Over the ten-day spring break, the Muhlenberg women’s lacrosse team went 2-0 during their annual spring break training trip to Hilton Head Island, S.C. The Mule’s 19-5 win over Wheaton College and 24-12 win over Kean University have pushed the team’s overall record to 6-0* for the third consecutive season.
The women’s lacrosse yearly trip to Hilton Head Island is an over-decade-long spring break tradition that has proven to be more than just a customary part of the team’s in-season training. The six-day visit continues to serve as a pivotal bonding opportunity for the team, with ample free time to spend with teammates and enjoy the nice weather. Meaghan Haughney ‘25 eloquently captures the experience by saying, “I think the Hilton Head trip is amazing solely because of the amount of team bonding we get to have while we’re there. It’s a designated 6 days to spend with just our teammates so we really get to know each other outside of lacrosse which translates to our team connection on the field.” First-year players alike deemed the experience impactful for their integration into the program and overall chemistry with the entire team. Alyssa Hartnett ‘27 says, “The team Hilton Head trip was a great way for us to get to know our teammates better and grow our team camaraderie. It was so fun to get to play lacrosse all week and hang out on the beach with my team.”
The team’s bonding was facilitated in a multitude of ways, from daily trips to the beach, nightly ice cream excursions, and much-favored alligator sightings. Captain Emily Vaughen ‘25 recalls her most notable memory of the trip as “when we had [a] team dinner at the Kushel’s house. We had an amazing meal, played cornhole, went to the beach and had smores. Families were also invited so it was a great time to meet the new members’ parents, grandparents, and siblings.”
The 2024 Hilton Head Island trip was also record-setting for this year’s team. The game against Kean allowed the Mules to tie a 37-year standing record with the team’s 24 goals. The 24-goal milestone was first reached in 1987 and has only been matched one other time in 2003. The 2024 squad now has two of the top five single-game goal marks in program history.
The team believes the undeniable bonds the Hilton Head Island trip fostered have paved the way for a powerful momentum going into the remainder of the season and will make the team even more successful than their record already demonstrates. “Spending spring break together as a team at Hilton Head allowed us to get to know each other on an even deeper level. I think that our team has developed a kind of sisterhood. We all care about each other. The experiences that we have off the field translate to more trust and teamwork on the field. I am excited as we begin our Centennial Conference schedule. We have a great group of women on this lacrosse team and have a real opportunity to do special things,” says Captain Nicole Steiner ‘24.
The Mules will next take on Dickinson University on Sat, Apr. 13 on Varsity Field.
*Current record 9-2
