a leadership role to help the team have another successful season.
“I think everyone is really excited for this season,” said Allison. “We have a lot of talent and depth to offer this year. We have been focusing on working as a cohesive unit and encouraging everyone to reach their full potential.”
“After our play-day at Dickinson in the fall, we’ve all been getting really excited about the potential that our team has for this season,” said Allison. “Our play-day solidified how successful our team can really be; with the attack having most returning players, we all have trust in each other to get the job done and everyone has an equal role. I really think we have one of the strongest attacks in the conference, so it’ll be really fun to see what happens throughout the season. In terms of our defense and midfielders, we have a good amount of returning players and some freshman that are going to make a huge impact on the team this year. I’m really excited to go into my final season playing lacrosse with these girls on my team. They make it all worth it for me.”
The Mules begin their season in a non-conference matchup against Messiah College in an away game in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Their first Centennial Conference game is not until Mar. 25 against Bryn Mawr at the Scotty Wood Stadium.
Photo courtesy of Muhlenberg Athletics