University of Richmond Athletics
Women's Lacrosse Season Gets Started Friday
02/12/2015 | Women's Lacrosse
Richmond women's lacrosse gets the 2015 season underway Friday, in the opening game of the campaign, at Duke, starting at 4 p.m.
The Spiders return eight starters from last year's 11-7 squad, which tied for second in the Atlantic 10 Conference and advanced to the title game of the A-10 Championships last season. Six newcomers have joined the 2015 unit and through a fall and a spring preseason, the team has integrated all of its new parts into the collective to prepare for the season.
Richmond head coach Allison Kwolek begins her third season with the Spiders, a season full of promise for UR.
DEFENSE
Despite losing A-10 Defensive Player of the Year Taylor Blazer, the Spiders will still be a strong unit defending their cage. Senior goalie Emily Boyce (Middletown, Maryland) returns, and the new leader of the defensive unit will be senior Erin Marie Geoghan (Highland, Maryland). Richmond set a school record by allowing just 7.83 goals per game last season, a number that could be tested in 2015. The unit is stronger than its parts, and with another year of seasoning in Kwolek's defensive system, it will be a formidable group.
OFFENSE
Six of the seven players who scored 15 or more goals return to the lineup, with some talented freshman vying for playing time in the attacking zone. Richmond's 30-plus goal scorers from last season, Emily Doyle (Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey) and Charlett Stevenson (Darien, Connecticut) are back and Richmond's plus-55 goal-scoring margin could also be challenged in 2015. There are a wide variety of scoring options the Spiders have produced, making this a tough team to defend.
Richmond will play a pair of ranked opponents out of the gates in 2015. The opening opponent, Duke, is ranked eighth in the country, while the opponent for next Wednesday's home opener, Virginia, is ranked seventh by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association.
The Spiders will be home seven times in 2015, including four home A-10 contests. The A-10 Championships take place at George Washington on May 1 and 3.
