ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The #21 Navy women's lacrosse team (0-0) opens up the 2021 season with a home game against George Mason (0-0) on Saturday morning at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Opening draw is set for 11:00 a.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available.
 
Fan Attendance Policy
Following the guidelines set by state and local government officials, Navy will allow fans at its home men's and women's lacrosse games this spring. The current protocol allows for 25 percent capacity at outdoor venues. Fans will be required to wear a mask throughout the contest and asked to maintain social distancing.
 
All-Time Series
Saturday's game marks the first time the two programs will have met in women's lacrosse, however, Navy head coach Cindy Timchal is 5-0 (1.000) all-time against the Patriots.
 
Scouting the Midshipmen
Entering the 2021 season, the Navy women's lacrosse team is looking to rebound from a 2-4 COVID-shortened season that featured four games against ranked opponents. The Midshipmen are well balanced this season with 11 seniors, 13 juniors, 10 sophomores, and 12 freshmen all competing for playing time.

The Midshipmen return nine starters off of last year's team including Gil Eby (Towson, Md.), Reagan Roelofs (Apple Valley, Minn.), and Nicole Victory (Issaquah, Wash.) who were all selected to the Preseason All-Patriot League team. Eby led the defensive unit last year boasting a team-high eight caused turnovers and 14 ground balls. Roelofs is the top returner in goals scored from a year ago after finishing third in 2020 behind Kelly Larkin ('20) and Kayla Harris ('20). Victory finished 2020 tied for second in points scored (18) with Harris and was second to only Larkin in assists (12).
 
At goal, starter Abbi Young (Alamo, Calif.) returns between the pipes. The junior logged 331 of the 360+ minutes between the pipes, recording 64 saves. She tallied four double-digit save performances, including a streak of four straight games – Saint Joseph's, #21 Duke, Villanova, and #10 Maryland – with double-digit stops.
 
Scouting the Opponent
George Mason will play a trio of nationally-ranked opponents during the non-conference season, including the #21 Navy, #10 James Madison (March 3), and #16 Virginia (March 10). In addition, the Patriots will play five of their first six contests on the road in 2021.
 
Mason's pair of Erin Donoghue and Deanna Balsama return for another go-around this season. Balsama, the 2019 A-10 Rookie of the Year, led Mason in scoring (22g, 11a – 33 pts) last season. Donoghue, a 2019 A-10 First Team pick, notched 16 points (15g, 1a) last season while ranking third on the team with 22 draw controls. She also ranked second on the Patriots with 11 ground balls.
 
Mason has three defenders returning who started all seven games last season. That talented group includes Ali Johnston, Sasha Silva, and Izzy Allen. The group will provide depth and experience while working with a goalkeeper unit that includes Maggie Donohue and Fiona Rickels.
 
Senior Captains
Over the summer, Navy women's lacrosse head coach Cindy Timchal announced that seniors Caroline Kwon (Cooksville, Md.) and Marina Lazarides (Westminster, Md.) will be team captains for the 2021 campaign. Kwon will serve as the defensive captain, while Lazarides will captain the offense. Kwon and Lazarides are two of dozen seniors who were named to the Medical Corps for their service assignment. The duo is set to begin medical school following graduation in May. (Inside Lacrosse Article)
 
2021 Patriot League Divisions
While both men's and women's lacrosse programs' schedules are comprised of nonconference and conference contests, Patriot League competition will have a different look this spring. Instead of the traditional format, the Patriot League will split into divisions – North and South – with both Navy teams members of the South Division.
 
The women's North Division will be comprised of Army, Boston U., Colgate, Holy Cross, and Lafayette, while the South will feature American, Bucknell, Lehigh, Loyola, and Navy. Teams will play each divisional opponent at least once with limited games against non-divisional opponents. A minimum of seven League games will be played by each team. League play is set to begin on Saturday, March 6, and conclude on Saturday, April 24, with a built-in make-up date planned for Saturday, May 1. The 2021 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Championship is scheduled to begin with the semifinal round on Thursday, May 6, with the championship game on Saturday, May 8.
 
Patriot League Preseason Poll
The Patriot League announced the 2021 women's lacrosse preseason honors on Thursday, Feb. 4. As a team, Navy was selected second in the preseason poll. Loyola received 162 points and 18 first-place votes to grab the top spot in the Patriot League preseason poll, while Navy was picked second in the poll with 146 points and two first-place votes. Army West Point collected 125 to finish third, their highest finish in the preseason poll in program history. Boston University (108) and Lehigh (98) round out the preseason top-five.
 
Preseason All-Conference
Individually, three Midshipmen – Gil Eby (Towson, Md.), Reagan Roelofs (Apple Valley, Minn.), and Nicole Victory (Issaquah, Wash.) – were named Preseason All-Patriot League. The Greyhounds placed five student-athletes on the 16-member 2021 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Preseason All-League Team, including the preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. Navy had three preseason all-League selections with Eby, Roelofs, and Victory. Army West Point and Holy Cross each had two student-athletes selected, while American, Boston, Colgate, and Lehigh had one apiece.
 
National Rankings
The Navy women's lacrosse team is nationally ranked according to a pair of preseason polls. The Midshipmen are tied for #21 per the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and #17 according to Inside Lacrosse. In addition, the Mids are receiving votes according to US Lacrosse Magazine. The Navy women's lacrosse team has been ranked nationally for 39 consecutive weeks according to the IWLCA, dating back to the final poll of the 2017 season.
 
Navy Sports Magazine
The Voice of Navy Athletics Pete Medhurst sat down with women's lacrosse senior captain Marina Lazarides (Westminster, Md.) to talk about the upcoming 2021 women's lacrosse season. (VIDEO)