DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – The RV Mercy University Women's Lacrosse Team plays at Assumption University on Saturday, February 28th at 12 p.m.
Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Saturday, February 28th 12 p.m.
Records: RV Mercy (2-0), Assumption (0-0)
Location: Worcester, Mass.
Last Meeting vs. Assumption
Mercy earned a 15-4 win over Assumption on March 5, 2025.
Scouting the Mavericks
The Mavericks were picked first in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 10-7 last season, falling in the ECC Championship Final. Mercy is receiving votes nationally in the IWLCA Top 25 poll. The Mavericks look to make the ECC Tournament for the 10th straight season and looks to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time since 2017. Head Coach Dawn Sachs and the Mavericks will face five schools currently ranked in the IWLCA poll.
Sachs and the Mavericks return six ECC All-Conference selections from a year ago, highlighted by ECC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American Honorable Mention selection sophomore Ashlinn Kelly. Kelly was named IWLCA Second Team All-Region, ECC Midfielder and Rookie of the Year and First Team All-ECC last season. The midfielder ended the 2025 season with 48 goals, 17 assists, 65 points, 29 caused turnovers, 23 ground balls and 15 draw controls. Senior Olivia LaMonica also returns after being named ECC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. LaMonica was named Second Team All-ECC last season after going 10-7 in goal with 120 saves, a .448 save percentage and 10.16 goals-against average.
Also returning for the Mavericks is senior Emily Marino who was named First Team All-ECC last season after recording 24 caused turnovers and 32 ground balls. Junior Riley Wallace returns after being named First Team All-ECC following a season in which she had 47 goals, 11 assists and 58 points. Senior Maeghan Callow is back after being named Second Team All-ECC in 2025. Callow had 17 goals, eight assists, 25 points and 67 draw controls. Sophomore Kayden Meyer was named Second Team All-ECC last year after recording 38 goals, 14 assists and 52 points. Senior Andrea Mott returns for the Mavericks after missing last season due to injury. Mott was named Second Team All-ECC in 2024 after posting 16 goals, 28 assists and 44 points, leading the team in assists.
Junior Juliana Talenti returns after recording 15 goals, 19 assists, 34 points and 27 ground balls. Sophomore Dakota Dieumegard is also back after posting four goals and five assists and junior Madison Traversa and sophomores Sofia Knudsen and Kiera Medina also return.
Seniors Kaci Bates and Rita-Marie Masi also return on defense for Mercy. Bates started 16 games last season and recorded three ground balls and two caused turnovers. Masi started 13 games and had 21 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. Sophomore Leanna Kwarta is back after starting eight games in 2025 with four caused turnovers. Juniors Olivia Van Dyke and Ashley McQuade also return for the Mavericks.
Also returning in goal for the Mavericks are junior Olivia Bradley and sophomore Liz Byrne. The duo combined for 12 saves last season.
Joining the Mavericks as transfers are sophomore Angela Taddeo and graduate student Kate McNally. Taddeo joins the Mavericks from Division I Stony Brook University and McNally joins Mercy from Division III SUNY Oswego.
Sachs also brings in a strong freshmen recruiting class with Ava Franco, Brigid Burns, Brielle Bilello, Sophia Pittoni, Keira Laibach, Jessica Grzelaczyk, Emma Synan, Emma Batter, and Molly Solnick looking to contribute immediately.
Mercy is coming off a 17-6 win at Southern New Hampshire on Saturday. The Mavericks were led by freshman Jessica Grzelaczyk who had a game-high seven points on four goals and three assists. Mercy has been led by Grzelaczyk who has a team-high nine points on five goals and four assists. Sophomore Ashlinn Kelly has five goals and two assists to go with seven draw controls, four caused turnovers and a team-high nine ground balls. Junior Juliana Talenti has a team-high six assists with one goal and sophomore Kayden Meyer has a team-high six goals with a team-high five caused turnovers. Sophomore Angela Taddeo has five goals and an assist and senior Andrea Mott has five goals. Freshman Ava Franco has three goals and an assist and senior Emily Marino has four caused turnovers. Senior Olivia LaMonica is 2-0 in goal with eight saves, a .348 save percentage and 8.57 goals-against average.
Grzelaczyk was named ECC Player and Rookie of the Week on Monday and Kelly was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week. Mercy is receiving votes nationally in the latest IWLCA Top 25 poll. The Mavericks look to start 3-0 for the first time since 2020. Mercy is 5-5 all-time against Assumption.
Scouting the Greyhounds
Assumption was picked fifth in the NE10 Preseason Poll after going 7-9 last season, falling in the NE10 Championship Semifinals. Leading the returners for the Greyhounds is Kyle Johnston who had 25 goals and 10 assists last season with 39 draw controls. Margaret Loeber returns after netting 24 goals and four assists and Charlotte McGroarty is back after posting 24 ground balls and 18 caused turnovers. Kailey Butler returns after posting a team-high 46 draw controls.
Next Game
Mercy hosts Bentley on Wednesday, March 4th at 3 p.m.
