WASHINGTON, Pa. – After winning its first Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship a season ago, the Washington & Jefferson College women's lacrosse team looks to repeat in 2022.
2021 Season Review: Under the guidance of head coach
Alison Valerio, the Presidents finished with a 10-1 overall record in 2021. W&J claimed its first PAC title (third-ever conference title) and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
The Presidents capped an impressive run against PAC competition with a dominant 18-3 victory over Thiel College in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Tournament Championship match in the spring of 2021. The victory gave W&J the conference's automatic-qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
W&J made its second NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and advanced all the way to the NCAA Third Round, falling to eventual NCAA Division III National Champion Salisbury University. The Presidents first appeared in NCAAs back in 2017 after winning the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference (ORLC).
Salisbury University gave the Presidents their only loss in the 2021 season, defeating W&J by a score of 17-3. Salisbury then went on to earn their fourth NCAA III Championship title later that month.
"We played with the uncertainty of having a season for a really long time, so every decision we made last year was to ensure it would happen," said Head Coach
Alison Valerio. "That alone really bonded us as a team and we realized not to take any opportunity for granted. Getting through last season during COVID was probably the most difficult experience we've ever faced, but it made us stronger as a team and that really translated onto the field."
Off the field, Washington & Jefferson College women's lacrosse team was recognized as an Academic Honor Squad for the 2020-21 academic year by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA).
The IWLCA honored 922 student-athletes from 190 different institutions on the 2021 IWLCA Division III Academic Honor Roll. To be eligible for this honor, student-athletes must be a junior, senior, or graduate student and have earned a cumulative academic GPA of 3.50 or greater.
"Academics have always been valued in our program and we take great pride in our success in the classroom," said Valerio. "Playing lacrosse and excelling academically go hand-in-hand and are at the forefront of our goals and expectations as a program."
Team Captains: Sam Casile,
Sofia Jenkins,
Sam Louis,
Clara Sherwood
| 2022 PAC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll (Predicted order of finish) |
| School (first-place votes) |
Points |
2021 records |
| 1. W&J (7) |
79 |
10-1 (6-0 PAC) |
| 2. Chatham (1) |
67 |
7-3 (5-1 PAC) |
| 3. Franciscan (1) |
65 |
4-4 (2-3 PAC) |
| 4. Saint Vincent |
58 |
5-6 (2-4 PAC) |
| 5. Thiel |
54 |
7-3 (4-2 PAC) |
| 6. Grove City |
48 |
First-year varsity program |
| 7. Westminster |
40 |
1-7 (1-4 PAC) |
| 8. Bethany |
32 |
1-3 (0-1 PAC) |
| 9. Waynesburg |
25 |
0-9 (0-5 PAC) |
Returners: W&J returns all of their main key contributors for the 2022 season after not graduating any players in the Spring of 2021.
"We're extremely fortunate to return everyone from last season; that rarely happens. Last year, we were a fairly young team, which was challenging at times, but we achieved a lot and the experience we had has turned a lot of our players into veteran players," said Valerio. "A year later, we've seen a ton of growth and are expecting several returning and newer players to have an impact this season."
On The Attack – Junior
Amanda Effland (Frederick, Md./Frederick) returns as the Presidents' top scoring threat. She led the Presidents in goals (39), assists (31) and points (70). By the end of her sophomore campaign, Effland ranked 15th among all Division III players in points per game (6.36) and 22nd nationally in assists per game (2.82). Effland's efforts was earned her PAC Offensive Player of the Week twice and a spot on the PAC All-Tournament Team in 2021.
"Amanda plays with a lot of grit and heart. Having lost her freshman season due to injury, she plays every game like it's her last because she knows what it's like to lose that opportunity," said Valerio. "You would think losing an entire year would have held her back, but her talent and lax IQ bounced right back and she's been a force on our offense ever since. Her position specifically calls for a lot of skill; to be able to use both hands and both drive and feed. Sometimes Mandy makes it look so easy!"
Sophomore
Aisa Uhler (East Lansing, Mich./East Lansing) returns after a strong freshman debut. Aisa returns as the top under-classmen in goals from the 2021 season (23). Uhler tallied five points three separate times during her initial campaign with the Red and Black. She finished with 23 goals and 11 assists for a total of 34 points, finishing ninth in the PAC for points per game.The freshman earned Rookie of the Week honors twice in 2021.
"Aisa is very talented and super athletic. She makes quick decisions that are difficult to defend, so she's really developed her off-ball game a lot this year," said Valerio. "Her overall role hasn't changed much, but instinctively she's learned how to work well with each of our offensive players. We expect her to be very successful at finishing inside and off the 8M this season."
Sophomores
Sadie Firman (Richmond, Vt./Mount Mansfield Union) and
Emily Heck (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic), junior
Lina Crowley (Potomac, Md./The Bullis School) and senior
Katelyn Walzer (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny) all will play roles at the position. Firman and Crowley saw extensive time last spring for the PAC Championship team.
In The Midfield –Junior
Sarah Labovitz (Great Falls, Va./The Bullis School) is W&J's most prominent returner. Labovitz led the Presidents in draw controls (63), ground balls (46) and ranked second in caused turnovers (22). Her 19 draw controls in a road win at Saint Vincent on April 18 were a single-game school record. She scored five or more goals four times this season, which included a seven-goal output in the PAC Tournament Semifinals vs. Franciscan. Labovitz was named Most Outstanding Player of the PAC Tournament and PAC Offensive Player of the Year.
"Sarah continually works hard and is our most unselfish player," said Valerio. "She's extremely athletic and carries a high lax IQ. Sarah just "gets it" on the field, which makes her a versatile player and difficult to stop."
Seniors
Clara Sherwood (Indiana, Pa./Indiana Area) and
Becca Ghion (Sutersville, Pa./Yough) return for their final year with W&J. Sherwood finished third on the team for goals (25) in 2021, registering a career high five goals against Franciscan. Ghion matched her career-high goals of four in 2021 against Westminster. Additionally, Sherwood was named on the PAC All-Tournament Team and All-PAC First Team during her junior campaign.
Sophomore
Sofia Jenkins (Hughesville, Md./The Calverton School) returns after starting in every game for the Presidents during her freshman season. Jenkins finished the 2021 season third on the team in points (36) and second in assists (20), behind W&J's key returners Effland and Labovitz. Jenkins earned PAC Rookie of the Week, PAC All-Tournament Team, and All-PAC First Team during her freshman showing.
On The Defense – Junior
Sam Casile (New Kensington, Pa./Plum) returns as one of W&J's top defenders after finally being able to play after her injury during her freshman season. Casile finished her sophomore season third on the team with 29 ground balls and 17 caused turn overs. Additionally, she was awarded on the 2021 PAC Sportsmanship team.
"Sam has grown immensely as a player. Like Amanda, she had to bounce back after losing freshman year, but she learned a lot from the sideline that carried her into last season," said Valerio. "Sam plays with a lot of grit and never stops hustling. She's worked to grow her lax IQ and continues to be a student of the game."
Sophomore
Paige Howe (Bowie, Md./St. John's) started in all 11 games for the Red & Black during her freshman season. She ended her first season with 16 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers.
Juniors
Sam Louis (Oakdale, Pa./South Fayette) and
Gabby Galla (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) return after serving as starters for the unit in 2021. Additionally, two-sport athlete
Victoria Wilson (Butler, Pa./North Catholic), returns.
In Goal –Sophomore
Kaitlyn Brown (Charlotte Hall, Md./La Plata) returns after earning PAC Newcomer of the year after her freshman debut. Brown recorded a career-high 14 saves against Thiel and eight ground balls against Saint Vincent. Due to Brown's outstanding performance, she additionally earned All-PAC First Team and PAC All-Tournament Team honors.
"It takes a special person to step in, as a freshman, and have the season that KB had last year. She is truly one of a kind and we're extremely proud of her accomplishments," said Valerio. "We were very honest with KB early on, not to hold back and use her voice, regardless of being a rookie. She has one of the best lax IQ's, so everyone has learned from her leadership. KB is the backbone of the team. As a coach, it's been really encouraging to watch everyone protect and support her on the field."
Newcomers: W&J adds four freshmen to the roster in 2022.
# Name Pos. HT Hometown/High School
2
Haley Lawyer M 5-8 Glenside, Pa./Archbishop Wood
3
Brooke Lee M 5-2 La Plata, Md./La Plata
13
Ella Phillips D 5-5 Arnold, Md./Broadneck
99
Gianna Lamanna GK 5-9 Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy
"We're excited for our newcomers to experience their first collegiate season," said Valerio. "They have a ton of potential to have an impact right away. We're working to find their best fit on the field and are looking forward to watching their growth this season."
Looking at the Schedule: W&J is scheduled to play a 15-game regular season. The Presidents open the 2022 campaign at home on February 26 as they host Capital.
PAC play commences March 22 as the Presidents host the Bethany Bison. In PAC play, W&J hosts Bethany, Chatham, Waynesburg, and Grove City. They travel to Thiel, Franciscan, Westminster, and Saint Vincent.
The PAC Tournament is slated to begin on May 4 with the Championship game being held on May 7.
Last Word: "We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to compete for another conference championship this season. That's been the goal since we ended in May," said Valerio. "We're excited to welcome non-conference competition again, which will really help us grow and develop as a team before conference play begins. Our goals this season are centered around non-complacency and accountability. We know we have to earn all of our success and are ready to put ourselves to the test."
