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Princeton University Athletics
Back For More: 2023 Women's Lacrosse Season Opens Saturday
February 14, 2023 | Women's Lacrosse
As it heads into the 2023 season, the Princeton women’s lacrosse team will need to replace its all-time leading scorer (Kyla Sears), three four-year starters on defense (Marge Donovan, Mary Murphy, Olivia Pugh) and a nearly four-year starter in goal (Sam Fish), not to mention its Hall-of-Fame coach (Chris Sailer) who retired after 37 seasons.
There. That’s out of the way. Now the page can officially be turned.
The 2023 Tigers, under the direction of first-year head coach Jenn Cook, enter the season as the preseason favorite to win an eighth-straight Ivy League championship and a team ranked anywhere from 15th to 18th nationally, depending on what poll you like. The schedule will, as always, be challenging, with five of the eight non-league opponents 2022 NCAA tournament teams.
Attack
Starters returning – McKenzie Blake, Nina Montes, Ellie Mueller, Kate Mulham, Grace Tauckus
Other returning letterwinners – Meghan Curran, Olivia Koch
Newcomers – Kendall Dean, Jami MacDonald
Princeton returns three different attackers who all scored at least 35 goals a year ago. Grace Tauckus, a junior, has played in 24 career games and has at least a goal in every one of them. She is coming off a 47-goal, 11-assist season that earned her second-team All-Ivy honors. Senior Kate Mulham was also a second-team All-Ivy pick a year ago after a breakout season that saw her score 35 goals with 15 assists. Sophomore McKenzie Blake had her own breakout season with 36 goals and 10 assists while also tying Sears for a team-best .507 shooting percentage. Ellie Mueller, a junior, and Nina Montes, a sophomore, figure to have greatly expanded roles after showing themselves to be reliable offensive players in their first seasons. Mueller, who started nine games a year ago, had 14 goals and showed off her field vision with 10 assists. Montes, who has as hard a shot and as quick a release Princeton women’s lacrosse has seen in a while, started twice a year ago while playing attack or midfield, and she put up 18 goals and five assists. Freshman Jami MacDonald, who had a very impressive fall and has continued it through the preseason, will be a starter from Day 1. Her classmate Kendall Dean should also get playing time. “We have a lot of options on attack,” Cook says. “I’m really happy with how they’re all fitting together.
Midfield
Starters returning – Kari Buonanno, Sam DeVito, Lillian Stout, Sophie Whiteway
Other returning letterwinners – Sarah Nelson
Newcomers- Lane Calkins, Haven Dora, Maggie Molnar, Abigail Roberts
Junior Kari Buononno has been explosive since Day 1. A year ago, she showed that she’s at her best in the biggest games. Buononno had 27 goals and 10 assists last year despite missing four games, and she upped her game to an elite level in May, with nine of her goals scored in the two Ivy tournament and two NCAA tournament games, including three in the second-round loss to Syracuse. “Kari is even better this year,” Cook says. “She’s playing with great determination. We’re excited to see what she can do.” Sophomore Sophie Whiteway had 15 goals and five assists as a rookie, and she is also an important factor on the draw, with 57 draw controls a year ago, the highest number among returnees, and 13 caused turnovers. Senior Lillian Stout, who has battled injuries throughout her career, had five goals and 26 draw controls last year, while junior Sam Devito had six goals and nine assists in 2022. Freshmen Haven Dora and Lane Calkins figure to get on the field immediately, and Calkins will join Whiteway and Stout in taking the draws.
Defense
Starters returning – Shannon Berry, Sammy Fillippi, Maria Pansini
Other returning letterwinners – Caroline Burnett, Taylor DeGroff, Mia James, Christie Sieber, Shea Smith, Paige Vegna, Sam Whiting, Abbie Wilhelm
Newcomers – Dylan Allen, Julianna Williams
This is a unit that will look much, much different, not only from last year but also from the three before it as well. In fact, the three graduates combined for 183 career starts, and that’s a lot of experience to replace. Princeton does have players who have been on the field before, even if they haven’t been exclusively defenders. Speedy senior Maria Pansini, who has international experience with the Puerto Rican national team, was an honorable mention All-Ivy selection last year after having 10 caused turnovers and 17 ground balls. Shannon Berry, another senior, has experience on both ends of the field, and she scored four goals with an assist a year ago. This year she is locked in as one of the starting defenders. Junior Sammy Fillippi started all 19 games last year, and her 14 caused turnovers are the most among returnees. Who else will join those three? Senior Shea Smith, who had a great fall, leads a long list of challengers. Junior Caroline Burnett, sophomore Sam Whiting and freshman Dylan Allen are also pushing for playing time. “It’s a good unit,” Cook says. “They’re strong and athletic. Shannon and Maria provide an incredible amount of vocal leadership. They hold themselves to such high standards, and they bring the group along with them.”
Goalie
Starters returning – none
Other returning letterwinners – Tia Reaman
Newcomers – Amelia Hughes
There are two goalies on the roster, sophomore Tia Reaman and freshman Amelia Hughes. Whoever wins the job will be basically untested on the college level, as Reaman’s career numbers are 15 minutes in relief of Fish, with two saves and two goals against. Their preseason competition has essentially been even. “They both have looked solid,” Cook says. “They’re bringing out the best in each other, and we’re going to need them both.”
