Women's Lacrosse: 2016 Season Preview
(Nashua, N.H.) The Rivier University Women's Lacrosse program will enter their second season under the direction of Head Coach Ellen Maruszewski and Assistant Coach Sarah Sigman '14 when the season begins on March 2nd. The program, which enters just their seventh season of play in 2016, is returning nine student-athletes from last season's squad that advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament.
In the 2016 GNAC Coaches Pre-Season Poll, the Raiders received 35 points and were ranked eighth in the ten team field.
Leading the group of returners are three captains. Senior Paxton LaRocque (Londonderry, N.H.) appeared in 15 games last season while scoring 13 goals and totaling 20 points. Junior Amanda Wickens (Tyngsboro, Mass.) is also back after registering the team high of 43 goals, 52 points in 17 games played. Junior Anna Carlson (Braintree, Mass.) played in all 17 games last season as she directed the defense.
Sophomore Taylor Lirakis (Tewksbury, Mass.) will bring her high powered energy and knack for finding the back of the net this year as she deposited 17 goals in her rookie campaign. Same could be said for senior Jocelyn Park (Londonderry, N.H.) who amassed 18 goals and 10 assists in 2015. Junior Jane Farrell (Wilmington, Mass.), five goals and five assists, and sophomore Catherine Connolly (Nashua, N.H.), seven goals and four assists, are also back to help bolster the Raider offensive attack. Senior Chelsie Hubicsak-Muldowney (Windham, N.H.) and sophomore Lauren Goodspeed (Merrimack, N.H.) return to the defensive unit in 2016.
There will be several new faces when the Raiders hit the field later this week as the team welcomes eight new student-athletes to the fold. Freshman Courtney Laperriere (Keene, N.H.) will be the new goalkeeper for Rivier and classmates Ashley Leal (Tyngsboro, Mass.) and Ashley Manzo (Windham, N.H.) will solidify the midfield this season. Fellow freshman Bethany Scott (Tewksbury, Mass.) will look to add some offensive punch this season up top as an attackman.
Making the transition from other sports here at Rivier will be sophomores Emily Knoops (Tewksbury, Mass.) and Marykate Sweeney (Chicopee, Mass.). Both were standouts for the Field Hockey team this past fall but are brand new to the Lacrosse field after playing softball in the spring of 2015. Senior Emily O'Reilly (San Francisco, Calif.) will make her Lacrosse debut after a stellar four year career as the primary setter for the Women's Volleyball team. Junior Jackie Russo (Saugus, Mass.) joins the team after spending the previous two years on the Women's Soccer team.
The Women's Lacrosse season will open up on Wednesday, March 2nd with a 7pm game against Becker College. It will be the only home game for Raiders as they will not return to beautiful Raider Field until April 9th.
