BEREA, Ohio -- The Baldwin Wallace University women's lacrosse team will look to is veteran leadership as it continues its quest for the school's first-ever Ohio Athletic Conference Championship in 2017.
Head Coach Kim Russell, who enters her fifth season, returns five All-OAC players, 12 letterwinners and eight starters from last year's squad that advanced to its third consecutive OAC Tournament Semifinals. The key to Russell's season will be to have its offensive leaders continue their success while transition players into new positions and roles.
BW returns two players in the attack in sophomore Hannah Albrechta (Uniontown/Green) and junior Caitlin Wheeler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest) and, senior Academic All-OAC player Jenna Turner (Carmel, Ind.). Albrechta was second on the squad with 48 goals and 64 points while being third in assists (16). Wheeler scored 33 goals and added nine assists for 42 points. Turner had three goals and two assists in five games last season while. Freshman Brie Martineau (Strongsville) will look to provide scoring depth up front.
In the midfield, the Yellow Jackets return three of the top four scorers in senior All-OAC players Katie Kocher (Rocky River) and Maddie Russell (Lakewood/Rocky River) as well as junior All-OAC player Kayla Miller (Hudson). In addition to the trio, BW returns sophomores Megan Patrick (Ravenna/Kent Roosevelt), Hannah Fredriksen (Hamburg, N.Y.) and Mackenzie Moran (Carlisle, Pa.). Kocher led the team in assists (39) and points (65) and tallied 26 goals. Russell was second in assists (26) and third in goals (30) for 56 points. Miller led the squad in goals (49) and was third in points (59) with 10 assists. Patrick scored 24 goals and added four assists for 28 points while Fredriksen tallied five goals and two assists. and Moran is back after missing a majority of the season with an injury. Freshmen Savanna Jaekle (Lockport, N.Y.) and Jordan Paugh (South Lyon, Mich.) will look to find a spot in the center of the field.
The Yellow Jacket defense returns four players in junior defenders Taylor Giordanengo (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) and Erica Eyerman (North Olmsted/Magnificat), senior goalkeeper Amanda Getto (Medina) and sophomore defender Mackenzie Biastre (Eden, N.Y.). Giordanengo appeared in all 18 games between the pipes last season and made 98 saves with 11 victories. Eyerman tallied nine ground balls, two caused turnovers and one assist. Getto, who missed last season with an injury, returns to handle the goalkeeping duties after recording 123 saves with eight victories in 2014. Biastre appeared in 15 games and had 10 ground balls and four forced turnovers. Senior Ally Lehky (Cincinnati/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy), who will join the team on defense after being a four-year letterwinner on the women's soccer team, and freshmen Erika Davidson (East Aurora, N.Y.) and Hannah Stein (Medina/Highland) will look to help lockdown the defense.
BW opens the season on Saturday, February 25 when it travels to Lexington, Kentucky for a game against Transylvania University. The Yellow Jackets open OAC play on Saturday, March 25 when they host Muskingum University in the first game of a women's and men's doubleheader.
