The 2023 Kalamazoo College women's lacrosse team will begin its season with a road game on Feb. 18 at Muskingum. The Hornets will look to improve on the sixth-place finish in the MIAA from the 2022 season. The team has been preparing for the season since their first practice on Jan. 23.
Schedule Breakdown
- The Hornets will begin their season with three straight road games on Feb. 18, Feb. 25, and Mar. 4.
- Then, Kalamazoo will have its home opener against Aurora on Mar. 9.
- The team will have five games over spring break, three at home and another two in Tennessee.
- As the calendar turns to April, the Hornets will have one more home non-conference game against Wooster on Apr. 2.
- The MIAA opener will also be a home game against Adrian on Apr. 8, which will also be senior day.
- After that, Kalamazoo will alternate being at home and on the road for the next six games to finish the regular season.
- The final home game will be on Apr. 25 against Alma, and then the last regular season game will be at Hope on Apr. 29.
Roster Breakdown
- Kalamazoo returns 14 of the 19 players from the 2022 squad. In addition, there will be five newcomers to increase the total back to 19 for the 2023 season.
- The team will be comprised of two seniors, three juniors, nine sophomores, and five freshmen on the young team.
Returning Statistical Leaders
- Jordan Flink returns after starting all 17 games in her first season as the goalkeeper for the Hornets. Flink had an 8-9 record with 146 saves, a 12.89 goals-against average, and a 40% save percentage last season.
- Midfielder Hannah Heeren comes back after being the second leading goal scorer for Kalamazoo in 2022. Heeren totaled 74 goals, nine assists, 83 points, 98 draw controls, 70 ground balls, and 32 caused turnovers in her second season of collegiate lacrosse.
- Mairin Boshoven and Vivian Schmidt started all 17 games in their first college lacrosse season as defenders last year.
Stepping Up
- Natalie Maki started all 17 games in her first season last year as a midfielder with eight goals and assists apiece. She is looking to have a big year after the Hornets lost their top and third leading scorers.
- After missing all but three games last season due to injury, Emma Curcuru will make her return to the midfield.
- Newcomers Abbie Caza, Jordan Doyle, Sophie Hartl, and Ella Spooner are all expected to be impact players.
Head Coach Jess Smith
Coach Smith begins her eighth season in charge of the Hornet women's lacrosse team. She led Kalamazoo to their first MIAA Tournament appearance in her first season as head coach. Under Smith, eight different players have been named to All-MIAA teams, including an MIAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and an MIAA Rookie of the Year in 2021. Before 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
"I'm extremely excited for the 2023 season. The team is fit, focused, and making big improvements daily at practice. We are a young team, with over 70% of the roster first years and sophomores, but we have great leadership from our juniors and seniors. Due to that leadership, the young players are pushing the pace and making an impact every day."