By: Tess Ferguson '25, athletics communications student assistant
ITHACA, N.Y. - The nationally ranked No. 11/15 Ithaca College women's lacrosse team will open its 2025 season at home against SUNY Brockport at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23. The Bombers are coming off an outstanding 18–2 season in which they earned their first Liberty League title in program history and went undefeated in league play.
The team then traveled to Middlebury, Vt. on a playoff run before falling to the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens in the NCAA Third Round.
The Bombers are once again led by head coach
Karrie Moore — who is entering her 10th season with the team and became the program's winningest coach in 2024 with 122 victories. She will be assisted by
Madison Mulligan who is entering her fourth season.
In 2024, the team graduated an impressive senior class including All-American honorees
Caroline Wise,
Sydney Phillips,
Maizy Veitch and
Lexi Held. However, the team boasts 21 returners including fifth-year student-athletes
Maggie Mandel and
Lexi Kellish.
The defensive end of the field will remain unchanged and led by Mandel (15 ground balls, 18 caused turnovers) alongside
Kaitlyn Russell (22 GB, 17 CT),
Olivia Puppo (16 GB, 11 CT) and
Phoebe Hosford (18 GB, 9 CT). In the cage, the Bombers will return junior
Jocelyn Cote and introduce first-year
Mikaela Dattilo.
The attacking end will return
Hayley Armstrong,
Maddie Hall,
Juliana Esposito and
Leigh Naturale while the midfield will once again see strong performances by Kellish (22 goals, 10 assists),
honorable mention preseason All-American Lily Cody (45 G, 16 A), and
Elizabeth Green (21 G, 6 A).
Other returners this season are
Tess Ferguson,
Katelyn Ikle,
Lauren Russell,
Kelly Augeri,
Sydney Smith, Lilly Peña,
Paige Smith,
Katrina Clark and
Sarah Bernier.
The Bombers will introduce a first-year class of eight including Dattilo,
Kathryn Scallon,
Kelly Kilbourn,
Erin Wilkinson,
Emma Hardy,
Lillian Belsito,
Gabrielle Crellin and
Taya Dukes.
Following the season opener against Brockport, the Bombers will welcome SUNY Cortland on March 1 and head to the University of Scranton on March 9. The team will then travel to Baltimore, Md. for spring break where they will face the No. 11 Roanoke College before returning home to begin Liberty League competition.
Liberty League road games this season are Union (March 29), No. 8 William Smith (April 9), RPI (April 12), Vassar (April 18) and Bard (April 19). The Bombers also travel to St. John Fisher on March 22.
The Liberty League slate consists of home games against RIT (March 15), Rochester (March 26), Clarkson (April 4), St. Lawrence (April 5), with a non-conference tilt with Hamilton on April 22 before the regular season finale.
The Bombers will conclude the 2025 regular season on April 26 at home when they face the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds on Senior Day before looking to defend their conference title in the Liberty League playoffs.
Liberty League postseason play commences on April 29 with first round games, followed by the semifinals on May 2 and the championship match on May 4.
