By: Kevin Hulsmann '16
BEREA, Ohio -- The Baldwin Wallace University women's lacrosse team has its sights on winning the 2015 Ohio Athletic Conference women's lacrosse title and earning a berth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
A year ago, the Yellow Jacket women finished with a school-record 14 wins and a 14-4 overall record and advanced to the OAC Tournament Championship Game. They finished one victory shy of qualifying for the NCAA Div. III National Tournament. This season, BW is picked to finish third by the OAC Coaches in its preseason poll.
Leading the way offensively are sophomore first-team All-OAC pick Maddie Russell (Lakewood/Rocky River) and senior Colleen Bodkin (East Aurora, N.Y.). Russell was second on the team with 55 goals and 79 points last season. She was also second on the team with 96 groundballs. Bodkin was tied for third with 40 goal and registered 10 assists for 50 points.
Senior Cara Wood (Shaker Heights/ Laurel) leads the midfielders. Wood was tied for third on the team 40 goals, registered 18 assists and finished fourth with 58 points. She will be joined at midfield by sophomore first-team All-OAC selection Katie Kocher (Rocky River), who led the team and had a school single-season record 49 assists.
BW also will look to seniors Victoria Budzyn (East Aurora, N.Y.) and Katy Johnson (Coshocton) for leadership. Budzyn scored 28 goals and had 17 assists for 45 points. Katy Johnson scored two goals and collected 18 ground balls.
Rounding out the returnees are junior Tia Esbenshade (Wooster) and sophomores Emily Pechaitis (Olmsted Falls/ Avon Lake), Kelsey Johnson (Carmel, Ind./ Park Tudor), Gabrielle Nondorf (Indianapolis, Ind./ Bishop Chatard), Cassie Rinkus (Cleveland/ Beaumont) and Jenna Turner. (Carmel, Ind.) Esbenshade scored one goal and collected 10 ground balls. Pechaitis collected 15 ground balls and forced 10 turnovers. Kelsey Johnson scored seven goals and had nine assists for 16 points. Nondorf made 44 saves for a .367 save percentage, collected nine ground balls and caused six turnovers.
In addition, look for sophomore transfer Amanda Getto (Medina) and freshmen Lauryn Wright (Orrville), Erica Eyerman (North Olmsted/ Magnificat), Taylor Giordanengo (Cranberry Twp., Pa./ Seneca Valley), Caitlin Wheeler (River Forest, Ill./ Oak Park-River Forest) and Kayla Miller (Hudson) to make an immediate impact on the field.
BW opens the season on Wednesday, March 4 when it hosts Oberlin College at The George Fnnie Stadium at 7:30 p.m. The Yellow Jackets play a non-conference game on Friday, March 6 before it heads south when it plays Washington & Jefferson College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania at 7:30 p.m. BW continues south to play two games in Bradenton, Florida versus Curry (Mass.) College on March 10 and Becker (Mass.) College on March 12. The first OAC contest is on Friday, April 3 at Wilmington College at 1 p.m.
