Newburgh, N.Y. – Under the direction of fifth year head coach Julia Steese, the Mount Saint Mary College Women's Lacrosse team opens the 2017 season Wednesday evening against Marywood. The Knights and Pacers are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. with Live Stats available for those who cannot attend the game.
 
At A Glance: Mount Saint Mary returns 12 players, but needs to replace three of its top four scorers, from a team that went 7-8 overall and 3-4 in Skyline Conference play in 2016. The Mount welcomes nine talented newcomers to the mix in 2017 and have been picked to finish fifth in the Skyline Conference Preseason Poll.
 
Attack: The Mount returns 2016 First Team All-Skyline Conference pick Katie Gattoni (Old Tappan, N.J.) on attack. She led the Knights in scoring as a junior with 76 points on the strength of 58 goals and 18 assists. Entering Wednesday's tilt, she stands tied for the program's all-time record in goals with 170 and sits just eight points shy of the career record in points with 202.  
 
Jennifer Bones (Camden, Del.) returns after posting nine points, including six goals, in 14 games last season and Kyla Nichols (Bristol, Conn.) is back after appearing in seven contest in 2016.
 
Jamie Monachino (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Julia Fitzpatrick (Shelton, Conn.) will look to split time on attack and defense in 2017. Monachino appeared in seven games as a freshman, while Fitzpatrick totaled five points on the strength of four goals as a freshman a season ago.
 
Looking to make immediate contributions as newcomers in 2017 are: Mikaela Rios (Mastic, N.Y.), Kayla Gilligan (Amityville, N.Y.) and Olivia Green (Ballston Lake, N.Y.).
 
Midfield: In what may be the deepest position for the Knights in 2017, the Knights have 10 players that will see time in the midfield, including returners Catherine Ferris (Staten Island, N.Y.), Amanda Clemens (Baldwin, N.Y.), Maggie Pedersen (Glasco, N.Y.), Christina Ryan (Franklin Square, N.Y.) and Kayla Goman (Rockaway, N.Y.).
 
Ryan is second in scoring among returning players from last season after potting 10 goals and totaling 18 points during her sophomore campaign. Clemens scored six times and posted seven points, adding 22 groundballs and 15 caused turnovers in 2016. She was third on the team a season ago in draw controls with 20.
 
Pedersen started all 14 games she appeared in as a freshman, picking up 31 groundballs and causing 15 turnovers to go along with four goals. Goman total nine points to go along with 17 groundballs in 2016, while Ferris saw action in 10 games as a rookie and posted three points and seven groundballs.
 
Steese and the Knights welcome Savanna Caso (Highland, N.Y.), Allison Dionne (Burlington, Conn.), Chelsea Henke (Pawling, N.Y.), Meghan Cumming (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) and Courtney Condron (Franklin Square, N.Y.) to the position group in 2017.
 
Defense: Junior Morgan Cordes (Sound Beach, N.Y.) will anchor the defense unit in 2017 after starting 14 games in 2016. She scooped 20 groundballs, caused 12 turnovers and won 14 draw controls for the Knights as a sophomore.
 
Goalie: The Knights will feature a pair of goalies in 2017 after playing the entire 2016 season with one. Amanda Picillo (Valley Stream, N.Y.) returns after playing every minute of her rookie season in 2016. She made 96 saves for the Knights and posted an 11.17 goals against average. She added 15 groundballs and four caused turnovers in her first collegiate campaign.
 
Freshman Carolyn Smith (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) joins the team in 2017.
 
A Look At Marywood: The Pacers come calling after posting a 19-9 win over Alvernia on Saturday in their season opener. Sam Bussinelli totaled eight points, scoring four times and assisting on four other goals, while Ashley Valway finished with six goals and seven points.
 
Lauren Smith made the start in goal for Marywood and posted 11 saves in the win.  
 
Recent History: The Knights and Pacers have met three times previously with Marywood winning twice. The Mount's lone win came in a 15-7 triumph on February 27, 2013.
 
Statistically Speaking: In their seven previous season openers, the Mount has posted a 4-3 record, including wins in 2015 and 2016 to start the campaign.
 
The Schedule: The Knights play eight home games in 2017, including a three game home stand that begins with the College of Mount Saint Vincent on April 1 in the program's annual Friends of Jaclyn game. The Skyline Conference Championship is set to begin on April 29 and continues on May 4 with the semifinal round and May 6 with the championship final.
 
What's Next: The Knights remain home for a non-conference date with Ramapo on Wednesday, March 8.