Women's Lacrosse 2024 Season Preview

FROSTBURG, Md. - Frostburg State Athletics will be taking a preview of each team competing in the spring season, covering nine total sports.  Over the next couple weeks, each team will be broken down into their matchups, key players, and overall outlook for their season and program.  To kick off week four is Women's Lacrosse.
 
Overall
Frostburg State Women's Lacrosse enters their 57^th ever season, being selected first overall in the MEC Preseason Poll for the fifth straight year.  Head Coach Taylor Cline will lead the team for her fourth season, as she welcomes back Stephanie King and Lucy Baukhages to the coaching staff and adds former player Mackenzie Cramer as the graduate assistant.
 
Last Season
After a slow start to 2023, FSU put together a strong run to finish with a 12-7 record, going almost perfect in conference play with a 9-1 record in the MEC, being crowned MEC Regular Season Champions and collecting their first-ever MEC Tournament Championship, defeating Notre Dame College 17-10, having lost to the Falcons in the championship the last two previous years.  Frostburg received many accolades last season starting in the MEC Tournament with Lilly Stephens, Emily Lamoreaux, Dahlia Trippel, and Nicole Gray being named to the MEC All-Tournament team, and Neila Haney being selected as the MVP.  Haney and Trippel went on to be named All-MEC First Team alongside Julia Badolato and Cramer, as Gray was recognized as All-MEC Second Team with Camden DeMaio and Delaney Devers.  Anna Kearney was selected as All-MEC Honorable Mention, as Cline had Haney, Trippel, and Isabelle Kelly all named to the MEC All-Freshman Team.  To cap off her freshman season, Haney set the program single season record in goals, as she was also named MEC Offensive Player of the Year and MEC Freshman of the Year, also earning IWLCA Second Team All-Region honors as well.  Cine was selected MEC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.   
 
The Returners
Cline has a significant number of players from last year's roster returning in 27, only losing two seniors to graduation in Cramer and Cammie Schniedwind.   
 
Haney will lead the attack as a sophomore, having led Frostburg in goals (61), assists (27), points (88), and draw controls (63) during the 2023 season.  Stephens comes back as a graduate attack having finished second on the team in goals last year with 33, while dishing out six assists and picking up 16 ground balls, as Kearney returns for her senior season at attack, coming in third on the team in goals with 28, also going for 10 assists and 21 ground balls.  DeMaio, a senior, and Leonard, a junior, both return up front, with DeMaio putting up 27 goals and 12 assists for 39 points last season, along 21 ground balls, as Leonard finished with 14 goals and 2 assists for 16 points. 
 
In the midfield, Maura O'Neill and Jordan Kenney return as graduates, as Badolato will serve as a junior midfielder alongside juniors Kerri Hayes and Daniella Boss.  Badolato went for 23 goals and six assists last year, as Hayes put up 20 goals and 18 ground balls and Boss finished with seven goals, three assists, and 10 ground balls.  Sophomore Emily Lamoreaux rejoins the midfield after collecting 13 goals, 14 ground balls, and 17 draw controls during her freshman season. 
 
On the defensive side, Devers comes back as a junior being credited with 32 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers in 2023, as Kelly returns as a sophomore leading the team last year with 30 caused turnovers and scooping up 21 ground balls as well.  The Bobcats bring back all four goalkeepers from last year with Gray returning as a junior starting in 14 games last season and racking up 119 saves, while seniors McKenna Shay and Whitney Crosby, and junior Grace Dickey all rejoin the team as well. 
 
The Newcomers
Cline adds nine new faces to the mix, bringing in seven freshmen and two transfers.  The freshman class adds depth to multiple positions as Gianna Leonardi and Caylee Markle will serve as attackers, Abigail Warner comes in as the lone midfielder, and Alyssa Raymond, Kayla Williams, Kelly Johnson, and Maya Mosslih represent the strong class of defenders.  Savanna Reitz comes to FSU as a junior midfielder from Anne Arundel Community College, as Jessie Bare joins the squad as a sophomore defender transferring from Duquesne. 
 
Kick off to Season
Frostburg kicks off their season on Friday, February 23 as they welcome in Barton at 5 PM for both their home and season opener.  The Bobcats remain home for three more games, as they travel to face Slippery Rock on Saturday, March 9 at 12 PM for their first away game of the season.  FSU opens MEC play at home against West Virginia Wesleyan at 6 PM on Wednesday, March 27.
 
For more information and upcoming previews, please visit frostburgsports.com.