WISE – The 2020 UVA Wise women's lacrosse season will commence this Friday with the Cavaliers season and home opener against North Greenville University. Sixth-year head coach Meghan Dennehy's team is coming off of back-to-back conference championships as a member of the Mountain East Conference as the Cavs look to make their mark in their inaugural season in the South Atlantic Conference. UVA Wise concluded the 2019 season with a 13-6 mark, 9-1 in conference play.
Picked fourth in the SAC, UVA Wise returns 14 from last season's squad including three preseason All-SAC honorees in senior attacker Jesse French, junior defender Charlotte Hess, and sophomore midfielder Caroline Earnshaw. French, attacker Ashley Wells, defender Abby Willis, and goalie Elsa Girardo make up the senior class this season.
French and Girardo both earned All-MEC acclaim at the conclusion of the 2019 campaign. French started in all 19 games and netted 38 goals and recorded 41 assists while Girardo posted 10 wins with 164 saves and a .440 save percentage.
UVA Wise will be aided by five juniors and five sophomores and welcome seven freshman to this year's roster. Hess and junior Erin Smith were both named to the All-MEC second team at the end of the 2019 campaign. Hess started in all 19 games collecting 32 ground balls and recording 25 caused turnovers and four draw controls. Smith posted 38 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers last season for the Cavs.
Caroline alongside her sister sophomore midfielder Ellie Earnshaw were named to the all-conference freshman season to cap off their rookie campaign. Caroline totaled 46 goals, 55 points, and 65 draw controls while Ellie finished the season with 22 goals, 26 ground balls, and 52 draw controls.
Coach Dennehy's team will open up the season at home this Friday against North Greenville University with a 4 p.m. start time at Carl Smith Stadium. The Cavs will then play their next three contests on the road before opening league play at Lenoir-Rhyne University Friday, March 6 at 4 p.m.
UVA Wise will return home to take on Queens University of Charlotte Saturday, March 21 for a 2 p.m. draw, playing a total of six home games and nine league contests this year.
For more information about the lacrosse program or any of the 13 athletic programs at UVA Wise, please visit www.uvawisecavs.com.
