Women's Lacrosse Hosts St. Bonaventure for 2021 Opener

Saturday, March 6

Lewisburg, Pa.

4 p.m.

Bucknell University

St. Bonaventure

Photo by: Lizann Rode

Women's Lacrosse Hosts St. Bonaventure for 2021 Opener

3/4/2021 10:45:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse

A SEASON PREVIEW IS INCLUDED BELOW THE GAME NOTES

St. Bonaventure (0-2, 0-0 A-10) vs. Bucknell (0-0, 0-0 PL)
When: Saturday, March 6 – 4 p.m.
Where: Graham Field – Lewisburg, Pa.
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WLAX

NOTICE: Because Bucknell University's campus is closed to the public, no spectators will be permitted at home events until further notice.

Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell was originally scheduled to open Patriot League play at Navy this weekend. That game was rescheduled for Saturday, May 1 due to the Naval Academy being under a restriction of movement for the next 10 days.
• The Bison posted a 3-5 (0-0 PL) record during their abbreviated 2020 campaign. Their victories were over Sacred Heart (18-9), Binghamton (16-9) and Campbell (13-10).
• In 2019, Bucknell went 4-13 (2-7 PL) and placed ninth in the Patriot League.
• In senior Eve Calabria, the Bison return their top point producer from both 2020 (16g-14a) and 2019 (14g-20a). They lost three of their top five point producers from 2020 and three of their top five point producers from 2019 to graduation; like Calabria, Caroline Walsh (4th with 10g-3a in 2020) and Julia Bradbury (5th with 17g-3a in 2019) are each back for her senior year.
• Bucknell returns the majority of its defensive core in senior Gabby Walsh, juniors Eva Macris and Abby Neff and sophomore Ella Payer. They need to replace Jessie Britton, a two-time Academic All-Patriot League pick who started all 41 of the Bison's games over her final three seasons in Lewisburg.
• Bucknell's three goalies return for 2021. A year ago, senior Lauren Kinnee and junior Caitlin Tucker each saw time in net as the Bison looked to replace four-year starter Jamisen DeWitt.
• Bucknell welcomed 13 newcomers ahead of the 2021 campaign; the newcomers hail from eight different states: Connecticut (3), Pennsylvania (3), New York (2), California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas. This is the second-straight year the Bison welcomed an incoming class of "lucky" 13.
• Bradbury, Macris, Kali Peeples and Mason Rode are serving as team captains this year.
• Jackie Dando is in her second season as head coach. She spent the previous seven years at Lebanon Valley College, posting an 82-49 overall record and a 41-14 conference ledger. Lebanon Valley qualified for the MAC Commonwealth Conference in each of her seven seasons as head coach, culminating with the program's first league championship and NCAA Division III tournament berth in 2019.

St. Bonaventure at a Glance
• While Saturday's contest is the Bison's opener, St. Bonaventure has played two games and stands 0-2 (0-0 A-10) on the season. The Bonnies played Patriot League foe Colgate in their season opener, dropping a 20-2 decision.
• St. Bonaventure went 5-2 (0-0 A-10) during its abbreviated 2020 campaign. The Bonnies posted a 1-16 (0-9 A-10) record in 2019.
• St. Bonaventure leads the all-time series with Bucknell, 5-2.
• In their most recent meeting in 2013, the Bison dispatched the Bonnies, 17-9, at Graham Field.

A Look Ahead
• The Bison open Patriot League play by hosting Lafayette on Saturday, March 13. The opening draw is set for 1 p.m.

Season Preview

The Bucknell women's lacrosse team is excited to return to the field under second-year head coach Jackie Dando.

The Bison made it through the non-conference portion of their 2020 schedule, posting a 3-5 record with commanding victories over Sacred Heart and Binghamton. But, the week of their Patriot League opener against Navy, their season was canceled due to the COVID-19 public threat.

"We're very excited to return to play and give our seniors the opportunity to play their final season," Dando said. "We're also thrilled to welcome a talented and hard-working class of 13 first-year players. We look forward to continuing to build our new team culture while improving and pushing each other on the field."

Training during the COVID-19 public threat has been challenging. Dando is proud of how the Bison adapted, noting that having their 2020 season cut short has made them not take a single moment of training or practice for granted.

"COVID-19 has changed our training," Dando said. "It moved us into a lot of small group work, but it has been great to get to know the players individually and have them get a lot of individual reps with myself. The opportunity to be with the entire team and scrimmage is one we will never take for granted again. Despite the challenges, we have been very diligent about keeping our team and our community safe."

Below is a position by position breakdown of the 2021 Bison.

Attack
Returnees: Eve Calabria, Anna Huntley-Robertson, Laurel McHale, Sarah Monteleone, Kali Peeples, Emily Sullivan, Jamie Tsao, Caroline Walsh, Katie Wendell
Newcomers: Jamie Fedorjaka, Taylor Kopan, Taylor LaMantia, Ellie Mayer, Kearney McKiernan

At attack, Bucknell brings back savvy veterans and brings in talented newcomers. Dando said that her offense will feature multiple different looks thanks to her depth at this position.

Dando's offense is all about generating high-percentage shots. She expects her attackers to play smart, take care of the ball and execute their game plan once they cross the 30. During the abbreviated 2020 campaign, she laid the groundwork for her new-look offense. Now that her attackers are more familiar with it, thanks to their fall and late winter practices, she said that their intensity and speed have increased.

Senior Eve Calabria has excelled in Dando's offense and appears poised to end her career on a high note. A strong distributor who can also find the back of the net, she registered 30 points (16g-14a) in just eight games a year ago. She enters this season needing three points to reach the century mark, having logged 49 goals and 48 assists; her 48 career assists slot her seventh in school history.

"Eve was our leading goal scorer a year ago," Dando said. "She's also a great feeder who is strong in the crease. She will be an important piece of our offense this year, and we're looking for big things from her."

Dando also expects big things from seniors Kali Peeples and Caroline Walsh. She noted that Peeples excels in the draw circle and that Walsh was emerging as a dangerous goal scorer when last season was cut short. Peeples has been one of Bucknell's primary draw control specialists for the past two campaigns, logging 53 draw controls and 25 points (21g-4a), while Walsh finished fourth among Bison in goals (10) during the abbreviated 2020 season.

Beyond her trio of talented seniors, Dando said that she is looking forward to seeing her "junior and sophomore crease players establish themselves on the field." Of that group, she highlighted junior Laurel McHale as a Bison to watch, noting that the lefty "has worked hard to take her game to the next level."

Among the first years, Dando believes that Ellie Mayer will make an immediate impact. Dando described the 2019 High School All-American, who graduated with a North Carolina state record in single-game goals (13), as "a dynamic and crafty attacker."

Midfield
Returnees: Maggie Ashley, Julia Bradbury, Emma Cashwell, Caroline Miller, Amy Roche, Mason Rode, Olivia Zaban
Newcomers: Emily Baird, Carly Irvine, Morgan Joseph, Colleen Kelly, Tatumn Kohlbrenner, Phoebe Macleod

After the loss of Morgan Steinhacker, Tace Sutherland, Sophia Klaber and Kate Fiore to graduation, Bucknell's midfield will have a different look in 2021. Steinhacker, in particular, will be difficult to replace; a three-year starter, she graduated sixth in Bison history with 118 career draw controls and also posted 67 career points (61g-6a).

"We did graduate talented midfielders who were strong contributors," Dando said. "We'll look for returners with experience and our six first years to fill their roles in transition."

With her attackers running the offense, Dando tasks her midfielders with being strong in transition and in the draw circle. At the same time, she looks for them to chip in offensively, particularly as north-south dodgers from the top.

Seniors Julia Bradbury and Mason Rode and junior Emma Cashwell are expected to comprise Bucknell's top midfield line. Bradbury is a proven goal scorer, having netted 26 in her two seasons as a second-line midfielder. Rode and Cashwell took on expanded roles a year ago and have impressed Dando with their continued development during the fall.

"Julia, Mason and Emma will have a large role at midfield," Dando said. "We'll be looking to them to be strong contributors because of their experience."

Dando highlighted sophomore Olivia Zaban as a Bison to watch, noting that she expects "her to make contributions with her speed." Dando also said that first years Emily Baird, Tatumn Kohlbrenner and Phoebe Macleod could make an immediate impact.

Defense
Returnees: Eva Macris, Caitlin McHale, Michelle Melville, Lydia Morgantini, Meredith Murphy, Abby Neff, Ella Payer, Lauren Rader, Macie Ruda, Gabby Walsh
Newcomers: Sam Lehaney, Maddy Parke

At defense, Bucknell has the luxury of depth and experience. Though the Bison will need to replace Jessie Britton, who started all 41 of her team's games over her final three seasons in Lewisburg, Dando is confident in the talent she has returning.

"We will continue to play hard and smart," Dando said. "We're excited to have the majority of our defenders coming back in 2021."

Dando expects her defenders to play with calculated aggression. After spending the abbreviated 2020 campaign mastering their 1v1 defense, the Bison have since added different schemes to their repertoire. As at attack, Dando said that her defense will feature multiple different looks thanks to her depth at this position.

Senior Gabby Walsh, juniors Eva Macris and Abby Neff and sophomore Ella Payer will each play a pivotal role in Bucknell's defense.

Walsh, an athletic defender, enters her senior season with 28 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers in 30 career games. Macris, a team leader who plays with an edge, has registered 23 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers in 17 career games.

Neff has been a starter since 2019, when she was the only first year to start more than four contests. A year ago, she led the team in ground balls (20) and caused turnovers (11); she also finished in the Bison's top four in these statistical categories as a first year. Her signature performance came in Bucknell's 2020 opener at Sacred Heart; she logged seven ground balls, one shy of the school record, and five caused turnovers, a figure tied for fourth in school history.

"Abby always brings energy," Dando said. "She plays with grit and excels in collecting ground balls."

Like Neff, Payer earned a starting role as a first year; that season, she contributed 13 draw controls, 11 ground balls and six caused turnovers, displaying maturity and smarts beyond her years.

"We have so much depth, and our defenders each bring something different to the table," Dando said. "I'll look to use a mix of defenders so we're able to play different defenses when needed."

Goalie
Returnees: Lauren Kinnee, Symone Ryans, Caitlin Tucker

In 2020, the Bison were looking to replace four-year starter Jamisen DeWitt, a 2018 All-Patriot League selection who is one of only seven Bison to reach the 500-save plateau in her career. That abbreviated season, Lauren Kinnee and Caitlin Tucker both saw time in net, and Dando said that either could start this season.

Kinnee, a senior, is known for athleticism and ability to make big plays. Tucker, a junior, is an exceptionally hard worker with fast hands. Dando noted that "the experience they gained in important game situations last year has made them even better goalies this year."

Sophomore Symone Ryans has made the jump to the collegiate level. Ryans, who led the School of the Holy Child to the 2017 NYSAIS Championship, is also in the mix to play this season.

"We're excited to have returned three strong goalies in Lauren, Caitlin and Symone," Dando said. "We look forward to them continuing to make each other better."

Draw Specialist
Returnees: Julia Bradbury, Emma Cashwell, Kali Peeples, Caitlin McHale, Laurel McHale
Newcomers: Emily Baird

The Bison return the majority of their draw specialists from a year ago, having lost only Steinhacker to graduation. Dando said that Bradbury and Peeples will be counted on in the circle this year; a year ago, the duo finished tied for fourth on the team with 11 draw controls.

"We have a great mix of draw specialists," Dando said. "Our versatility will give us the ability to have some different looks. Julia and Kali will be our go-to players, but I also expect Emma, Emily, Laurel and Caitlin McHale to have an impact."

Dando added that Rode, Payer and Kohlbrenner will also contribute in circle play this season.