BRYN ATHYN, Pa. – The Bryn Athyn College women's lacrosse team gets the 2018 season started on Saturday morning with the Lions welcome the College of Mount Saint Vincent to General Ronald K. Nelson Field for an 11 a.m. start.
PREVIEWING THE LIONS
Bryn Athyn returns 15 players from the 2017 squad that posted a 7-6 record, 3-6 against the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC).
Leading the list of returnees is All-NEAC second-team selection Gianna Ciacciarelli. Ciacciarelli was the Lions' top defender last season as she led the team with 30 ground balls and 23 caused turnovers. She was 18th in the conference in caused turnovers and 39th in ground balls.
Seniors Sarafina Jackson and Marin Roth and sophomore Brittany Gunther also come back to bolster the Bryn Athyn backline. Gunther started all 13 matches in 2017 and racked up nine ground balls, four caused turnovers, and three draw controls. Roth recorded 10 caused turnovers, eight ground balls, and a draw control in 11 matches. Jackson appeared in four matches.
Joining the four returnees are newcomers Tina Tu, Sarah Reed, and Emily Pizzaro.
The Lions have a very experienced midfield with the return of six players, including four seniors. Sabrina Colbridge and Laura Clymer both had career years in the 2017 season. Colbridge career highs in points (35), assists (12), draw controls (21), caused turnovers (18), and ground balls (18). She was second on the team in points, assists, and caused turnovers, and third in draw controls and goals (23). Clymer notched career highs in goals (25), assists, (5), points (30), ground balls (22), and caused turnovers (9). She ended the season as the team's second-leading scorer.
In 13 matches last season, Brenna Sweeney posted 19 goals, two assists, 29 draw controls, 25 ground balls, and 11 caused turnovers. Miranda Hyatt put up a career-high 17 ground balls and a career-best 10 caused turnovers to go along with four goals.
In addition to the seniors, the Lions have a pair of sophomore midfielders in Kyla Rogers and Chantal Farmer. Rogers racked up 18 goals, 10 assists, 18 draw controls, and 11 ground balls as a freshman. Farmer had seven ground balls and five caused turnovers in nine matches.
Bryn Athyn brings back four players in the attack: Jess Philipp, Kat Morrill, Erin Gibson, and Rose Glass. Philipp scored once in three matches, while Glass had three ground balls and two caused turnovers in 10 appearances. Morrill and Gibson played in one match each.
The Lions added junior transfer Sarah Smith and freshman Bri Lennox. Smith spent two seasons at Division II North Greenville University and had 34 goals, 16 assists, and 23 ground balls in 23 matches. Lennox was a varsity letterwinner at Washington Township High School.
Anja Weisser returns to be the Lions' starting goalie. As a junior, Weisser went 6-5 with an 11.91 goals against average, 88 saves, and a 45.6 save percentage. She finished third in the NEAC in save percentage and fifth in goals against average.
SCOUTING MOUNT SAINT VINCENT
Saturday will be the Dolphins' opening match of the season. In 2017, the Dolphins posted a 2-12 overall record. Mount Saint Vincent returns 11 players from last year's team including its top three scorers. Alicia Forgione led the Dolphins with 17 goals, seven assists, 43 ground balls, and 42 draw controls. Shannon Dalton tied Forgione for the top spot in goals with 17. Paulina Mandujano racked up 15 goals, 19 draw controls, and 18 ground balls.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the third meeting between the Lions and Dolphins with Bryn Athyn winning the first two showdowns. Last season, the Lions picked up a 15-6 home victory. Bryn Athyn was a 10-4 winner in the first meeting in 2015 at Bryn Athyn.