Oberlin, Ohio – New Oberlin College Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Kim Russell looks to build upon the program's success as the Yeowomen enter the 2019 campaign having won 10 or more games in each of the last four seasons and were selected third in the NCAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

"We are a strong team with a solid foundation," Russell said. "The intensity these athletes bring every day is what you hope for as a coach.  They know what they want, and they are dedicated to putting in the work to get there."

This year's squad returns 15 players from the 2018 team that finished the year 10-6 overall and was 6-2 in conference play to earn the No. 2 seed in the NCAC Tournament.

One of the team's key five seniors is goalkeeper Siena Marcelle. The NCAC Second-Team selection ranked third in the conference in goals against average (9.00) and had the fourth-best save percentage (.443). The senior will be backed by trusty alternates in sophomore Maranda Phillips and first-year Logan McDermott-Mostowy. Phillips saw over 150 minutes of action in cage and recorded 17 stops.

In front of Marcelle, are trusty defensive returners in Emily Berner, Sydney Allen, and Josephine An that were apart of a defense that ranked third in the conference in goals against average (10.06). Berner, the All-NCAC First-Team selection, started in all 16 games, picking up a team-high 50 ground balls while causing 27 turnovers a year ago. Allen started in all 13 games she appeared in, picking up 16 ground balls, while An picked up 13 ground balls and registered eight caused turnovers in 16 performances. The back line has three additions in first-years Mikala Jones, Maddie Van Houten, and Reilly Jackman who each look to impact this season.

The Yeowomen midfield brigade is led by All-NCAC selections Hayley Drapkin, Eliza Amber, and Sabrina Deleonibus. In 2018, Drapkin led the group with the second most points on the team (57) with 39 assists and 18 goals. Amber had an impressive second campaign, finishing the year third on the team in goals (23) and draw controls (63), while Deleonibus looks to build off her strong junior season where she scored a career-high 19 goals.

In addition to the conference honorees, the team returns Kyra Aviles and Leah Crowther. Combined the sophomores netted 32 goals, while Aviles added 14 assists for 32 points on the year. The veteran group will mentor first-year Annie Payne who joins the team from the Golden State.

Sophomores Ali Wessel and Tess Siciliano return as the leading goal scorers for the young Yeowomen attackers. Siciliano finished the year tied for fourth on the team with 19 tallies, while Wessel buried 14 tallies in her rookie season. Additionally, Oberlin returns junior Emma Weiss and sophomore Rania Ziar from last year's team. With the young front line, watch for first-year players Bette Imhoff, Juliet Mooney and Lauren Waldman to make an immediate impact.

The 2019 season will begin on February 28 as Russell returns to Baldwin Wallace University for the first time as a coach, where she started the program back in 2013. The team will travel to California for its spring break trip with games against Pomona-Pitzer (3/28) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (3/30).
 
Looking at the NCAC slate, the team hosts DePauw University (3/23), the currently No. 25 ranked Denison University Big Red (4/3), Allegheny College (4/10), and Hiram College (4/20).  

Fans who cannot attend the games in person can watch all of the home games live online at goyeo.com/stream. Home games can also be accessed on a TV through the official Oberlin College athletics app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.