INDIANAPOLIS – The first year of women’s lacrosse in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference produced Ursuline as the inaugural champion as the emergent sport gained traction and rising interest in 2016.
In front of their home fans in Pepper Pike between sprinkling rain, the Arrows toppled Alderson Broaddus in an exciting finale to the G-MAC Championship and ultimately, the 2016 campaign.
Skip forward to this year. An additional team has joined the fold with Ohio Valley to make G-MAC women’s lacrosse a four-team sport along with the reigning champ Arrows, Alderson Broaddus and Davis & Elkins.
The growing pains of young, up-and-coming programs are inevitable, but the strides shown from each in year one should really help ease the transition as the G-MAC aims to gain more prominence.
Three of the four schools have new coaches leading their respective programs. Ursuline’s Ed Karasek is the veteran of the group while Max Ruhl (OVU), Malorie Stockwell (D&E) and Angie Rudy (AB) are new to the league for 2017.
In the spring of 2018, incoming G-MAC members Lake Erie and Walsh will bring the totals up to six women’s lacrosse institutions.
Ursuline is picked as the preseason coaches favorite and is most deserving of the top billing. The Arrows return both all-conference individual award winners with junior Cydney Bartlett (G-MAC Player of the Year) and sophomore Hayley Mazreku (G-MAC Freshman of the Year).
Bartlett was the league leader in total points (61) and points per game (4.07). Mazreku was a goal-scoring machine as a rookie, turning into the league leader in goals scored with 49 and per-game average (3.06).
But the Arrows’ depth extends further than the two standouts mentioned above. The seven-member senior class is experienced, talented and ready to leave their legacy. Attacker Maddie Kipp was one of the postseason heroes. Keeper Sarah Bowerman and midfielder Sarah Kiefer were all-conference picks. Flying under the radar was Abigail Neeley (controlling possession from draw controls) and another senior, Anika Aberegg, who paced all G-MAC players in assists with 20.
AB arguably lost the most from graduation as program foundation building blocks Tia Kline and Aurora Winwood have both moved on. Speedy junior Mykirah Jones was on the all-conference team ranking fourth in goals scored (43) and Jasmine Barham is the lone senior on this year’s roster. Barham was fifth in the league in goals scored with 40.
D&E was led by sophomore Gabby Fagan, who scored 22 goals in her first year at the college level. Morgan Graham represented the Senators on the all-conference team while five upperclassmen will provide leadership for a very young roster.
Ohio Valley has several student-athletes on the roster who have excelled in other sports. Freshman attacker Kayla Stewart was also on the all-conference volleyball team while Tijana Radman started and played all possible 17 games with the Fighting Scots’ soccer program.