WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's lacrosse team kicks off the 2025 season this evening, now under the direction of first-year head coach Maegan Laymon.

"The team is really excited," Laymon said of the squad ahead of their first game of the season. "They've been working really hard. We've been going since the middle of January, so we're excited to finally get some games in."

The Colonels finished the 2024 season 2-15 overall with a 0-9 record in Landmark Conference play.

The 18-woman roster consists of five seniors, three juniors, two sophomores, and eight first years.

Attacker Brooklyn Pedana (Pittston, PA/Pittston Area) leads the senior class after 19 goals and 12 assists in 2024, the most of any returning player. She is joined in attack by fellow seniors Sam Mullen (Dover, PA/York Catholic) and Alexis Guttilla (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by-the-Sea), who combined for eight goals and seven assists last season. Kellie Scott (Northport, ME/Kents Hill) and Sarah Eliff (Owings, MD/Northern) round out the senior class, dual-sport student-athletes who join from the field hockey and women's soccer teams respectively.

The junior class consists of midfielder Mara Adams (Mehoopany, PA/Tunkhannock Area) and defenders Emily Jackson (Wyoming, PA/Wyoming Area) and Lauren Lefchak (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights). Adams and Jackson combined for 12 ground balls and six caused turnovers. Lefchak joins the team this season from the women's soccer team.

The duo of midfielder Halie Albright (Taneytown, MD/Francis Scott Key) and goalkeeper Brooklynn Donia (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) make up the team's sophomores. Donia played in 13 games as a first year and will look to build on that experience this season.

"We've got a lot of different leadership roles this year coaching-wise and returning-wise, and it's exciting," Laymon said of the returning athletes. "We do return a lot of talent and we're ready to see what they can do."

Wilkes also welcomes eight first years to the squad in attacker Leah Aponte (Danbury, CT/Danbury), midfielders Taylor Sparks (Monroeville, NJ/Woodstown), Elisia Frank (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle), Megan Bell (Waterloo, ON/St. David Catholic), and Morgan Foytack (Moscow, PA/North Pocono), and defenders Chloe Bierfriend (Southampton, NY/Southampton), Amanda Galan (Dobbs Ferry, NY/Ardsley), and Ottilia Kedl (Clifton, NJ/Clifton). Sparks and Bell join the other multi-sport athletes playing for Wilkes women's soccer and women's ice hockey respectively.

For the newcomers on the roster, Laymon hopes to see them compete in their first year.

"We're freshman-heavy, we're excited, they're excited, they've worked hard just like the seniors and upperclassmen have, so we're just really excited to see what they can do."

The Colonels open the 2025 campaign on the road against Ramapo College this evening at 5:00 p.m., with the first home game of the year on Wednesday, February 26 as they host the Griffins of Gwynedd Mercy University at 7:00 p.m. Wilkes opens Landmark Conference play on Saturday, March 22 as they travel to face Moravian University at 1:00 p.m.