DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 17, 2023) – The Mercy College women's lacrosse team enters the 2023 season looking to defend their ECC Regular Season and Tournament Championships and qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight time. Mercy looks to make the ECC Tournament for the seventh straight season and are ranked No. 11 nationally in the IWLCA poll entering their first game of the season on Saturday at Franklin Pierce.
Head Coach Dawn Sachs enters her 11th season leading the Mavericks and loses her top four scorers and goalkeeper from last year's team. Mercy does however return their top three leaders in caused turnovers as well as their top three ground ball leaders. Mercy went 14-5 during the 2022 season, winning the ECC Regular Season and Tournament Championships and advancing to the NCAA Tournament, falling to Stonehill the top seed in the region by 1.
Mercy was picked first in the ECC Preseason Poll and graduate student Micayla Brady was named ECC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season. Brady was also named USA Lacrosse Magazine Third Team All-American last season. Sachs returns two IWLCA All-Region recipients in Brady and sophomore Lindsey Shimborske and returns seven ECC All-Conference selections. The Mavericks have also added five Division I transfers to the team ahead of the 2023 season.
The Mavericks, once again, will face a challenging schedule, taking on eight schools currently in the ILWomen/IWLCA Top 25 poll. Additionally, they will face four top 10 teams within the first seven games of the season.
Defense
The Mavericks defense will be led by Brady who was named IWLCA Second Team All-Region, ECC Defender of the Year and First Team All-ECC last season. She started in 13 games last season and had 33 ground balls, 40 caused turnovers and 34 draw controls. Brady tied for the team lead in caused turnovers. Lindsey Shimborske also returns after being tabbed IWLCA Second Team All-Region, ECC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-ECC in just her first season with the Mavericks. She started in all 19 games and had 44 ground balls, 75 draw controls and 40 caused turnovers. The defender led the team in ground balls and draw controls and tied for the team lead in caused turnovers.
Graduate student Alexandra Bigilin comes back after being named Second Team All-ECC last season. She started all 19 games and had 33 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers. Junior Carly Diolosa will also see action as a defender after appearing in 10 games last season. Graduate student Jessica Denike, a transfer from Division I, Central Connecticut State University, will see time as the Mavericks fifth defender.
Competing for time will be returners senior Gianna Mott, junior Savanna Spadalik and sophomore Isabelle Palladino. Wagner College transfer junior, Mackenzie Cummings and freshmen, Kaci Bates and Emily Marino join the defensive ranks ahead of the 2023 season.
In goal, the Mavericks return junior Olivia Maute who will be joined by freshman Olivia LaMonica. Maute appeared in 10 games last season making 10 saves in 166 minutes of action.
Midfield
The Mavericks return their starting midfield from last year's team in senior Erin Shimborske and juniors Kelly Rosenfeld and Christina Lopreato. Shimborske was named Second Team All-ECC after making 18 starts last season. She had eight goals, nine points, 26 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers. Rosenfeld was tabbed First Team All-ECC a year ago after starting 18 games with 22 goals, 38 points, 31 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers. Lopreato received Second Team All-ECC honors after starting all 19 games. She had six goals, eight points, 21 ground balls and 65 draw controls. She ranked second on the team and sixth in the ECC in draw controls.
Freshman Maeghan Callow is a fast midfielder who will see action immediately for Coach Sachs. Junior Ryleigh Hostinsky will also compete for time at midfield.
Attack
Leading the returners at attack is graduate student Kaitlyn Grzelaczyk. She is the Mavericks leading returning scorer with 29 goals and 45 points last season. The Second Team All-ECC selection also had 41 draw controls in 2022. Sophomore Leah Hansen also returns after recording 18 goals and 35 points last season. Sophomore Leena Moussa moves from the midfield to attack, and her quickness will be an asset for the Mavericks offense. She had 11 goals and 16 points in 13 games last season.
Joining the Mavericks this season are graduate students Jaclyn Grzelaczyk and Emma Rippon who will be significant role players for Mercy. Grzelaczyk transfers from New York Tech where she was named ECC and ECAC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-ECC in 2019. She had 31 goals, 45 assists and 76 points as a freshman in 2019. Rippon joins the Mavericks from Division I, Iona University, where she scored 38 goals in 43 games. Division I transfers sophomore, Julianna Loughran and junior, Brooke Zarou will also contribute for the Mavericks.
Adding depth to the offense are senior Sydney Corley, junior Ally Schreck and freshman Andrea Mott.
Coach Sachs' Outlook On the Season
With 11 new players, this team has been preparing to face any and all adversities coming their way. They are committed to playing a fast, aggressive style that can benefit us in the long run. The parody amongst our players on the roster is incredible and provides us some much needed depth all over the field. Our effort and energy is never in question and they are bringing a hunger to each and everyday. I am excited to see how this group gels against some extremely difficult opponents and look forward to the seeing this group continue to grow together as the season progresses.
