Women’s Lacrosse Back for More After Strong Season

Photo Courtesy of Susquehanna University Athletics 

By Marquis Frias 

It’s the middle of February, which means the sticks are high for the women’s lacrosse team. This year, the River Hawks have their eyes set on a major goal – one that hasn’t been accomplished in over a decade. 

Last year’s women’s lacrosse squad saw many highs, including a five-game winning streak early in the year along with a four-game unbeaten run to close out the season. SU finished among the top of the Landmark leaderboards in every major statistical category, securing the third seed in the conference playoffs. 

Avenging a loss from earlier in the season, SU scraped past Moravian 13-12 in the quarterfinals before being dominated by eight-time champions Catholic 16-1 in the semifinals. The Cardinals have eliminated the River Hawks in each of the past three seasons. 

The win against the Greyhounds was SU’s first in a decade; it was also the first time in eight years that a playoff women’s lacrosse game was played on Sassafras Field. 

“The confidence that this team built up last year is something we will carry with us into this season,” said Emma Kelleher, a senior midfielder and co-captain who contributed 38 goals and 18 assists last season. “After proving that we could compete at a high level against every opponent we faced, our belief in ourselves grew tremendously, fueling even greater success on the field.” 

With this newfound success, it seems like the River Hawks’ goal of making it back to the big stage is closer than ever with this year’s team.  

“We have high expectations for this upcoming season, especially based on how well we performed on the field last year…we still have very strong personnel on the team that could get the job done, as well as lots of new talent with our incoming class,” Kelleher said.  

This year, the River Hawks will welcome in ten first-year players to replace the eight graduating seniors from the 2024 team. Key returners like Kelleher, attacker Abby Andrus and goalie Aerin O’Brien look to lead the team to new heights this year.  

“I’m very excited to see what we can do this year as a group,” Kelleher said. “As a whole, our team is constantly improving and I’m really excited to see it put into play in our upcoming game on Wednesday.”  

The River Hawks will open their season and their quest for their second Landmark Championship on Wednesday at Dickinson College. Their first home game is at noon Saturday against Misericordia.