Friday, February 9
Indianapolis, Ind. / Varsity Field
3 PM
Central Michigan University
at
Butler
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Chippewa Lacrosse Hungry as Ever Entering 2024 Season
2/8/2024 1:55:00 PM | Lacrosse
Central Michigan visits Butler Friday (Feb. 9) to open the 2024 campaign; defense expected to set the tone this season
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Coach Emilia Ward and her CMU lacrosse squad head into the 2024 season in search of a third straight Mid-American Conference title.
"We're really excited," Ward said. "Sometimes you get a group that's won two conference championships and you get a little complacent, and I think this group is definitely not that."
Central Michigan finished third in the MAC regular season with a 6-2 record in 2023, with losses coming to the top two teams, Kent State and Robert Morris, both of whom the Chippewas took down in the conference tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Despite losing their top three scorers, the Chippewas returned nine players who started in the team's NCAA Tournament game and will look to rely on a defense that was one of the best in the conference last season, led by graduate student Hailie Moore and junior goalkeeper Alexa Martel, both 2023 All-MAC honorees.
"Our offensive leaders from last year did a good job at preparing the younger players to take their spots later in the year," Moore said. "We'll take that moving forward and work with our strengths as a team into winning together and doing it as a family."
Junior Jozy Allen (All-MAC Second Team) also returns. She and Moore combined to cause 51 turnovers, and they finished third and fifth, respectively, in the conference in that category in 2023. Martel posted a MAC-best .498 save percentage and was second in both goals against average (11.10) and saves per game (9.72).
On offense, the Chippewas will look to turn to Junior attackers Sadie Hinkle and Skye DePrado, the team's top two returning scorers. Hinkle notched 30 goals and 15 assists, totaling 45 points, while DePrado netted 20 goals.
"It's definitely a lot to put on myself and our other juniors and seniors," DePrado said. "But I think we're all really prepared for it."
In addition, the Chippewas welcome 12 freshmen as Ward's first recruiting class. Among them are two Michiganders, Alayna Davis (Rockford/Forest Hills Eastern) and Margaret English (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Central), with representation also from Illinois (2), Georgia (2), Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Ontario.
"If we can have four or five in this freshman class that get minutes and a couple that start for us, we're going to be in good shape," Ward said.
The Chippewas open at Butler on Friday, Feb. 9 (3 p.m.). Their MAC title defense will begin on Sunday, March 17 (noon) at home against Detroit Mercy.
"We're really excited," Ward said. "Sometimes you get a group that's won two conference championships and you get a little complacent, and I think this group is definitely not that."
Central Michigan finished third in the MAC regular season with a 6-2 record in 2023, with losses coming to the top two teams, Kent State and Robert Morris, both of whom the Chippewas took down in the conference tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Despite losing their top three scorers, the Chippewas returned nine players who started in the team's NCAA Tournament game and will look to rely on a defense that was one of the best in the conference last season, led by graduate student Hailie Moore and junior goalkeeper Alexa Martel, both 2023 All-MAC honorees.
"Our offensive leaders from last year did a good job at preparing the younger players to take their spots later in the year," Moore said. "We'll take that moving forward and work with our strengths as a team into winning together and doing it as a family."
Junior Jozy Allen (All-MAC Second Team) also returns. She and Moore combined to cause 51 turnovers, and they finished third and fifth, respectively, in the conference in that category in 2023. Martel posted a MAC-best .498 save percentage and was second in both goals against average (11.10) and saves per game (9.72).
On offense, the Chippewas will look to turn to Junior attackers Sadie Hinkle and Skye DePrado, the team's top two returning scorers. Hinkle notched 30 goals and 15 assists, totaling 45 points, while DePrado netted 20 goals.
"It's definitely a lot to put on myself and our other juniors and seniors," DePrado said. "But I think we're all really prepared for it."
In addition, the Chippewas welcome 12 freshmen as Ward's first recruiting class. Among them are two Michiganders, Alayna Davis (Rockford/Forest Hills Eastern) and Margaret English (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Central), with representation also from Illinois (2), Georgia (2), Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Ontario.
"If we can have four or five in this freshman class that get minutes and a couple that start for us, we're going to be in good shape," Ward said.
The Chippewas open at Butler on Friday, Feb. 9 (3 p.m.). Their MAC title defense will begin on Sunday, March 17 (noon) at home against Detroit Mercy.
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