Season Preview: Women’s Lacrosse looking to capitalize on improved depth in 2023
By Wes Mayberry
| 2023 Women's Lacrosse Schedule |
ADA — Coming off a 2022 season that ended with a second straight Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament berth, the Ohio Northern women's lacrosse team is looking to add to that positive momentum in 2023 under eighth-year head coach Beth Bonnell.
"There's always that anticipation for the start of a new season," Bonnell said. "This team has gotten stronger every year. We have such a strong core group of returners along with some really talented freshmen. I'm really looking forward to being able to take advantage of our depth."
The Polar Bears return 19 letter winners from the 2022 team that finished 7-10 overall and 3-5 in the OAC. That group includes the team's top three point-scorers from a year ago as part of 10 players who started double digit games.
This season's roster is headlined by senior Meredith Miller (Noblesville, Ind.), who was an All-OAC Second Team selection in 2022, and the team's other two leading point-scorers from a year ago in senior Elizabeth Graham (Riverside/Carroll) and sophomore Keaghan Burden (Brunswick).
Both goalkeepers who earned starts in 2022, juniors Molly Dixson (Cannonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and Chloe Millican (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) also return for 2023.
Overall, the Polar Bears' roster consists of six seniors, seven juniors, six sophomores and 10 freshmen.
Here is a preview of the 2022 Ohio Northern women's lacrosse team, by position.
Attack
Graham and Burden return to lead the attack position group in 2023.
In her first season at ONU after transferring from Anderson (Ind.), Graham recorded a team-high 55 points in 2022, ranking second on the team in both goals (35) and assists (20) in starting all 17 games. Her 35 goals rank seventh all-time for a single season at ONU, and her 20 assists is tied for second all-time. In her three collegiate seasons, she has 89 points on 65 goals and 24 assists.
"Elizabeth has been a great addition to this program and made an immediate impact on the offensive end last year," Bonnell said. "We will be looking to her again for her leadership and experience."
Burden had a stellar freshman season, starting all 17 games and tallying a school-record 29 assists to go with 21 goals for a total of 50 points, which ranked second on the team and tied for fifth all-time at ONU for a single season. Those 21 goals came on just 29 shot attempts, giving her a .724 shooting percentage. She enters the 2023 season as the program's all-time career leader in assists.
"Keaghan had a stellar freshman campaign and will look to build off that success this year," Bonnell said. "Being our all-time leader in assists after just her first year is a testament to the kind of player she is — extremely unselfish. She will definitely have a lot more options on the offensive side this year."
Other returning letter winners to this position group include junior Noel Orioli (Westerville/North) and sophomores Grace Wilson (Hope, Mich./Dow) and Alise Callahan (Cedarburg, Wis.).
That group accounted for 28 points, including 17 goals, last season. That total includes 16 points on 13 goals and three assists from Orioli, who saw action in all 17 games. Orioli enters 2023 with 49 career points on 37 goals and 12 assists.
Freshmen Carly Coia (Buffalo, N.Y./Williamsville East), Rylie Kocik (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) and Hallie Wilks (Wooster) round out the position group.
Midfield
Miller, the team's lone returning All-OAC honoree from 2022, headlines the midfield group for this season along with senior Amanda Wells (Mason) and junior Emma Perry (Pickerington/North).
Miller started all 17 games in 2022 and led the team with 36 goals while adding three assists to rank third on the team in points with 39. She also finished with a team-best 45 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers. On ONU's all-time single-season record lists, those numbers rank her fourth in goals, tied for fifth in ground balls and sixth in caused turnovers.
A three-year letter winner and two-time All-OAC selection, Miller has played in 39 games with 38 starts and ranks sixth all-time at ONU in goals (67), seventh in points (71) and draw controls (62), eighth in ground balls (83), fifth in caused turnovers (54) and sixth in hat tricks (8).
"I have really enjoyed watching Meredith's evolution as a player," Bonnell said. "She came in as a defender, and now she is one of the top two-way middies in the conference. I love her versatility, and I expect to see her take advantage of that this year."
Wells recorded a team-high 72 draw controls in starting all 16 of her games in 2022, falling just four shy of the program's single-season record. She added 16 goals and six assists to her tally, giving her 22 points on the season.
Wells, a three-year letter winner, has started all 38 of her games as a Polar Bear, recording 42 points on 31 goals and 11 assists to go with 79 ground balls and 29 caused turnovers. She holds the program's single-game record for draw controls with 16 and ranks second all-time at ONU in career draw controls with 144.
"Mandy is such a presence in between the 30s. Whether it's on the circle or collecting a loose ball, it always seems to be what's needed at that moment in a game," Bonnell said. "She is another one who came in as a low defender and has really grown into a solid middie. Mandy has the ability to beat anyone one-on-one. Her quickness and shifty dodges really make her difficult to stop."
Perry, a two-year letter winner, played in 15 games with 13 starts in 2022, posting 15 points on 12 goals and three assists. In 32 career games, including 30 starts, she has 39 points on 34 goals and five assists to go with 21 ground balls, 22 draw controls and nine caused turnovers.
Freshmen Emma Hoersten (Hilliard/Davidson) and Elena Martin (Canfield) round out the position group.
Defense
Senior Lacey Wernoch (Brick, N.J./Brick Township) and junior Taylor Hannam-Zatz (Oak Hill, Va./Chantilly) highlight the list of returners for the Polar Bear defense in 2023 after starting all 17 games last season.
A three-year letter winner, Wernoch was second on the team with 25 caused turnovers in 2022 and added 30 ground balls. She ranks seventh all-time at ONU with 51 caused turnovers in 37 games, including 36 starts, and has 67 career ground balls.
"Lacey is such a strong presence on the defensive end," Bonnell said. "She is playing her best lacrosse right now and has really stepped into the leadership role this year. I really think this is going to be her best season yet, and she will be a major factor in disrupting opponents' offense this year."
Hannam-Zatz was third on the team in ground balls a year ago with 34 and added 12 caused turnovers to her tally. She has played in 31 career games with 20 starts and has 48 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers.
"Taylor is another one who has embraced a leadership role on the defensive end," Bonnell said. "She has always been so consistent and is a strong competitor. She is going to have another solid season."
Other top returners include sophomore Rebecca Weinel (Dayton/Chaminade Julienne) and senior Emmily Moses (Wooster).
Weinel played in all 17 games last season, getting 16 starts and tallying 12 ground balls and five caused turnovers.
Moses, a three-year letter winner, recorded four ground balls and five caused turnovers in 14 games, including 12 starts, in 2022. She has played in 27 career games, starting 16 of them, and has seven ground balls and 10 caused turnovers to her credit.
Junior Emma LoGiudice (Wooster) is another returning letter winner for the defense.
Freshmen Tori Wiece (Chesterfield/West Geauga), Riley Hopkins (West Chester/Lakota West), Lydia Lehman (West Chester/Lakota West), Mackenzie Miller (Maumee/Anthony Wayne) and Gabrielle Haker (Englewood/Northmont) provide additional depth.
Goalkeeper
Dixson and Millican both return after getting multiple starts and significant playing time in goal as sophomores in 2022.
Dixson played in 13 games with 10 starts last season, posting a 4-6 record with a 10.51 GAA and 65 saves in just over 639 minutes. Her GAA ranked third in the OAC.
In 30 career games, including 20 starts, Dixson is 9-10 with 135 saves and a 12.72 GAA in just over 1,160 minutes. She ranks second all-time at ONU in wins, third in saves and goalie minutes and fifth in GAA.
Millican played in and started seven games in 2022, finishing with a 3-4 record along with a 13.08 GAA and 63 saves in over 552 minutes. She was fourth in the OAC with a .432 save percentage.
Millican has played in 16 career games at ONU and ranks fourth all-time in saves (84), GAA (12.27), wins (3) and goalie minutes (552:27).
Schedule
The Polar Bears open their 2023 season on Feb. 25 hosting Kalamazoo (Mich.) as part of a five-game home stand that also includes matchups with Trine (Ind.), West Virginia Wesleyan, Adrian (Mich.) and Ohio Wesleyan.
Northern then travels to Panama City Beach, Fla., for games against Framingham State (Mass.) on March 14 and Fredonia State (N.Y.) on March 16.
The team's first true road game is March 22 at Wittenberg.
ONU opens OAC play on March 25 at home against Mount Union before playing its final non-conference game of the season on March 29 at Anderson (Ind.).
Other home conference games include those against Marietta and Capital.
The Polar Bears will play at OAC foes John Carroll, Muskingum, Baldwin Wallace and Otterbein.
The 2023 OAC Tournament is scheduled for April 29 to May 6.