Washington College Women’s Lacrosse Season Preview

CHESTERTOWN, Md. – The decade of the 2010s will go down as a successful decade for Shorewomen Lacrosse. A winning record in all 10 years, nine trips to the Centennial Conference Tournament, earned the right to play in the semifinal round on eight occasions and reached the final in 2012.

However the ultimate goal of a Centennial Conference Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament just eluded the Shorewomen and are hoping to start off the new decade by achieving these two goals under second-year head coach Kate Fowler.

For the team to get where they want to be, they will have to overcome the loss of a strong eight-member senior class that included two All-Americans in Cecily Docktor ’19 on offense and Madison Schutz ’19 on defense along with six other seniors.

Last season the Shorewomen went 12-6 overall and 7-2 in the Centennial as they opened conference play by winning their first six games for the second consecutive spring.

The roster of the 39th Shorewomen Lacrosse squad consists of five seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and eight freshmen. Serving as captains this season will be seniors Kayla Catts (Mullica Hill, N.J./Clearview Regional) and Aubrey Robinson (Landenberg, Pa./Kennett) and junior Anna Bennett (Phoenix, Md./Garrison Forest).

Up front at attack, the Shorewomen return senior Lauren Brenner (Glen Mills, Pa./Episcopal Academy) as she led the team with 50 goals last season and added 18 assists for 68 points in 18 games as she ranked second on the Shorewomen in points and third in assists. In the conference, she was tied for fourth in scores and ninth in points as she earned All-Centennial Conference second team honors. Also in the fold at attacker is sophomore Colleen Keefe (Timonium, Md./Notre Dame Prep) as she finished fourth on the team in goals with 28 and added three helpers for 31 points in her rookie campaign. She was one of six Washington players to tally over 30 points a season ago. Joining Brenner and Keefe on the attack are senior Molly Johnston (Norwell, Mass./Norwell), junior Lauren Maxwell (Towson, Md./Loch Raven), sophomore Olivia Miller (West River, Md./Southern) and freshman Hannah Lee (White Marsh, Md./Notre Dame Prep) to contribute on the attack this season. Miller had six goals in 12 games played last spring, Johnston had an assist in three games, while Maxwell appeared in three contests.

The midfield returns both Robinson and Bennett to the fold for 2020. Robinson, a second team All-Centennial and All-Metro Region pick last season was third on the team in goals in 2019 with 36 and fifth in points at 39. She also had a team-best 10 free position tallies as she played in all 18 games, starting 11 times. Her 10 free position scores ranked ninth in the Centennial. Bennett had 20 points on 11 goals and nine assists in 15 games, 10 starts in 2019. Bennett was third on the team in draw controls with 41 and her 23 caused turnovers ranked second on the Shorewomen. She picked up 25 ground balls and was one of nine Shorewomen to nab 20 or more ground balls last spring. Rounding out the returnees is sophomore Sydney Allender (Linthicum, Md./Mount de Sales Academy) as she had five points on three goals and two helpers in her rookie season in addition to picking up 10 ground balls. Joining the midfield unit are freshman Caroline Bailey (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) and Ellie Morrall (Contocook, N.H./Hopkinton).

On defense, the Shorewomen return four players who started 14 or more games last season highlighted by junior Catherine Keirn (White Hall, Md./Notre Dame Prep), who earned All-Centennial honorable mention last season as she led the team with 32 ground balls and 29 caused turnovers as she played in all 18 games, starting 17 times. Her 29 caused turnovers was good for fourth in the Centennial. Also back in the mix on the defense are seniors Kayla Catts (Mullica Hill, N.J./Clearview Regional) and Melissa Donato (West Chester, Pa./Reed Henderson) and junior Meghan Dean (Mayo, Md./South River). Donato was second on the team in draw controls with 51 and added 20 ground balls as she played and started in 17 contests last spring. Catts, who played and started in all 18 contests, had 19 ground balls in 2019, while Dean had had 26 ground balls in 17 games, 14 of which were starting assignments. Providing depth in the back are sophomores Chloe Sass (Ocean City, Md./Stephen Decatur) and Molly Sharpe (Towson, Md./Notre Dame Prep). Sharpe appeared in seven games, while Sass got into five contests in 2019.

Two freshmen will by vying for the starting goalkeeper spot in 2020 and they are Brigid Monahan (Wilmington, Del./Ursuline Academy) and Sydney Wingate (Pasadena, Md./Northeast).

Joining Fowler on the coaching staff are two first-year Shorewomen Lacrosse assistant coaches in Taylor Blick and Patrice Coleman. Coleman arrives in Chestertown after serving as assistant coach of Widener in 2019. She was a four-year play at Bloomsburg where the 2016 graduate helped the Huskies win the 2012 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship. Blick, a 2019 graduate of Limestone, helped the Saints win four Conference Carolinas Tournament crowns and was part of the 2018 Limestone squad that made the NCAA Division II Tournament.

In the preseason poll, the Shorewomen were picked to qualify for their 10th straight conference tournament as they were selected fifth by the conference’s head coaches with 54 vote-points. Gettysburg was picked first with 81 vote-points and was also the unanimous choice for the top spot as they received all nine possible first place votes as coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team. Franklin & Marshall was tabbed second with 72 vote-points and received Gettysburg’s first place vote. Haverford was selected third at 61 vote-points and Dickinson was selected fourth at 56 vote-points. Six through 10 were Swarthmore (39 vote-points), Muhlenberg (33), McDaniel (24), Ursinus (21) and Bryn Mawr (9).

Washington will open its 2020 slate – which features six of the top 12 ranked teams in the IWLCA Division III Preseason Top 25 – tomorrow, February 19 with a 4 p.m. home contest versus #6 York (Pa.). A full schedule breakdown appears below.

Schedule Breakdown
Total Games: 17 (eight home and nine away)
Season and Home Opener: February 19 vs. #6 York (Pa.) (4:00 p.m.)
Road Opener: February 29 at Christopher Newport (2:00 p.m.)
Centennial Home Opener: March 21 vs. Dickinson (4:00 p.m.)
Centennial Away Opener: March 28 at McDaniel (3:00 p.m.)
Centennial Home Opponents: Dickinson, Muhlenberg (4/4), Bryn Mawr (4/11), Swarthmore (4/22), #4 Gettysburg (4/25)
Centennial Road Opponents: McDaniel, Ursinus (4/1), Haverford (4/15), #7 Franklin & Marshall (4/18)
Non-Conference Home Opponents: York (Pa.), #3 Salisbury (3/7), #10 Catholic (3/9)
Non-Conference Road Opponents: Christopher Newport, Randolph-Macon (3/14), Rowan (3/11), St. Mary’s (Md.) (3/25), #12 Mary Washington (4/8)
2019 NCAA Tournament Opponents: York (Pa.), Salisbury, Catholic, Mary Washington, Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg