BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University women's lacrosse team opens the season in the coming days, looking to improve and excel in the Ohio Athletic Conference.
Under the direction of sixth-year Head Coach Nicholle Shoger, the team returns 15 letterwinners, two All-OAC selections, and three Academic All-OAC performers from last year's squad that went 6-11 overall and 4-4 in the OAC.
BW is excited to welcome back junior midfielder Deanna Loukas (Tuckahoe, N.Y./Eastchester) as she totaled a team and career-best 44 goals last season, appearing in and starting all 17 games. Loukas also led the team in caused turnovers, totaling 22, and added 40 draw controls, 38 ground balls (second on the team in both statistics), and eight assists.
The Yellow Jackets also return senior All-OAC midfielder Kaitlyn Hradek (Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls) as she was third on the team last year with 28 goals. Hradek led the team with 56 draw controls. She finished the season with 24 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers, and five assists.
In the midfield, BW also returns sophomore Taylor Miklos (Brunswick), who was third on the team in draw controls (24) and was fifth on the team in goals (12). Miklos also posted 13 ground balls, nine caused turnovers, three assists, and appeared in all 17 games for the Yellow Jackets.
Sophomore attack/midfielder Lily Tope (Delaware/Hayes) and senior Academic All-OAC attack Sophia Leuma (Bloomington, Minn./Thomas Jefferson) are also expected to strengthen the front line for BW. Both Tope and Leuma recorded 12 points (nine goals) and 15 ground balls last season.
Returning letterwinners on the offensive end include sophomore midfielder Rennick Mellon (Akron/Archbishop Hoban), junior Academic All-OAC attack Lexy Conway (Wooster), sophomore attack Lauren Getchey (Perrysburg), and senior attack Sophia Caito (Solon).
On the defensive end, other letterwinners are senior Academic All-OAC defender Lily Polen (Youngstown/Canfield), sophomore defender Carly Kern (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars Area), sophomore defender Lauren Comack (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley), junior defender Maddie Macron (Medina), and junior defender Neveah Tshiwala (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls).
In goal, the Yellow Jackets return senior Maddie Hofmann (Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls) and welcome in a freshman, expected to receive some minutes.
Click Here for the full 2023 women's lacrosse roster.
The Yellow Jackets open their season on Saturday, February 25 when they travel to Grove City, Pennsylvania to take on the Grove City Wolverines in a non-conference contest at 1:00 p.m. on the Robert E. Thorn Field. BW's first home game is on Wednesday, March 1 when the team faces Ohio Wesleyan University for a non-conference matchup. The game is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. on the Tressel Field inside of the George Finnie Stadium.
