BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University women's lacrosse team is scheduled to open its 2024 season with a non-conference match versus rival Muhlenberg College on Wednesday, February 19 at 4:00 p.m. on John Makuvek Field.
Fourth-year Head Coach Caroline Pape enters the season with 15 returning players on the field from last year's 8-10 squad that made the Landmark Conference Tournament for the sixth consecutive tournament and 11 newcomers.
The Hounds return four Landmark All-Conference players led by senior attack Jackie Salvatore, who was selected as the 2024 Landmark Conference Offensive Athlete of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team after making the Second Team in 2022 and 2023, and she was the 2022 Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year. Salvatore, who also made the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association All-Metro Region First Team in 2024, set the school record with 109 points a year ago with 52 goals and a program record 57 assists, and she added 91 draw controls, 32 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers.
Senior midfielder Madi Dippel also made the Landmark All-Conference First Team last season after registering 66 points on 57 goals and nine assists to go with 79 draw controls, 45 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers. Senior midfielder Alex Cherenson earned a spot on the Landmark All-Conference Second Team for the second straight season with 66 goals, 11 assists, 32 ground balls, 63 draw controls and 24 caused turnovers while graduate student defender Keara Reilly also made Landmark All-Conference Second Team for the second consecutive season after four goals, 37 ground balls, 29 caused turnovers and two draw controls.
Coach Pape also has five other returners that netted at least 10 goals last season including sophomore attack Melissa Elefonte, who added 24 goals, 17 assists, 30 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. Junior midfielder Victoria Salica contributed 13 goals, six assists and 15 ground balls while junior midfielder Gianna Lotito had 14 goals, four assists, 17 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers and six draw controls. Sophomore midfielder Bailey Leatherman recorded 13 goals, four assists, eight draw controls and six ground balls while sophomore midfielder Reagan Reiner posted ten goals, four assists, 22 ground balls, seven draw controls and six caused turnovers.
Defensively, the Hounds return junior Kayla Graef and sophomore Elle Burd between the pipes. Graef registered 128 saves, and 8-9 record and 35 ground balls in 825 minutes of action while Burd had 31 saves and a 0-1 mark in 255 minutes of play. Senior midfielder Isabella Ziccardi posted 14 ground balls and six caused turnovers while senior defender Leah Hoskin had 13 ground balls and eight caused turnovers. Junior defender Grace Nelson had six ground balls and four caused turnovers in her debut season last spring while senior defender Erda Nesimi added three ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers.
Watch a season preview video including interviews with Coach Pape, Cherenson and Salvatore below.
