FEBRUARY 24, 2017

KING'S WOMEN'S LACROSSE TEAM OPENS SEASON SUNDAY AT KEYSTONE

WILKES-BARRE — The King's College women's lacrosse team will open the 2017 season Sunday with a 1:00 PM game at Keystone College in LaPlume. The game will also mark the debut of King's first-year head coach Ashley Stevens.

Fans unable to attend can follow the game at the following link:
http://www.sidearmstats.com/keystone/wlax/

King's will play a 16-game regular-season schedule, including seven Freedom Conference contests.

The Lady Monarchs are looking to improve upon a 6-10 record of a year ago in which he team advanced to the semi-finals of the Freedom Conference Tournament. King's, which was picked third in the Freedom Conference Pre-Season Coaches Poll, will look to earn a third-straight post-season berth with a veteran roster that includes 10 returning players, including the top five scorers from last season.

King's returns four players who earned All-Freedom Conference honors last season. Senior Gabriella Morrocu was a second-team choice at attack last season where she posted team-highs of 69 points, 46 goals, 23 assists, and 50 draws. In her three years at King's she has totaled 158 points on 121 goals and 37 assists. Morrocu will see a position change to midfield this season.  

 

The Lady Monarchs also return two first-team selections in the midfield.  Junior Anastasia Araviakis was second on the team with 55 points on 34 goals and 21 assists while adding a team-highs of 50 ground balls and 31 caused turnovers. In her two years at King's, She has posted 124 points on 85 goals and 39 assists. Araviakis is also a standout member of King's Freedom Conference champion field hockey team.
 

Sophomore Amanda Carroll enjoyed a fine rookie year with 45 points on 39 goals and six assist while chipping in with 41 ground balls and 31 draws. Also back for King's is junior midfield/attack Sarah Almony who was fourth on the team in scoring with 28 points on 25 goals and three assists while registering 19 ground balls.

King's offense should benefit from the return of junior attack Kendra McCoy. In 2015, McCoy tallied 29 points on 24 goals and five assists with 47 ground balls but missed all but one game last season with an injury.  A healthy McCoy figures to give the Lady Monarchs another proven scoring threat.

 

Defensively, King's will be looking to improve with a relatively young unit. Junior Megan O'Brien was a second-team All-Freedom pick after snagging 47 ground balls and posting 28 caused turnovers. She also chipped in offensively with 11 points on seven goals and four assists. Other returning players joining O'Brien include junior Brianna Zawacki, along sophomores Kathleen McIntosh and Jordyn Devary. In goal, junior Victoria Zawacki returns after starting all 15 games last season and making 144 saves while posting a 14.0 goals against average.

Newcomers looking to make an impact include freshman attack Shirley Herr and Alexis Amore; freshman midfield/attack Tabitha Truelson and first-year sophomore Katy Higinbothom; freshman midfield/defender Kelly Pierce; and rookie defenders Mia Dardanelli and Jennifer Smalley. In goal, freshman Alyssa Simmers is also looking to contend.

Following its opener with Keystone, King's takes to the field again on Wednesday at Moravian College. The Lady Monarchs will then make their home debut Saturday, March 4 at 1:00 PM against Widener University.