ALFRED, NY – Following a season of growth, the Alfred University women's lacrosse team is prepared for the upcoming spring. The team will welcome several returning student-athletes to go with six first-year talents.

The Saxons are led by Head Coach Julie Decker, who is entering her second season with the program.

"I think we experienced a lot of growth over the course of last season," Decker said. "The team responded well and came together, and we're looking to build off that. We have a great culture and work well together."

Despite a smaller roster size last season, Alfred University picked up a conference win over Keuka College. With multiple first-year student-athletes joining the Saxons, the expectations have been set.

"Our first-year student-athletes are our biggest class coming into this season," Decker said. "They have pushed the envelope and the entire team to grow. That is all I can ask for as a coach. We're looking forward to this year."

Amelia Booth (Staatsburg, NY/FDR) is among the returning captains for AU this spring. Across her first two seasons, Booth broke the program record with 211 career draw controls. Last spring, Booth was named to the All-Empire 8 Second Team.

"Amelia is someone you can't not notice on the field," Decker said. "She plays smoothly and has great stick skills. She will be featured in our midfield a bit more this year, and we're looking forward to what she can do on the defensive end with us."

Hailey Stroh (Houghton, NY/Homeschool) will be entering her junior season with Alfred University and has been named as one of four team captains. Stroh has totaled 20 or more points in each of the last two seasons with the Saxons, finishing last spring with 17 goals and five assists.

"Hailey stood out last year with her athleticism and fearlessness," Decker said. "She started playing more in the midfield as last season progressed, and it's a role we see her in once again. She works hard and to have that kind of work ethic on the defensive end is huge."

Morgan Wise (Kittanning, PA/Armstrong) is coming off a successful inaugural season with AU, totaling 11 goals from the midfield. Wise was additionally credited with 19 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers. She has additionally been named as a team captain ahead of the new season.

"Morgan is always putting in extra work outside of practice from the moment she joined our team," Decker said. "She is always asking for more. Last year was a solid start for her, but there is more to come. She will continue to find her rhythm and grow into her game."

Alyssa Piechota (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) rounds out the captains for the Saxons entering the spring season. Piechota has recorded 472 career saves with Alfred University across her three-year career.

"Alyssa has been a backbone for us defensively," Decker said. "She has been putting in a lot of extra work and we have been focusing on more one-on-one goalie sessions with her. Last year may not have gone according to plan for her, but the work we are putting in leading up to this season shows she is determined to be a leader and grow."

Other featured returners include Kylee Bedette (Waterloo, NY/Waterloo), Abigail Call (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) and Ceci Sherwood (Indiana, PA/Indiana).

"Both Abby and Ceci will be crucial for us on the defensive end," Decker said. "They have been great with getting our defense organized. Abby specifically will rotate into the midfield as well. As for Kylee, she is putting in a lot of great work at practice and is ready for a potential breakout year this spring."

Among the first-year class, both Cassidy Primrose (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker) and Alescia Nitti (Brewster, NY/Brewster) will be involved early for Alfred University.

"Cassidy and Alescia are two of our first-year student-athletes who have helped pushed our team to grow to this point. Coming into the season, Cassidy will be playing into the midfield and has the potential to light a spark with our team. Alescia adds a lot of speed and stick skills and has a high lacrosse IQ on the offensive end.

Alfred University will begin their season on Tuesday, February 27 at Fredonia. Empire 8 competition for the Saxons will begin at Keuka College on April 6. The Empire 8 Championship Tournament is slated to start on May 1.

"We have been a lot more specific about our goals coming into this season," Decker said. "We obviously want to see improvement, but we are looking to compete for a conference championship. This is something we discuss on a regular basis. We are aiming to be at the top of the conference."