PHILADELPHIA – Under the direction of third-year head coach Alex Kahoe, the Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse team will open the 2017 season at home against American University this Saturday, February 18, the first of nine home games to be played on Sweeney Field this spring. Saint Joseph's returns 19 Hawks, including nine starters, from a squad that won nine games and reached the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinals last spring, and welcomes 13 newcomers for the 2017 campaign. Graduate student midfielder Mallory Grey and senior attacker Nora McCallion have been selected to captain the Hawks for the second straight year.
“As we head into our third season together, I believe there are a few key pieces that add to the overall foundation of our team as well as make our team special this year,” said Kahoe. “First, we have seniors and upperclassmen that are providing great leadership and have a solid understanding our goals for the program. Second, our seniors, juniors, and sophomores together experienced success last spring, within the A-10 season and post-season games. Lastly, our freshmen, our first recruiting class, have brought an intensity and athleticism that will add to our overall team mentality and depth. We are hoping that these three components will help us to be resilient, play faster, and compete at a new level.”
The Hawks will embark on their 18th year in the Atlantic 10 Conference this spring, opening league action at home against Davidson on Friday, March 31. The Crimson and Gray will see a four-home, five-road game schedule for conference play.
After finishing the 2016 regular season tied for second in the A-10, the Hawks have been predicted to finish third in the conference in this year's A-10 preseason poll, the league office announced on February 3. SJU returns four All-Conference selections from last season, including 2016 Rookie of the Year Rebecca Lane, First Team attacker McCallion, First Team midfielder Maggie Egan, and All-Rookie midfielder Hayley Sabol. The 2017 A-10 Championship will run from May 4-7 here on Hawk Hill.
Live streaming ($) of all nine regular-season home games will be available via a subscription to the Atlantic 10 Digital Network. To sign up, please click here. Live stats will also be provided for all home games, at SJUHawks.com.
ATTACKERS
Senior captain Nora McCallion returns as SJU's leading scorer from a season ago after becoming just the fourth Hawk in program history to reach the 50 single-season goals mark last spring, which was good for a 25 percent of SJU's offensive production and a share of the A-10's scoring title. The 2016 Atlantic 10 First Team attacker put away a career-high seven goals in the season opener - also against American last year - and never looked back, scoring in 17 of SJU's 19 games. A three-year starter with 42 career starts to her name, McCallion will be called upon to lead SJU's offense this spring.
“In her second year of being a captain, Nora adds leadership from both her experience and success on the field,” said Kahoe. “What makes Nora special is her investment in the program, as well as her knowledge of and love for the game of lacrosse.”
Fellow senior Sarah Smith put up 20 goals last spring, propelled by a team-best 76.1 shots on goal percentage. Smith turned in a trio of hat tricks early on and owns 44 goals in all 35 starts over her sophomore and junior campaigns.
“Sarah is coming in off of a season in which she made an impact offensively for us,” said Kahoe. “She has stepped up even more this year and has become even more dynamic. Sarah loves to compete, and that comes across in her work ethic and her passion when she is on the field.”
Junior Morgan Lamey, who redshirted her freshman season due to injury, and sophomore Francesca Donato both played in their first collegiate seasons last spring; Lamey (5g, 4a) made 14 starts on the attack while Donato earned experience in eight games.
A 2016 New Jersey High School Player of the Year nominee, freshman Hope Anhut (Skillman, N.J./Hopewell Valley Central) will round out SJU's attacking unit.
MIDFIELDERS
Saint Joseph's returns a talented midfield trio of 2016 A-10 Rookie of the Year Rebecca Lane (36g, 22a), 2016 Atlantic 10 First Team pick Maggie Egan (20g, 33a), and captain Mallory Grey (20g, 14a), a group that combined for 39 percent of SJU's goals and 65 percent of SJU's assists last season.
And their impact on the team didn't stop on the offensive end.
In addition to setting the single-season record for assists, Egan led SJU in draw controls (45), ranked second in ground balls (39), and tied for second in caused turnovers (19). Grey ranked third on the squad in draw controls (21) to go with 29 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers, while Lane proved, through her hustle and defensive grit, that she could play with anyone in the league.
“Bec is a very dynamic player, with an innate ability to compete and a passion for the game,” said Kahoe. “Coming off of a successful year last year, we will look to her to be more of a leader on the field for us.”
“Maggie and Mal both bring the speed and skill to help us play fast and create big plays on both the offensive and defensive ends of the field,” added Kahoe. “Together, they both now have that experience of A-10 Tournament play that will contribute to our overall competitive nature as a team.”
Saint Joseph's returns seven additional Hawks that provide exceptional depth to the midfield in returning starter and 2016 All-Rookie Team draw specialist Hayley Sabol (15g, 3a), juniors Aly Gormley (18g, 3a) and Dana Garbinski (18 draw controls in 2015), and sophomores Ally Beck (11 caused turnovers), Sinead Brierley (5g, 1a), and Michaela Cassidy.
At the draw, Sabol and Garbinski give the Hawks different options with their depth at the circle.
The Hawks welcome eight newcomers in the form of one transfer and seven true freshmen to the midfield this season.
Junior Juliana Strazulo (San Anselmo, Calif./Marin Catholic) totaled 126 ground balls, 99 caused turnovers, and 81 draw controls in two seasons with Division III Drew University. The 2016 IWLCA All-Boardwalk Regional All-American First Team pick put away 55 points (36g, 19a) in 2016 and has quickly adapted to the Division I pace.
Four-time All-Super Essex Conference First Team pick Maria Bio (Whippany, N.J./Mount Saint Dominic Academy), 2016 PASLA Independent League Player of the Year Bridget Cerciello (Center Valley, Pa./Southern Lehigh), 2015 Wales U-19 National Team member Penny Green (Herefordshire, England/Malvern St James), two-time PAC-10 First Team pick Sara Hughes (Audobon, Pa./Methacton), two-time All-Central League choice Laura Lasprogata (Ardmore, Pa./Harriton), three-time All-NJSIAA First Teamer Julia Pash (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional), and three-time All-Suburban One League pick Sarah Poli (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks South) will also compete for playing time for the Crimson and Gray this spring.
DEFENDERS
The Hawks take a hit on the defensive end this year as they will look to replace recent graduate Caroline Hagan '16, a 2016 Atlantic 10 First Team defender and SJU's program recordholder in career caused turnovers.
Junior Kate Payne will be called upon to anchor the Hawks' defense this spring. Payne made 18 starts last spring and turned in 22 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers, ranking in SJU's top five in both categories. Payne dished out an assist in the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinal win over Davidson and went on to record two ground balls and a caused turnover against UMass, ranked 16th in the nation at the time.
“Kate brings great vision and stability to our defensive unit,” said Kahoe. “We will look for her to continue to make key plays and be the backbone of our defense.”
Seniors Becky Daub, Taylor Dachowski, and Maura Monti and juniors Kristen Kelbon and Catie Vivian also return to the back line, while freshmen Caroline Heath (Newtown Square, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy), a 2016 AACA All-Star selection, and Olivia Tevis (Penn Valley, Pa./Harriton), a 2016 All-Main Line Honorable Mention, will add to SJU's defensive unit.
“As a whole, having more depth on the defensive end this year will allow us to play faster and be more aggressive defensively,” added Kahoe.
GOALKEEPERS
Saint Joseph's brought in a pair of new goalkeepers in the offseason in graduate student Liz O'Sullivan (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan), who arrives on Hawk Hill after two seasons at the University of Notre Dame (2014-15), and freshman Abby McGaha (Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park), a 2016 U.S. Lacrosse High School All-American goalkeeper selection.
“We are fortunate this year to have two solid goalkeepers in the cage this season,” said Kahoe. “We are really excited to have Liz here as a transfer from Notre Dame. Liz knows how to make the big saves in the big games. She is very solid and quick in the cage. I think her big-game experiences, along with her leadership, will continue to strengthen our defensive unit. Abby came in as a freshman and stepped up in the cage and made big saves for us this fall. She has been very steady and poised for us. We are looking forward to both goalkeepers continuing to step up and be the anchors of our defense.”
