Elms College Women's Lacrosse Season Preview

CHICOPEE, MA – The Elms College women's lacrosse team is coming off a 2021 season that finished with an appearance in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC), as a young team in transition and one with big hopes. Those hopes continue to grow this season, as the team now enters its first season in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) and once again remains young with a strong addition of eight first-years.

Head coach, Quincy Wilkins only enters her 2nd season at the helm, but has high expectations for this year's squad. "The chemistry and strong bond on and off the field is something that could easily translate well into our games this season, it's just a matter of composure and patience."

Elms returns All-Conference selections Taylor Borla, Bryce McDonald, Anna-Elise Pikul and Emma Walsh. Anna-Elise Pikul led the Blazers in goals (22) and points (27) last season as a sophomore. She also led the team in ground balls (24) and caused turnovers (10). Walsh posted a strong year between the pipes for Elms, starting in 6 games while recording 302 minutes. She made 66 saves, while stopping 51.3 percent of shots on target. Borla held her own after losing her first-year season to COVID-19, capping the season with 24 points, 17 goals, 30 draw controls and 22 ground balls. McDonald held the helm at defense with the second highest team ground ball count of 23, 8 caused turnovers and even made her way down to the offensive end with 8 goals.

A full positional breakdown is below:

ATTACK

The Blazers are going to heavily rely on their newcomers this season as they return just three starting members of their attack unit. With 5 newcomers to the position, senior captain Arianna Callahan, senior Elese Ciarcia and sophomore, Elise Paier will act as the backbones of the unit. Callahan, Ciarcia and Paier started all 7 of the Blazers' games last season, tallying a total of 37 points on 27 goals and 10 assists. Senior, Kianna Lozada Pagán of Bayamon, P.R. also makes her way to the line up for one last time.

The Blazer offense will be riddled with new faces this season. Greta Frankwicz hails from Cape Elizabeth, Maine where she was a standout for the Cape Elizabeth High School. Frankwicz spent 4 years playing for the Maineiax club team, one of the premier club programs in New England. The competitive attacker will look to make an immediate impact to the Blazer offense. 

Local products, Lauren Fletcher and Katie Kane out of West Springfield, MA will look to make their mark. Fletcher and Kane will join their West Side alum, Arianna Callahan and Elise Paier. Ariana Rave of Lee, MA and Olivia Beck of Southwick, MA also join the young attack squad, eager to set the bar in their first collegiate appearances.

MIDFIELD

Pikul and Borla will look to anchor the Blazer midfield during their junior season. The two racked up 51 points as the leading scorers last season with a total of 39 goals and 12 assists and led the team in draw controls with a whopping total of 58. Pikul started all 7 games for Elms and finished the season eighth in the conference in goals per game. Junior captain, Taylor Borla also started in all 7 games for Elms and finished the season tenth in the conference in goals per game. The Blazers will rely heavily on these two returners as they look to continue their stellar career. 

Shannen Salamon of Chicopee, MA will make her grand debut along Borla and Pikul, completing the trio. The first-year shows great talent and promise with her speed and agility and will be a force to reckon with.

DEFENSE

Senior captain, Bryce McDonald has been a powerhouse at the defensive end for the Blazers. The Middlesex County native has a fantastic field awareness and a voice that will prove vital this season. Her all-around ability and athleticism earned her some midfield runs last season where she notched her 8 goals. She finished the season with 8 total points on 8 goals while also scooping up 23 ground balls, causing 8 turnovers and 4 draw controls. The leader on the field will command the area above the net and look to shut down opposing offenses.

Fellow junior Cat McKittrick and sophomore Ava LaRoche will help control the defensive end. The defenders had a strong year last year, earning their starting spots and continuing that role all season as they went 7 for 7 on starts.

A pair of newcomers will join the Blazer defense in 2022, as Justice Delaney and Emily Bartolo get set to make their debut for EC. Local products Delaney of Granby, MA and Bartolo of Chicopee, MA have been a seamless addition, and provide the continuing growth for the defensive end.

GOALKEEPERS

The Blazers will return 2 goalies, senior captain, Emma Walsh and sophomore, Gianna Liquori. Walsh, the Dracut native started 6 games last season, boasting a 51.3 save percentage on 66 saves. The senior posted 3 games with single digit goals against totals and was in net for all the Blazers' victories. The active brick wall snagged 13 ground balls on the season while causing 4 turnovers.

The flip side of Walsh will be East Longmeadow, MA local Gianna Liquori. Liquori saw time in only 2 games for the Blazers, posting a 60.9 save percentage on 14 saves. As Liquori settles into her second year of competition, she looks forward to shutting down the upcoming GNAC talent.

SCHEDULE

Elms Women's Lacrosse opens up with a visit to the Berkshires, starting the season opener this Saturday against Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at 12 PM. Conference play will begin the second weekend of March and wraps up at the end of April before the start of the GNAC Championships.