RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The 2023 women's lacrosse season gets underway for Manhattan on Saturday when the Jaspers open with Sacred Heart.
"We are very excited to get this season going. The team has put the work in, and we have a strong class of seniors ready to lead our team back to the MAAC Tournament. With a great addition to our staff, we feel more prepared than ever to take on new and old competitors this season," said head coach
Jenna Dingler. Stefani Peluso joins the staff in 2023 after finishing her playing career at Wagner in 2022.
Saturday, the Jaspers will have their season opener against the Pioneers at Gaelic Park. The game will take place Saturday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m. and will be streamed on Jasper Sports Network. Sacred Heart will be coming into this match, having played this season against Mercy in a scrimmage. The last time the Jaspers and the Pioneers faced off was Mar. 29 of last season when they traveled to Fairfield, Conn., where they beat the Pioneers 10-6.
The Jaspers alternate home and away games for the season's first four games. Manhattan will visit LIU, Merrimack, Mercer, Kennesaw State, Canisius, Marist, Quinnipiac, and Iona. The final home game for the Jaspers will a MAAC game against Niagara on Apr. 22. At the end of the season, Manhattan will host three MAAC competitors, Siena, Fairfield, and Niagara, starting on Apr. 15 and running through Apr. 22.
Andrea Liotta was a first-team all-league and defensive player of the year last season. Liotta led the Jaspers in groundballs (49), caused turnovers (39), and was second on the team with 102 draw controls in 2022. Earlier this week, Liotta was also named Preseason All-MAAC, where she was a unanimous selection.
Ashley Gambardella returns for the Jaspers for the 2023 season. Last year she started in 19 games and finished the season with a record of 11-8, a GAA of 12.34, and a save percentage of .432.
Julianna Iovine, a junior midfielder, started all 19 games last season, recorded 28 goals, and dished out six assists. Iovine closed her 2022 season with back-to-back hat tricks against Niagara and Monmouth.
Reagan Mullins appeared in 19 games in her junior year. Mullins scored 23 goals while assisting on an additional nine. In addition to the returnees, Dingler welcomes eight new freshmen to the program this season. The class features two goalies, two attacks, three defenses, and one midfield.
For the latest on the Manhattan College women's lacrosse program, follow the Jaspers on Twitter @ManhattanWLAX and Instagram @manhattanwlacrosse_.
