The University of Mount Olive women’s lacrosse team enters the 2023 season ranked in two national preseason polls. They play host to Meredith College in an exhibition contest Saturday.
The University of Mount Olive’s lacrosse team returns eight seniors and seven graduate students and is ranked in two national preseason polls.
Conference Carolina peers tab the Trojans to “three-peat” as league champs since nine all-league selections from 2022 remain on the roster.
The preseason hype is not surprising.
In fact, expectations continue to grow, according to third-year head coach Heather Coppola.
“We’re locked and loaded … have stayed loaded since last year when we brought in 17 new players and they’re all back,” said Coppola, whose Division II program is ranked No. 20 by Nike/USA Lacrosse and No. 23 by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA).
“They’re all getting comfortable with each other after last season. Hopefully, this season is like a continuation of where we left off. All the cards are hopefully stacked in our favor. I just hope we play them right.”
A non-conference schedule stacked with nationally-ranked powerhouses will undoubtedly test that house of cards’ foundation.
Former D2 champion Florida Southern (No. 7) comes calling Feb. 17 and No. 13 Seton Hill visits March 4. The Trojans travel to No. 16 Embry-Riddle on March 7 and entertain No. 15 Wingate in mid-April.
The schedule upgrade comes after last season.
Despite a 14-win campaign that included a league tournament crown, the NCAA didn’t award the Trojans an at-large bid to the postseason.
The snub stung.
“Chip on our shoulder? Yes,” Coppola said. “I think that with the way our conference is set up, we have to come out of the gate firing [in non-conference]. You have to build the toughest schedule in the country to be considered. We’re looking to come out with a vengeance and prove we are definitely a team to contend with in the south [region].”
Four of the Trojans’ top six scorers are back — graduate students Meagan Maxwell, Ali Davis, Morgan Paige and Zoe Daughtry. Maxwell logged 20 goals and a team-best 41 assists. Davis provided 47 goals and 11 assists. Paige supplied 29 goals and 14 assists. Named the league’s scholar athlete-of-the-year in 2022, Daughtry’s stat sheet included 18 goals and 13 assists.
Senior Cameron Youngblood and goalie Claire Hagen anchor a defense that held opponents to five goals or less in six outings a year ago. Hagen posted 11 wins between the pipes and recorded 94 saves in 16 starts.
“We have a ton of players in their sixth year of college lacrosse,” Coppola said. “[The] edge that we have is we have 13 seniors this year, which is exciting and horrifying all in the same breath. They know this is the end of the road. The bare minimum now is to win the conference regular-season and tournament championship.
“Now, we want to be on the national stage. This is the team that’s going to do something big for Mount Olive and it’s making sure we meet our expectations because those expectations are extremely high.”
Weather permitting, the Trojans take on in-state foe Meredith College in an exhibition contest Saturday. First draw is 10 a.m.
