The Rockhurst women's lacrosse team opens the 2023 season Friday with an experienced group of offensive and defensive returnees from last season, along with 11 freshmen.

Head coach Molly McCourt returns almost every starter, including All-Conference players Logan Derosia and Dani Mabry in the attack, along with All-Region selection Mackenzie Blair in the midfield. The three combined for 96 goals and 34 assists last season.

Page Yehling and Kelly Marion return in the midfield. Both are high-IQ players who are expected to make significant contributions. McCourt is excited about freshman Kharis Perona, who brings a spark to the lineup.

On defense, the Hawks will be led by seniors Audrey Titzer and Katelyn Kochanowski, who bring experience and leadership.

The goalie position is in safe hands with the return of Sydney Shindler and Madeline Morrison. The duo combined for 10 wins and 124 saves last year.

"Expectations are high this year, mainly because we have a great group of returners with a lot of experience. We know that the GLVC is improving, and we look forward to some exciting conference matchups and a strong out-of-conference schedule that includes several teams from Colorado," says McCourt.

Rockhurst hosts Concordia-St. Paul in its season opener Friday at 4 p.m.

McCourt is excited about the home opener. "Concordia-St. Paul is always a tough matchup, and we are happy to host them in Kansas City this year. They have a lot of new faces, so I am looking forward to seeing how we can make in-game adjustments."