DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Apr. 25, 2024) – The RV Mercy University women's lacrosse team plays at ECC foe RV Roberts Wesleyan University on Friday, April 26th at 4 p.m. before concluding the regular season at Daemen University on Sunday, April 28th at 12 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Friday, April 26th 4 p.m.
Records: RV Mercy (7-8, 4-0 ECC), RV Roberts Wesleyan (10-5, 5-0 ECC)
Location: Rochester, N.Y.
Date/Time: Sunday, April 28th 12 p.m.
Records: RV Mercy (7-8, 4-0 ECC), Daemen (5-11, 2-3 ECC)
Location: Buffalo, N.Y. (Coyer Field)
Last Meeting vs. Roberts Wesleyan
Mercy earned a 9-8 win over Roberts Wesleyan in the ECC Championship Final on May 7, 2023.
Last Meeting vs. Daemen
Mercy earned a 19-6 win over Daemen on April 29, 2023.
Scouting the Mavericks
Mercy is coming off a 15-14 win over Dominican on April 17th. The Mavericks were led by graduate student Sydney Corley who scored the game-winning goal with 1:56 left in the game and by juniors Leena Moussa and Leah Hansen who combined for eight goals. Mercy entered the 2024 season ranked No. 17 nationally in the ILWomen/IWLCA poll and No. 18 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine poll. The Mavericks were picked first in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 13-6 last season, winning their second straight ECC Championship. Mercy looks to make the ECC Tournament for the eighth straight season and looks to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time since 2017 after ending last season on a seven-game winning streak. Head Coach Dawn Sachs and the Mavericks will face five schools currently ranked in the top six nationally in the ILWomen/IWLCA poll.
Sachs and the Mavericks return five ECC All-Conference performers from a year ago and one All-American. Leading the returners is ECC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year junior Lindsey Shimborske who was named IWLCA Second Team All-American, IWLCA First Team All-Region and ECC Defensive Player of the Year last season. Shimborske recorded a team-high 55 ground balls, 55 caused turnovers and 83 draw controls. The junior set Mercy's single-season school record for caused turnovers, ranking fourth nationally in caused turnovers per game. Shimborske was named the ECC Women's Lacrosse Championship's Most Outstanding Player following Mercy's ECC Championship win over Roberts Wesleyan. The defender finished the season as the ECC leader in caused turnovers per game (3.06), second in the ECC in ground balls per game (3.06), and fourth in the ECC in draw controls per game (4.61).
Also returning for the Mavericks is junior Leena Moussa who was named First Team All-ECC last season after being named to the ECC Honor Roll twice. Moussa had a team-high 52 goals in 2023 and was second on the team with 66 points. Graduate student Erin Shimborske also returns after being named First Team All-ECC last season. Shimborske ended 2023 with 19 goals, 11 assists, 30 points, 34 ground balls and 27 caused turnovers. She ranked third on the team in caused turnovers and fourth in ground balls.
Seniors Kelly Rosenfeld and Christina Lopreato will return after both were named Second Team All-ECC a season ago. Rosenfeld produced 14 goals, 10 assists, 24 points, 29 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers in 2023. She ranked fifth on the team in ground balls. Lopreato was a one-time ECC Honor Roll recipient last season and ended the 2023 campaign with 22 draw controls, 13 caused turnovers and 15 ground balls.
Junior Leah Hansen returns after being named to the ECC Honor Roll twice last season. She appeared in all 19 games and had 37 goals and 41 points. Hansen ranked fourth on the team in goals and fifth in points. Freshman Andrea Mott was named ECC Offensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week once last season and recorded 17 goals, 22 assists and 39 points in 14 games in 2023. She ranked second on the team in assists.
Sophomore Maeghan Callow returns after appearing in all 19 games last season, finishing with seven goals, five assists, 12 points and 14 draw controls. Graduate student Sydney Corley is back after posting nine goals and two assists and senior Brooke Zarou returns after netting six goals and four assists last season. Senior Ryleigh Hostinsky and junior Tatiana Moran also return for Sachs.
Senior Savanna Spadalik returns on defense after recording 10 caused turnovers and 13 ground balls last season. Senior Carly Diolosa had eight caused turnovers and 10 ground balls in 2023 and returns for her final year as a Maverick. Sophomores Kaci Bates and Emily Marino, junior Isabelle Palladino and senior Mackenzie Cummings also return after combining for six caused turnovers and 10 ground balls in 2023.
Returning in goal are senior Olivia Maute and sophomore Olivia LaMonica. Maute made 18 starts in goal last season and went 9-6 with 83 saves, a .367 save percentage and 11.04 goals-against average. LaMonica appeared in 13 games with one start, going 4-0 with 39 saves, a .500 save percentage and 6.43 goals-against average. The sophomore stopped five shots in the second half of the ECC Championship against Roberts Wesleyan to earn the win. Freshman Olivia Bradley joins the Mavericks in goal from Commack High School where she was named All-Division twice and All-County Honorable Mention.
Leading the newcomers is graduate student transfer Ryan Smith who joins the Mavericks from ECC foe Molloy University. Smith was named First Team All-ECC as a sophomore and Second Team All-ECC as a freshman. She ended her Molloy career with 72 ground balls, 67 caused turnovers and 48 draw controls. Sachs also welcomes sophomore Rita-Marie Masi who joins the team after playing two seasons with the Mercy University women's soccer team. Freshman Riley Wallace joins the Mavericks after being named All-County, All-League and All-Division at Islip High School. Freshman Madison Preston led Brookfield High School in caused turnovers and ground balls and freshman Olivia Van Dyke joins the Mavericks from Rocky Point high school where she was a three-year member of the varsity lacrosse team. Freshman Juliana Talenti was named All-Conference twice at Bethpage High School and freshman Ashley McQuade won the Suffolk County Championship at Northport High School. Freshman Madison Traversa rounds out the newcomers for Sachs and she joins the Mavericks after being named All-Conference twice at Bethpage High School.
Moussa was named ECC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday and has been named to the ECC Honor Roll three times this season and has a team-high 59 points on 41 goals with 18 assists. Moussa recorded her 100th career point against STAC on March 27th and her 100th career goal against D'Youville on April 12th. Junior Leah Hansen has been named ECC Offensive Player of the Week twice and named to the Honor Roll four times and leads the team with 49 goals to go with 55 points and senior Kelly Rosenfeld has 22 points on 10 goals and 12 assists. Hansen recorded her 100th career point against Assumption on March 20th and her 100th career goal against D'Youville on April 12th. Rosenfeld recorded her 100th career point against Jefferson on March 30th and her 100th career ground ball against D'Youville on April 12th. Graduate student Sydney Corley was named to the ECC Honor Roll on April 22nd and has 21 goals and six assists and sophomore Maeghan Callow has six goals and six assists. Graduate student Erin Shimborske has 10 goals, eight assists, 24 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers. She recorded her 100th career ground ball in the win over UDC on March 22nd. Freshman Riley Wallace was named ECC Rookie of the Week on March 25th and has 12 goals and three assists. Sophomore Andrea Mott has been named to the ECC Honor Roll three times and has 13 goals and a team-high 25 assists.
Junior Lindsey Shimborske has been named ECC Defensive Player of the Week once and has been named to the Honor Roll four times. She has two goals with a team-high 44 ground balls to go with 35 caused turnovers and 88 draw controls. Shimborske recorded her 100th career caused turnover against New Haven on February 28th and her 200th career draw control on March 22nd. Senior Christina Lopreato was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week on April 15th and has 16 caused turnovers and 60 draw controls. She recorded her 100th career draw control against Bentley. Senior Olivia Maute has started all 15 games and played the first half in goal in 10 games going 5-6 with 51 saves, a .357 save percentage and 12.20 goals-against average. Sophomore Olivia LaMonica is 2-2 in goal with 50 saves, a .394 save percentage and 11.42 goals-against average.
Mercy is receiving votes nationally in the ILWomen/IWLCA Top 25 poll. The Mavericks are 11-3 all-time against Roberts Wesleyan and have won four straight meetings. Mercy is 1-0 all-time against Daemen. The Mavericks look to win their fifth straight ECC Regular Season Championship.
Scouting the Redhawks
Roberts Wesleyan is coming off a 19-6 win at Post on Tuesday for their seventh straight win. The Redhawks were picked second in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 12-6 last season. Roberts Wesleyan is receiving votes nationally in the latest ILWomen/IWLCA Top 25 poll. The Redhawks are led by three-time ECC Offensive Player of the Week Emma Blumenstock who has a team-high 87 points on 36 goals and a team-high 51 assists. Lucy Rugaber is second on the team with 78 points on 50 goals and 28 assists. Annie Mulhall has 60 points on 50 goals and 10 assists and Ella Dossier has 12 goals and 34 assists. Sophia Podszebka has a team-high 35 ground balls and 152 draw controls and Madelyn Robinson has a team-high 22 caused turnovers. Shawna Lesmerises is 10-5 in goal with 95 saves, a .436 save percentage and 9.14 goals-against average.
Scouting the Wildcats
Daemen is coming off a 9-8 double-overtime loss at D'Youville on Wednesday. The Wildcats were picked fifth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 7-9 last season. Daemen has been led by Ella Bouley who has a team-high 42 points on a team-high 30 goals with 12 assists. Dana Bacher has 26 goals and four assists and Avery Castner has 22 goals and eight assists. Shannen Calandra has a team-high 15 assists and Jenna Havert has a team-high 30 ground balls. Bouley and Aaliyah Deaton both have a team-high 16 caused turnovers and Bouley has a team-high 47 draw controls. Tatiana Wright is 4-5 in goal with a .479 save percentage, 91 saves and 9.83 goals-against average. Blair Pfohl is 1-6 with 66 saves, a .415 save percentage and 15.35 goals-against average.
