Hatters poised to turn heads in 2022

DeLand, Fla. -- On Saturday at noon, the official's whistle will commence the first draw of the season for the Stetson University's women's lacrosse team as it begins its 10th spring season. The Hatters are set to host Campbell University at the Athletic Training Center to open the 2022 campaign.

2021 Recap
Stetson's women's lacrosse team comes off a shortened 2021 season that saw the Hatters go 1-8 overall and 0-3 in Atlantic Sun action. Stetson's lone tally in the win column was an 18-7 win over Wofford College back on April 16.

Last season, the Hatters offense was led by Marina Rotella as she put up 24 goals and added four assists for 28 points on the year. Kiera McCarthy led the Hatters defense with a solid campaign between the pipes, totaling 66 saves as she saw over 361 minutes of action.

2022 Look Ahead
As the 2022 season approaches, the Hatters are poised and ready to have a bounce back campaign. Stetson boasts a balanced roster of leadership, talent, and fresh faces. The Hatters return 19 players from a season ago and added six freshmen with the addition of two transfers.

The Hatters look to improve on their record from a year ago as Camden Frissora and Jacklyn Lavoie look to step up and play a larger role as the top returning scorers. Both tallied six goals last season and will be looked at to try and replace Rotella's 24.

Stetson is set to play a full 16-game slate in 2022 as the Hatters start the season with a three-game homestand, beginning with Campbell this Saturday, then hosting both Niagara (Feb. 17) and Winthrop (Feb. 27). After facing Winthrop, the Hatters travel to Presbyterian on March 2 before coming back to the ATC to host four straight non-conference contests then finishing non-conference action at Florida (March 23) and Mercer (March 27). Stetson returns to the ATC to host Kennesaw State on April 2 to open ASUN action.

The Hatters were picked to finish fifth in the ASUN preseason poll as Stetson notched 14 points, finishing behind Kennesaw State and Coastal Carolina (20) and ahead of Delaware State (7). Jacksonville landed in the top spot with five first-place votes and 35 total points. Liberty followed the Dolphins with 29 points and the remaining first-place vote.

Meet the Captains
Eighth year head coach Christy Leach announced the 2022 team captains are graduate student Christina Nikolai and senior Jacklyn Lavoie. Nikolai, a Medina, Ohio native is pursuing her masters degree in business administration while Lavoie, a Waterford, Connecticut native, is completing her undergraduate degree in business administration with a minor in marketing.

Both Nikolai and Lavoie bring talent and years of experience to this 2022 Hatters team. The pair has been through many ups and downs over the past four years and look to turn the Stetson lacrosse program around.

"My expectation for this spring is to turn heads this year and really take our program to the next level," said Nikolai. "We have all worked hard and persevered though some hard times this past year and I believe we are coming out stronger and more driven than ever."

Two seasons ago, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the entire sports world to shut down, preventing all winter sport championships from taking place and cutting short all spring seasons. Nikolai and Lavoie each expressed how thankful and excited they are to have a full slate of games for the first time since the 2019 season. "I am so excited about our team's potential this year. We have an awesome group of girls and have already accomplished so much in the off season that it makes me really hopeful for the spring," said Lavoie. "I am excited to have so many home games and the closest thing to a "full" or "normal" schedule since before COVID."

Looking Ahead
After the Hatters open the season with the Camels, Stetson remains at home to host Niagara University in a midweek non-conference contest. Opening draw is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on HatterVision on YouTube.

About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS.

Get in on the conversation on social media by following Stetson Athletics on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channels: Stetson Hatters, Stetson Athletics and, for live events, Hatter Vision.

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Players Mentioned

#13 Marina Rotella: A; 5' 6"; Senior

#26 Camden Frissora: M; 5' 3"; Junior

#19 Jacklyn Lavoie: M; 5' 4"; Senior

#25 Kiera McCarthy: G; 5' 7"; Graduate Student

#18 Christina Nikolai: D; 5' 7"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#13 Marina Rotella
: 5' 6"; Senior
: A

#26 Camden Frissora
: 5' 3"; Junior
: M

#19 Jacklyn Lavoie
: 5' 4"; Senior
: M

#25 Kiera McCarthy
: 5' 7"; Graduate Student
: G

#18 Christina Nikolai
: 5' 7"; Graduate Student
: D

Stetson University Athletics

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Hatters poised to turn heads in 2022

Players Mentioned

#13 Marina Rotella

#26 Camden Frissora

#19 Jacklyn Lavoie

#25 Kiera McCarthy

#18 Christina Nikolai

Players Mentioned

#13 Marina Rotella

#26 Camden Frissora

#19 Jacklyn Lavoie

#25 Kiera McCarthy

#18 Christina Nikolai