Women's Lacrosse | February 14, 2015

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle lacrosse team gets underway on Saturday when the Explorers head to UMBC for a noon draw.

The Explorers, who return their top eight scorers from last year's 11-6 squad, have a lot to be excited about this upcoming season. They were picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic 10 preseason coaches' poll after finishing in a three-way tie for second place last season to earn a trip to the A-10 Tournament.

The top eight scorers accounted for 87.2 percent (151 out of 173) of the goal production last season. The high-scoring duo of Caitlyn Brostrand and Katelyn Fay are back this season. Brostrand was the team points leader with 41 on 31 goals and a team-high 10 assists last year, and earned her second straight Atlantic 10 First Team All-Conference honor. She enters the 2015 season ranked eighth in program history in career points (125), career goals (112) and career draw controls (59). Fay, an A-10 Second Team pick a year ago, led the squad with 32 goals and added eight assists for 40 total points. 

Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Toni Massetti looks to capitalize on a terrific freshman campaign. The speedy forward led all freshman and was third on the team with 24 goals, and added four assists for 28 points. She recorded two hat tricks and four multi-goal games in A-10 play last season before her season was cut short due to injury. 

Also returning on the offensive end are Erin McCabe and Allee Ilgenfritz, who scored 18 goals apiece last year. McCabe, one of the senior captains and considered the anchor of the midfield, provides stellar play on both ends of the ball as she recorded 23 ground balls, 18 draw controls and 12 caused turnovers last year in addition to her 18 scores. Ilgenfritz scored 13 of her 18 goals in league play to earn a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team. 

Kelly Furman, also a senior captain, returns after contributing eight goals and seven assists last season, as well as a team-high 27 ground balls. Claire Andrews is back once again after her season was cut short after five games due to injury. In just five games, she recorded 12 points on seven goals and five assists to still finish the season among the team's scoring leaders.

"Our eight top scorers are all returning, which is great," Head Coach Candace Taglianetti Bossell said. "So we feel like we can be really balanced this year."

The defensive end of the field will see familiar faces along with some fresh faces. The defensive unit lost three starters to graduation (Kaitlyn Colbridge, Jackie Donato and Katie Marasco), but those roles will be filled by players who saw significant time in the backfield. Furman and Anastasia Fries will be called upon to anchor the D, and starter Abby O'Donnell returns to the lineup again.

"Furman is a leader in every sense of the word," Taglianetti Bossell said. "Her contributions can't be measured on a stat sheet. Fries is the most active and high-risk defender, and is a true playmaker. Returning starter Abby O'Donnell is the best shut down defender and she's scrappy. Stepping up are junior Alexis Henderson and sophomores Danielle Strang, Kiara Lynch and Anna Gordon."

"I think the strength of our team is in our defense," Taglianetti Bossell added. "Two of our captains are in defense, they're two that aren't really measured in statistics."

Of course one can't mention the defense without mentioning goalkeeper Gabby Antonelli. Antonelli, an Atlantic 10 First Team and All-Rookie pick last season, is among the top goalkeepers in the country. She recorded a school record 8.23 goals against average and recorded the A-10's top save percentage (.498) in regular season play. She was ranked as high as fourth nationally in save percentage during the course of the season. 

"[Gabby is] one of the top goalies in the country right now," Taglianetti Bossell said. "She's ready to go, she's focused. She's a real low-key kind of kid, casual, and takes one day at a time, one play at a time."

The Explorers also boast a large freshman class, including three high school All-Americans, that looks to contribute right away.

"Our freshman class coming in has been a pretty seamless transition," Taglianetti Bossell said. "There's some really highly touted recruits in there; we have three All-Americans coming in, so they're going to be core contributors and we're really excited to see what they can do."

The team opens at UMBC on Saturday at noon, before a pair of home games against Temple (2/18) and Delaware (2/25). Atlantic 10 play kicks off on March 29 when the Explorers host George Washington. They will also host Davidson, Massachusetts and Richmond in league play, while traveling to A-10 foes George Mason, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne and Saint Joseph's.

The 2015 Atlantic 10 Championship is once again a four-team format with the top four in the standings qualifying for the tournament. The semifinal round is set for May 1 at George Washington, with the final on May 3.