The Washington & Jefferson College women's lacrosse team is set to begin its 2020 campaign at Hood College on Saturday, Feb. 22.
 
2019 Season Review: The W&J women's lacrosse team made its fourth-consecutive trip to a conference championship game with its run to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) final in 2019. Previously the Presidents appeared in the last three Ohio River Lacrosse Conference (ORLC) title games, winning ORLC championships in 2016 and 2017.
 
The Presidents posted a 9-8 overall record with a 6-1 PAC mark last spring. In seven PAC games, the Presidents outscored their opposition 107-33, and the only W&J loss came in overtime at eventual league champion Westminster.
 
W&J earned the second seed in the PAC Tournament and defeated Franciscan 12-7 in the PAC Semifinals. The Presidents fell to top-seeded Westminster in the PAC Championship game 15-5.
 
We learned a tough lesson last year, following another bittersweet ending to our season," said seventh-year head coach Alison Valerio. "We accomplished a lot of our goals, most of all making another championship appearance. As with the loss in 2018, we learned a lot about ourselves and as a program and are motivated more than ever to make another run in 2020."
 
Seven Presidents were named All-PAC, five of which were All-PAC First Team selections.
 
The Presidents return five all-conference performers for 2020, but will have to replace four-year starter and three-time all-conference defender Allison Onslow.
 
Onslow, a 2019 graduate and the only senior on the roster last spring, started a program-record 68 games over her four-year career and ranks inside W&J's top five all-time in ground balls (167) and caused turnovers (31). She finished fifth in the PAC in caused turnovers per game (1.82) in 2019.
 
2020 Preseason Poll:

1. Washington & Jefferson - 48 points (6 first-place votes)
2. Westminster - 42 points (2)
3. Franciscan - 37 points
4. Saint Vincent - 29 points
5. Chatham - 26 points
6. Thiel - 22 points
7. Bethany - 12 points
8. Waynesburg - 8 points

The Presidents were picked atop the PAC preseason poll for the second-consecutive season.
 
Westminster captured the top seed in the PAC Tournament and won the PAC Championship despite being picked fifth in last spring's preseason poll.
 
PAC Players to Watch: Sam Lenfesty, Clara Sherwood, Katelyn White
 
Team Captains: Katelyn White and Clara Sherwood
 
Position-By-Position Breakdown:
 
"We're fortunate to enter this season with several returning and contributing players, many of whom bring all-conference accolades and multi-year experience," said Valerio. "Our returners have a wealth of knowledge, not only about the game of lacrosse, but for how our program operates and the expectations that come from being part of it. Regardless of captainship, they provide leadership for our freshmen, as well as insight into playing at the collegiate level and what it takes to succeed here. The best part about coaching our veterans is seeing their growth each year and it's rewarding to watch their careers play out in front of us. In the end, the goal is always to leave a legacy with WJWL."
 
On the Attack - W&J will break in at least two new starters at the attack position in 2020. 
 
Senior Alexis Miller (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) will split time on the attacking and defensive ends this season. She was an All-PAC Second Team selection after she logged 19 goals and 5 assists for 24 points. Miller led the Presidents with 39 caused turnovers and ranked fourth in the PAC with 2.44 caused turnovers per game. She concluded the season with 14-consecutive games with multiple points and had six games with at least four CTs.
 
Senior Kayla Boulas (North Branford, Conn./North Branford) is a returning three-year starter, and she recorded 19 goals and 5 assists last spring.
 
In the Middle - The Presidents boast an experienced midfield group with three returning starters and three returning all-conference honorees.
 
Sophomore Clara Sherwood (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) led the Presidents in draw controls (60) and ground balls (60) as she collected All-PAC First Team laurels. She ranked eighth in the PAC in draw controls per game (3.53) and ninth in ground balls per game (3.53), and was second on the roster with 29 goals and a 47.5 percent shooting percentage.
 
Junior Sofiya Bobrovnikova (Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast) joined Sherwood on the All-PAC First Team. She totaled 48 points (24 goals, 24 assists), collected 54 ground balls, 49 draw controls and 25 caused turnovers. She finished tied for sixth in the PAC in assists per game (1.41) and was tied for ninth in draw controls per game (2.88).
 
Senior Jenna Allen (Sanford, Fla./Seminole) provides versatility to play all three phases of the field. She started all 17 games last season and had 11 points (seven goals, four assists), 22 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers.
 
On the Defense - Senior Katelyn White (Linthicum, Md./North County) returns as a three-year starter along the President back line. She earned All-PAC Second Team honors after registering 25 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers.
 
Senior Carli Hopkin (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) has started alongside White each of the last three seasons. In 17 games last spring, she snagged 17 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers.
 
Sophomore Lem Gamble (Pittsburgh, Pa./The Ellis School) started the final 10 games of 2019, recording seven ground balls and causing five turnovers. Classmate Rosa Messersmith (Abbottstown, Pa./New Oxford) appeared in 10 games with one start last year.
 
Between the Pipes - W&J All-PAC First Team goalkeeper sophomore Sam Lenfesty (Frederick, Md./Frederick) for 2020.
 
Lenfesty posted a 54.7 percent save percentage and 7.29 goals against average in 551:08 minutes over 12 games.
 
"We're thrilled with the success Sam registered last season," said Valerio. "From the beginning, she was receptive to learning from Sara Maute and it was evident when it came time for her to take the reins. She stepped up for us under difficult circumstances and continued to impress us each game. She earned every single one of her stats and really owned the opportunity, which is not an easy task for any freshman. We're very excited to see her success grow even more this season. "
 
Newcomers: The Presidents welcome their largest freshman class in at least seven years with eight first-year players. 
 
Freshman Sam Casile (New Kensington, PA/Plum) – Midfield
Freshman Lina Crowley (Potomac, MD/Bullis School) - Attack
Freshman Amanda Effland (Frederick, MD/Frederick) – Attack
Freshman Gabby Galla (Erie, PA/Villa Maria) – Defense
Freshman Becca Ghion (Sutersville, PA/Yough) – Midfield
Freshman Sarah Labovitz (Great Falls, VA/Bullis School) – Midfield
Freshman Sam Louis (Oakdale, PA/South Fayette) – Defense
Sophomore Star Rosnick (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) – Attack
Freshman Victoria Wilson (Butler, PA/North Catholic) – Defense

"We're extremely excited about our freshmen class," said Valerio. "They're a diverse group of talented players who are going to have an immediate impact on the field this season. Their chemistry as a class is one of the strongest we've seen and they've already shown growth individually and as a unit. They mesh well with our upperclassmen and have demonstrated they can compete/hold their own, which shows a lot of promise for the future. They come to us from several different areas and have each brought their own skill set or, better yet, personality to the team."
 
Looking at the Schedule: W&J has eight out-of-conference games and seven PAC contests scheduled for 2020.
 
The Presidents non-conference slate is highlighted by reigning Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champion Albion visiting Alexandre Stadium on Mar. 3.
 
W&J travels to Clearwater, Fla. to face off with Marywood and Hiram Mar. 9-10. Marywood reached the conference finals in the Atlantic East Conference last spring.
 
PAC play for the Presidents begins on Mar. 25 at Chatham. The Presidents host returning PAC champs Westminster on Apr. 8.
 
The PAC Tournament features the top four teams in the regular-season standings with the top two teams hosting semifinals against the third and fourth seeds. The PAC semifinals are scheduled for Apr. 29 with the conference finals set for May 2.
 
"Each year the goal is to challenge our players in nonconference games in a way that will motivate us and push us to succeed in our conference schedule," said Valerio. "The team thrives on competition and learns best from overcoming adversity. We're excited to see the outcome."
 
Last Word: "Our expectations and goals remain the same year to year," said Valerio. "We've dealt with two consecutive losses in conference finals, so it's time for redemption. We have a lot of experienced leadership this year, stemming from a strong senior class, all of whom know what it feels like to win and lose a championship. Their presence will pay dividends, which has resonated with our underclassmen since the start of the fall season. As coaches, we're excited to see what this group will accomplish in 2020."