BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University women's lacrosse team looks to climb to the top of the Ohio Athletic Conference. The team kicks off the season on February 19.
Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Nicolle Shoger, the team returns 16 letterwinners and three All-Ohio Athletic Conference players from last year's squad that went 2-12 and 2-12 in the OAC. The team also welcomes nine newcomers that look to make an immediate impact.
The BW attack will be guided by senior attacker Alexis O'Neill (Westalke) who appeared in eight games and was fifth on the team with 11 goals. She collected nine ground balls, scored three free position goals and tallied one assist.
Joining O'Neill on the attack will be juniors Sophia Caito (Solon) and Abby Rosen (Medina), sophomore Lexy Conway (Wooster), Maddie Macron (Medina), and Tara Martin (Brunswick). Freshmen Zoe Chamberlin (Wooster), Lauren Getchey (Perrysburg) and Lily Tope (Delawre/Hayes) will look to earn immediate minutes.
The midfield will feature senior All-OAC midfielder Maddie Ray (Cuyahoga Falls/Richfield Revere) and sophomore All-OAC midfielder Deanna Loukas (Tuckahoe, N.Y./Eastchester). Ray appeared in and started all 14 games and led the team with 35 goals and 12 assists. She also notched career bests with 27 draw controls, 18 ground balls, and 10 caused turnovers. Loukas appeared in and started all 14 games, she was second on the team with a career-best 26 goals. She led the team with 40 draw controls, 37 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers. She also recorded three assists.
Strengthening the midfield is senior Sid Chamberlain (Wooster), juniors Kaitlyn Hradek (Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls), Sophia Leuma (Bloomington, Minn./Thomas Jefferson) and Lily Polen (Youngstown/Canfield). Freshmen Rennick Mellon (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) and Taylor Miklos (Brunswick) will look to crack into the rotation.
The defense will be led by senior defender Taylor Nadal (Dublin/Scioto) who had a career best eight ground balls and a career best three turnovers. Junior defender Taylor Beretich (Georgetown, Texas/Pickerington North) will also be a leader on the defense. Beretich had a career-best 14 ground balls and six turnovers, she also tallied her first assist.
Reinforcing the defense will be sophomores Avri DeBevoise (Avon Lake) and Neveah Tshiwala (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls). Freshmen Lauren Comack (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley), Rhiannon Hunter (Cleveland/Beaumont) and Carly Kern (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars Area) will look to earn significant playing time.
In the cage, returning senior All-OAC goalkeeper Ashleigh Hildreth (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Sweet Home) looks to build on her last season in which she led the OAC with 157 saves, she was second on the team with 33 ground balls, and fifth on the team with seven caused turnovers. Junior goalkeeper Maddie Hofmann (Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls) enters her first season and aims to earn immediate minutes.
BW takes the field for the first time on Saturday, February 19th when it hosts a non-conference game against Centre (Ky.) College at 3:00 p.m. on the Tressel Field inside George Finnie Stadium.
