KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The 2021 Kalamazoo College women's lacrosse team is scheduled to begin its season on Sunday, Feb. 21 at Adrian College. The Hornets' schedule starts with back-to-back road games before playing the majority of their games at home in the month of March. The Kalamazoo roster brings back 15 members from the shortened 2020 season and welcomes in three freshmen.
Key Dates
- The Hornets will open their season on the road against Adrian on Feb. 21 before traveling to Calvin for a matchup on Feb. 27.
- Kalamazoo hosts Albion on March 3 for its first home game of the season, followed up by a home game against Alma on March 6.
- After a quick road trip to Saint. Mary's on March 9, the team is scheduled for four straight home games starting with Trine on March 13.
- The MIAA Tournament is set to begin on Saturday, April 24 and conclude on Saturday, May 1.
Returning Statistical Leaders
- Kalamazoo returns all four of last season's top scorers, responsible for 56 of the team's 71 total goals in 2020.
- Rachel Madar returns for her senior season with the Hornets. A two-time All-MIAA honoree, Madar led the team in scoring the past three years and holds the all-time school record in career goals with 166.
- Fellow senior Lilly Baumann returns as another strong scorer for the Hornets. Last season she tallied 19 points over five games with four assists.
- Junior Rose Bogard serves as a strong midfield presence, leading the team last season in assists with ten.
- Gwen Davis returns as a three-year starter in goal, starting in all five games last year and tallying 23 saves on 47 goal attempts.
Head Coach Jess Smith
Coach Smith begins her sixth season in charge of the Hornet women's lacrosse team. In her first season as head coach of the Hornets, she led the Hornets to their first MIAA Tournament appearance. Under Smith, four different players have been named to All-MIAA teams including one who was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. Prior to arriving in Kalamazoo, Smith had been a teacher and head varsity girl's lacrosse coach at Patterson Mill High School in Bel Air, Md. since 2007. She also worked and coached with Top of the Bay Sports since 2010 and the Elite Lacrosse Club since 2012.
Quoting Coach Smith
"In our shortened 2020 season, our team was playing with a new level of confidence, and they have carried that pace, drive, and confidence into the start of this season. The players have been extremely resilient in working through the phasing and testing requirements to get back on the field. They're making the best of every practice and rep, and we're really enjoying being back together as a team. The players put in a lot of individual work throughout the fall and winter, and we've been able to start this spring right where we left off, if not better than, last spring." -Jess Smith