It is a new year with a new head coach and a new roster, but the expectation remains the same for the Roger Williams University Women's Lacrosse team as they open the Amanda Magee era with their sights set on repeating as Commonwealth Coast Conference Champions.
 
It was an historic run for the Hawks a season ago, going 5-0 in their abbreviated regular season before exacting some revenge by knocking off three-time reigning champions Endicott College 14-8 in the championship game to claim their second conference crown. They followed that up with an 18-13 win over Westfield State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, their first ever in program history, before finally suffering their first loss at the hands of Tufts in the third round.
 
Returning to Bristol by way of NAIA-member Benedictine College, Magee now heads the very program that she was a three-time All-CCC goalkeeper with during her playing days, and she inherits an incredibly talented roster that lost just three starters from a season ago.
 
"I am excited for a fast paced and competitive season." Magee said. "This team is full of talent, passion, and resilience! I am looking forward to seeing us compete and continue to represent RWU with class and excellence."
 
Offense
After finishing the 2021 campaign as the tenth-best scoring offense in the nation, averaging an even 18.0 goals per contest. The graduation of Lauren Flahive '21 leaves the Hawks without their leading scorer, but they should nonetheless be in good hands, returning 72% of their goals scored and 82% of their assists from a season ago. Therefore, Roger Williams projects to once again be a fast, balanced, dynamic offensive attack in 2022.
 
"Our offensive unit is gritty and unpredictable," Magee said. "We have a lot of players who will be threats."
 
RWU's offensive attack will be led by the junior tandem of Lily Cunningham (Melrose, Mass.) and Ryleigh Cavanagh (Manchester, N.H.). Cunningham will be the top returning scorer for the Hawks and is fresh off a season that saw her score 22 goals—the eighth most in the CCC—on her way to an all-conference second team selection. She was efficient too, finishing with a 64.7 shooting percentage, the fifth best in the CCC among players with at least ten shots. One of the names ahead of her in that ranking is the reigning CCC Rookie of the Year and All-CCC First Teamer Cavanagh. She was, in fact, the most effective shooter in the conference last spring as 72.7% of her shots found the back of the net, finishing with 16 goals. She also showed tremendous skills as a distributer, finishing second on the team and tied for ninth in the conference with ten assists a season ago.
 
The Hawks will also return their top playmaker from last season in sophomore Julia Kelley (Foxborough, Mass.). As a first-year player, Kelley was a dual threat offensively, leading RWU and ranking fifth in the CCC in assists with 14, while adding 11 goals of her own.
 
Perhaps the most important returner both on and off the field is graduate student Devon Sarazin (Falmouth, Maine). Sarazin's all-around contributions and ability to impact the game in multiple ways earned her a spot on the All-CCC First Team last season, making it the third time she has been recognized on an all-conference team. A skilled two-way threat offensively, Sarazin currently ranks ninth in program history with 60 assists while also standing at 90 career goals with a chance to break into the top-ten in that category as well. Even without her scoring contributions, Sarazin is an important member of the Hawks as a natural leader off the field as a two-year captain.
 
Fellow captain and senior Nikki Norton (Braintree, Mass.) will be another key piece this season after breaking into the starting lineup full-time last year and finishing with eight goals and four assists. Mandy Beck (Old Saybrook, Conn.) projects to be a starter this spring as well. She has been extremely productive, scoring 17 goals and adding 12 assists in just 11 career games and four starts. She could be a major factor in the RWU offense this season while adding good work defensively as well, ranking third in caused turnovers last year with 11.  
 
The breakout star for this year's team may well be Karli Chaplin (Cape Elizabeth, Maine). She projects to break into the starting unit this spring as a sophomore after she was productive in limited action as a reserve last year. Across her seven career games, she has compiled three goals and four assists with a .375 shooting percentage.
 
"Karli is going to bring a lot of speed and energy to our midfield," Magee said about the sophomore. "She is constantly involved with the play and does a great job of seeing 'what is next.'"
 
Defense
Defensively, RWU was terrific a season ago when they ranked second in the conference and 20^th in the nation allowing just 6.88 goals per contest. A big reason for their success on the less glorious end was their ability to limit their opponents good shot attempts while also causing a plethora of turnovers. They limited teams to just 19.5 shots per game with just 76.3% of those being on net. They also led the conference and ranked 29^th in Division III Women's Lacrosse forcing 12.12 turnovers per game. But beyond that, Coach Magee is impressed with the team's defensive mentality.
 
"Our defensive core has that undeniable need to 'protect our house,'" Magee said. "That plus our experience should make us difficult defensively."
 
The team is led by the top defensive duo in the conference in reigning All-CCC First Team selections Kate Schultz (Portsmouth, N.H.) and Madi Drain (Waterboro, Maine). A day-one starter for the Hawks, Schultz wasted no time establishing herself among the best defenders in the conference finishing second in caused turnovers with 14, and sixth in ground balls with 19 with both marks leading the team. The veteran of the Hawks' defensive unit, Drain began her career on the same trajectory as Schultz, earning all-conference recognition in her first season and was honored again last spring. An aggressive player on loose balls, Drain has 76 career ground balls, 74 draw controls, and 52 caused turnovers, standing within striking distance of the top-ten in each of those categories.
 
If teams work to avoid Schultz and Drain, things do not get much easier as they will have to compete with another All-CCC selection in the form of third teamer, Brooke McErlain (Hampton, N.H.). Entering her third season in Bristol, McErlain has been quite productive with 18 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers in just 12 career games including eight starts. Her ten caused turnovers last spring ranked fifth on the team while she finished fourth on the roster collecting 15 ground balls.
 
The final projected starter on defense for RWU is freshman Emma Terino (East Meadow, N.Y.) who was an all-conference selection in high school and is a player that Coach Magee thinks will make a huge impact.
 
"Emma plays with a lot of grit and tenacity," Magee said. "She will make our strong returning defensive unit even more capable."
 
Goaltending
On the occasion that teams manage to get past the midfield and defensive units of the Roger Williams Women's Lacrosse team, the Hawks will still be in great hands with Hannah Goodwin (Bradford, Mass.). Goodwin has appeared in 17 total games since joining the Hawks as a freshman, making ten starts along the way and all she has done is win. She enters the season with a record of 8-3 in net for the Hawks. Her eight wins are tied for sixth in program history, requiring less than half the starts to get to that number compared with Dana Staats '06 who also has eight. She also currently stands in seventh in the program record books with 88 saves and her .473 save percentage and 8.98 goals against average would rank fourth and fifth all-time if she qualified.
 
Earning the starting job in net full time last season, Goodwin excelled, establishing herself as one of the best goaltenders in the conference while setting career-best marks across the board across her seven starts. She was tied for the CCC lead in wins with six while ranking second in goals against average and save percentage while anchoring a Hawks defense that was second in the conference allowing just 6.88 goals per game.
 
RWU also has a pair of freshmen on their roster in Zoey Cormican (Rochester, N.H.) and Caroline Roach (Acton, Mass.) who could see time in net.
 
Overall
While adjustments and growing pains with a new head coach are expected, Coach Magee could not ask to inherit a much better situation in terms of existing talent, leadership, and expectations. As a result, Roger Williams projects to continue to boast a dynamic offense and stout defense and there is little reason to think that an eighth consecutive trip to the Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship for the opportunity to defend their conference crown could be the result.
 
"We are looking forward to a competitive full season starting with the historically skilled Springfield College," Magee said. "There is a lot of talent, leadership, and incredible chemistry on our team which should make for an exciting spring!"
 
The Hawks will begin their quest to defend their title on Wednesday, February 23^rd when they hit the road to play Springfield College at 4:00 PM. They will then open their home slate with a showdown against Wheaton (Mass.) College on Saturday the 26^th at noon.