The Muhlenberg women’s lacrosse team geared up on Feb. 1 as they took on their first official practice. Looking ahead to this season, the team is poised for another strong season. The Mules have a talented roster that is led by four experienced seniors who have a deep understanding of the game. They are supported by upperclassmen and underclassmen who are hungry to prove themselves and make their mark on the team.
The team has been preparing and working hard all fall semester to start strong with a new season on the way. “The off-season training was somewhat unique because this past fall, all juniors were abroad. The seniors and sophomores were able to work closely with and get to know the incoming freshmen and develop the team camaraderie we will need to have a successful season. We have a great freshman class, not just as lacrosse players but also as people and now friends. Now that the juniors are back and we have begun to practice together, you can see the team beginning to come together and gel,” said Attack Nicole Steiner ‘24, who is excited to have the whole team back together with players returning from abroad.
The Mules made it to the Centennial Conference playoffs last year and are working towards accomplishing that again. Defensive Midfielder Elisabeth Loiselle ‘24 said, “We are excited about this season! Last year, we made it to the Centennial Conference playoffs, and while we were so happy to [have] reached that accomplishment, we still have a bitter taste in our mouths after being defeated at Haverford. We are determined to do whatever it takes to get back into the playoffs and make it one step further than we did last year.”
The team has shown remarkable dedication and commitment by putting in tremendous effort during the off-season to enhance their skills and strengthen team cohesion. Their hard work and perseverance have paid off, and they are now better equipped to tackle any challenges that lie ahead. “There is so much new talent on our team with so much potential, and we have been putting in the work at practices. As a senior, I am excited to see the team grow throughout the season,” said Attack Jordyn Kushel ’24.
Graduating seven outstanding seniors last year, the Mules are thrilled to embrace ten new freshmen to contribute fresh talent and energy to the team. Loiselle says that one of the team’s main goals is to “build a good culture on and off the field. We graduated seven seniors, all of whom were huge contributors to our team’s success, and now, we have welcomed ten amazing freshmen. We are really taking every practice to work as hard as possible and get to know each other’s styles on the field so we can work together in a way that compliments each other’s play to produce the utmost success.”
The team looks forward to working together to help each other develop and grow stronger as individuals and as a team. Attack Lillian Seifert ‘24 is eager to see the team make it further than last year. Seifert said, “For this season, our team is looking into becoming the most intense, close-knit and hardworking team we can be. We hope to achieve a goal not only to make it to the conference playoffs but to make it farther into [the] playoffs than we did last year!”
The Mules kick off their season with a home opener scrimmage against Georgian Court on Saturday, Feb. 10, at noon on Varsity Field. Steiner expressed her excitement. She said, “I am excited about our upcoming scrimmage because it will give us an opportunity to see where we stand in our team development. Although practicing against each other is fun and challenging, you want to go against someone else. Even though it is early when I look at our team, I think we have the talent and personality to do special things on the field this year.”
The women’s lacrosse team is excited about this week’s scrimmage and the chance to show off the hard work they put in both on and off the field during the off-season. “This scrimmage is a great opportunity to see the way in which our team meshes in a game environment, especially amongst our freshmen and juniors who haven’t gotten the opportunity to play together yet as the juniors were abroad in the fall,” Seifert said. “I have high hopes for this weekend and that we will come out not only successful but with important things to work on as our season gets closer!”
The team is hungry to find their way back to the Centennial Conference playoffs.
