DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – The #25 Mercy University Women's Lacrosse Team hosts No. 9 Saint Leo University on Thursday, March 19th at 3 p.m.

Who, When and Where

Date/Time: Thursday, March 19th 3 p.m.

Records: #25 Mercy (6-1), #9 Saint Leo (8-1)

Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.

Last Meeting vs. Saint Leo

First Meeting

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 an 11-5 win at Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday. The Mavericks were led by junior Riley Wallace and senior Andrea Mott who both had a game-high-tying three goals. Mercy has been led by freshman Jessica Grzelaczyk who has 21 points on 11 goals and 10 assists. Sophomore Ashlinn Kelly has 16 goals and six assists to go with 23 draw controls, 11caused turnovers and a team-high 21 ground balls. Junior Juliana Talenti has a team-high 12 assists with three goals and sophomore Kayden Meyer has a team-high 18 goals with 20 points with nine caused turnovers. Sophomore Angela Taddeo has nine goals and an assist and Mott has 13 goals and five assists. Freshman Ava Franco has nine goals and six assists and junior Riley Wallace has 12 goals and three assists. Senior Emily Marino has a team-high 13 caused turnovers and senior Olivia LaMonica is 5-1 in goal with 43 saves, a .426 save percentage and 10.64 goals-against average.

Marino and Kelly were named to the ECC Honor Roll on Monday. Kelly was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week on March 9th, Franco was named Rookie of the Week and Wallace was tabbed to the Honor Roll. Meyer was named ECC Player of the Week on March 2nd and Grzelaczyk was tabbed to the Honor Roll. Grzelaczyk was named ECC Player and Rookie of the Week on February 23rd and Kelly was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week.

Mercy is ranked No. 25 nationally in the latest IWLCA Top 25 Poll and No. 16 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Poll. The Mavericks look to start 7-1 for the first time since 2021.

Scouting the Lions

Saint Leo is coming off a 13-10 win at #12 Pace on Tuesday for their eighth straight win. The Lions were picked fourth in the Sunshine State Conference Preseason Poll after going 13-6 last season. Saint Leo is currently ranked No. 9 nationally in the IWLCA Top 25 Poll. The Lions are led by Holly Hill who has a team-high 51 points on 19 goals and a team-high 32 assists. Sophia Wood has 37 points on a team-high 32 goals with five assists and Jana Nuss has 23 goals and 14 assists. Anna Wood has a team-high 11 caused turnovers and Isabella Gebinine has a team-high 73 draw controls. Jessica Harclerode is 8-1 in goal with 66 saves, a .508 save percentage and 8.62 goals-against average.

Next Game

Mercy hosts Molloy on Wednesday, March 25th at 4 p.m.