2020 Schedule
 
ITHACA, N.Y. – We are less than a week away from the Ithaca College women's lacrosse team getting the ball rolling on the 2020 campaign. The Bombers will get the much-anticipated spring season underway at Higgins Stadium this weekend with a 1:00 p.m. tilt against Nazareth College on Saturday, February 22. The contest will begin a two-month sprint that once-again figures to be highly entertaining, as a youthful but also extremely talented IC outfit challenges some of the nation's best in what the Bombers hope will be the year they capture that elusive Liberty League Championship.
 
Expectations remain high for the IC women coming into 2020. Entering her fifth season at the helm of the program, head coach Karrie Moore grown the program into a perennial presence on the national stage. The Bombers enter the year ranked 19^th in the initial preseason poll published by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). The announcement marked the 10^th consecutive year that Ithaca has at minimum received votes in the poll, while it is the fourth consecutive year in which the program was included among the initial Top-25 ranked programs. The consistency in the national polls has not been unwarranted, as the Bombers have reached the 14-win mark in each of the past four season under the guidance of Moore, which included the program's third all-time NCAA Tournament win last spring over Meredith College. There is not too much left that the IC women have yet to accomplish during Moore's tenure on South Hill; however, the one thing that has eluded the Bombers throughout this run of success has been a league title – a motivation that has been a motivating force for the program during the offseason and run-up to the 2020 slate.
 
"It's been a really good preseason for us," Moore explained. "We had several players study abroad in the fall, so it's nice to have everyone back. I think we have brought a lot of positive energy and we have a lot of people stepping up and taking charge."
 
During Moore's tenure, IC has been accustomed to having to retool particular position groups from year-to-year. Two seasons ago it was the midfield that witnessed significant turnover. Last year, it was the backend that was impacted most with the graduation of two All-League defenders and an All-League net-minder. This spring, the most intriguing group to monitor will be the attack, as IC will need to contend with the graduation of several key contributors up top headlined by Ithaca's all-time career point leader in Allie Panara '19, as well as excellent scorers in Elizabeth Rice '19 and Danika Wagener '19. Along with the attrition of Maeve Cambria '19 and midfielder Erin McGee '19, the above group accounted for a significant portion of IC's offense in 2019, as a group registering 214 points on 143 goals and 73 assists. The draw also figures to be an interesting area to watch as IC will be without the services of Panara who took the vast majority of draws and made a dynamic tandem with 2019-graduate defender Reid Simoncini who ranked among the nation's best with 125 controls, while also delivering a team-best 33 caused turnovers a season ago. Despite the graduation losses, Ithaca still boasts some key scorers and has significant depth throughout the midfield and backend to challenge any program.
 
"We certainly graduated some pretty significant leaders from last year's group, but I think our returners have done an excellent job of stepping up and into new roles so far," Moore said. "By necessity, we will have a lot of new faces shouldering the load for us this season and I am 100-percent confident they are going to rise to that challenge get the job done."
 
The Bombers will not have long to get up to speed in 2020, as the program faces one of the most difficult schedules in the country during the opening month of the year. Following the season opener against Nazareth on Saturday, Ithaca will face four consecutive opponents ranked in the initial IWLCA Top-25. The first contest will occur at home with a date against No. 20 Scranton on Wednesday, February 26. The final three clashes will be on the road, as IC heads to No. 22 SUNY Cortland on Saturday, February 29, No. 21 Brockport on Saturday, March 7, and No. 17 Colorado College on Wednesday, March 11. Two more ranked opponents headline the final month of the schedule with both games being played at Higgins Stadium. The Bombers will have home field for a monumental Liberty League clash against No. 15 William Smith on Wednesday, March 25, while IC has one final non-league resume builder at home in an afternoon clash against No. 11 St. John Fisher on Friday, April 17.
 
"I'm a firm believer in embracing challenges and playing a difficult schedule year-in and year-out," Moore continued. "In order to get to where we want to be at the end of the year we need to test ourselves against the best. Our schedule, both outside of the Liberty League and within the Liberty League will do a good job of preparing us for those championship opportunities come May."
 
Keep reading for a position-by-position breakdown of the IC women's lacrosse team this season.
 
Attack
The discussion at attack will undoubtedly begin with the return of senior standout Bailey Herr who figures to headline the group this season. Herr is coming off record-setting 2019 campaign in which she shattered the program's single-season record for points with 97 as a junior. The third-year talent racked up 57 goals and 40 assists, both marks tops among returning players for the 2020 season. The huge statistical season netted Herr All-Liberty League First Team praise, while she was also was an IWLCA All-Empire Region First Team selection.
 
Herr enters the 2020 season in some prestigious company, having already broken into the program's Top-10 all-time in career points. The senior begins the season with an even-200 for her career, which currently ranks eighth on the program's all-time list. She sits 72 points off the mark set by 2019-graduate Allie Panara. With another big season she figures to not only challenge for the top mark, but also work her way well into the Top-10 lists in career goals and career assists as well. Herr has already broken into the latter category, ranking sixth all-time with 70 helpers, while her 130 career goals are just six shy of entering the Top-10 in that category.
 
From a previous production standpoint, things fall off rather quickly behind Herr. However, this is more due to lack of lineup opportunities more than anything else. With IC's loaded attacking unit over the past couple of seasons, opportunities to make a large impact were not necessarily prevalent outside of late minutes as a reserve. Despite these facts, the Bombers return a host of players that saw some action a season ago and are poised for similar breakouts to what Herr has been able to accomplish.
 
Leading the way among this group is rising junior Indira Varma who has flashed some dynamic talent over her first two seasons on South Hill. As a sophomore, Varma appeared in all 21 contests for the Bombers and was a strong complimentary piece to the IC attack. She registered 18 points on 12 goals and six assists, approximately equaling her first-year total when she netted 12 goals and added five helpers in 19 games played. Expect Varma's total to spike considerably higher this season with new career highs well within reach with an increased workload.
 
Another player that figures to make a jump this season is junior Madison Boutureira. Last spring, Boutureira witnessed modest jumps in production from her first season, doubling her rookie year total with six goals in 10 total games played. Boutureira saw spot starting time during the year a season ago and seems poised to break into the lineup in a more formidable way in 2020.
 
One player that has caught the eye of the coaches during the offseason has been junior Alexa Ritchie. She enters the year having appeared in six games as a reserve in each of her first two seasons on campus. That number figures to increase exponentially this season. Don't be surprised to see her production break into double-digits in goal scoring this season.
 
Fellow junior Gianna Dilaura will also be in the mix for increased playing time this spring. Although IC's most diminutive presence on attack at 4'11", her speed and shiftiness provide a dynamic blend for this emerging group. Expect career numbers from talented junior.
 
Midfield
Contrary to IC's situation up top, the number of experienced returners in the midfield is considerable. The Bombers have six returning midfielders that appeared in all 21 contests for the Bombers in 2019, while nine total players return that saw playing time a season ago. Among the group are dynamic offensive talents in juniors Jacqui Hallack and Megan Motkowski, strong two-way players in senior Katie Welch and junior Caroline Grant, as well as rock-solid defensive-minded stalwarts in junior Rachel Rosenberg and Samantha Marsh.
 
Two players that will figure to help ease the transition up top are Hallack and Motkowski who are both coming off strong campaigns in 2019.
 
Hallack saw a big spike in production from her first collegiate campaign to her second. Entering the year as the reigning Liberty League Rookie of the Year after a 30-goal campaign as a first-year, Hallack nearly reached the 50-goal mark last spring, finishing the season with new career highs of 49 goals and seven assists. Her agility is her greatest asset and figures to feature prominently on attack for the Bombers this spring. Also look for Hallack to play a bigger role on the draw in a similar fashion to Simoncini's past role. Hallack was an All-Liberty League First Team selection and an IWLCA All-Empire Region Second Team pick as a sophomore.
 
Motkowski had a strong debut campaign after transferring into the program last spring. She posted 29 points on 24 goals and five assists, while she joined Hallack in starting all 21 games. Motkowski is one of Ithaca's most adept stick handlers and was not afraid to showcase a physical side as the Bombers most comfortable players in close quarters in the slot. Look for those offensive numbers to increase considerably in 2020.
 
Welch and Grant also figure to have their impacts geared more on the attacking end. Welch saw a nice boost in production with increased playing time a season ago, as she posted 13 points on 10 goals and three assists. Grant also broke onto the scene as a strong two-way player with eight goals and two assists, while also corralling 20 ground-balls and five caused turnovers. With an added year of seasoning, expect big things from this group in 2020.
 
Among the more defensive-minded players in the midfield, Rosenberg figures to top the list after posting an impressive bounce-back season as a sophomore. Coming off a knee-injury that cut her burgeoning rookie season short, Rosenberg returned to the lineup and made 21 starts as a sophomore. She ranked second among IC midfielders behind Hallack with 27 ground-balls and 11 caused turnovers. Rosenberg again figures to headline IC's transition defense and defensive zone efforts among the midfield.
 
Joining Rosenberg in that role is fellow junior Samantha Marsh who enjoyed a fine second season on South Hill in 2019. She appeared in all 21 games, which included one start, while she accumulated nine ground-balls and six caused turnovers.
 
The above group will be complemented by returners Alex Rabb and Samantha Rabb, as well as sophomore Lauren White who all saw spot action a season ago. Alex Rabb saw the most time of the group with appearances in seven contests for IC. She racked up one goal and one assist. Samantha Rabb saw action in four games, recording one ground-ball and one caused turnover, while White played in five contests as a rookie.
 
Joining the group is first-year player Jettke Gray, who arrives to the program out of the St. Joseph prep program in Easton, Connecticut. Gray was a three-time First Team All-State FCIAC Honorable Mention selection during her time at St. Joseph and figures to make an impression in her collegiate debut this spring.
 
Defense
The defense also looks to be an area of strength for the Bombers coming into the 2020 season. Although IC will be without the services of All-Liberty League defender Reid Simoncini, an experienced and deep group of Bombers returns to the fold for IC in 2020.
 
The group is headlined by the trio of senior Becky Mehorter and juniors Caroline Paquin and Molly Nodiff who all were full-time starters a season ago.
 
Mehorter has been a stalwart on the backend for IC dating back to her first season on South Hill and figures to have another fine season in store for her final year. The senior sets the tone for the group with her physical and aggressive play, which translated to a nice statistical line of 32 ground-balls and 25 caused turnovers last spring.
 
The breakout story of the 2019 campaign was the performance of Nodiff who broke onto the scene with a monster year as a first-time starter. She paced the squad with 52 ground-balls, while she added 30 caused turnovers en route to capturing All-Liberty League Second Team praise. Look for her to continue to rise in her third collegiate season.
 
Fellow junior Caroline Paquin has also been a steadying presence on the backend dating back to her rookie season. As a sophomore, Paquin started 20 games for IC and posted solid new career highs in both ground-balls (15) and caused turnovers (12).
 
Three returning players – Mallory Chamberlain, Gillian Hanson, and Kelly Mehorter – also come back to the group after seeing action as reserves during their rookie campaigns in 2019. All three saw action in two games as first-year Bombers and will look to solidify additional playing time this spring. Hanson posted three ground-balls and one caused turnover, while Mehorter secured one of each, and Chamberlain notched one ground-ball in the limited action.
 
One first-year also joins the group in Mackenzie Farrar out of Glastonbury High School in Cape Neddick, Maine. She was a four-year contributor for the lacrosse team during her prep career, while her high school program went on to win CCC Championships during all four of her varisty seasons.
 
Goalie
The Bombers look to be well-stocked in the goal as well this season with the return of both 2019 keepers in junior Mackenzie Schade and sophomore Lillian Matz. Joining the group this season is also first-year talent Kayla Howley from Roy C. Ketcham High School.
 
Schade had a bit of a mixed season in her first year as the full-time starter last spring. She accounted for the goalie of record in all 21 of Ithaca's contests, finishing the year with 137 saves, however, her peripheral numbers in goals-against and save percentage ranked middle of the pack in the Liberty League. Schade has worked incredibly hard in refining her craft during the offseason and has emerged this spring as a strong leadership presence. Expect a career year from the third-year net-minder who again figures to have the inside track on the starting job this spring.
 
Matz appeared in three contests in a reserve role for the Bombers last spring. Her numbers were impressive in a small sample size, as she marked nine saves and a .692 save percentage in just over 70 minutes of action.