UTICA, NY - Utica University women's lacrosse team is set to kick off its 2026 season. The Pioneers will begin with a home matchup against SUNY New Paltz this coming Saturday, February 21st. Action at ABM Field is set for 1:00 pm.

Follow Along: The video stream for all Utica home games can be found HERE. Live stats for all home Pioneer women's lacrosse games can be located HERE.

Year in Review: Utica closed the 2025 season with a 7-9 overall record and a 4-5 mark in Empire 8 play, earning a conference tournament berth before falling on the road in the opening round. After a challenging start to the year, the Pioneers found their stride in March and early April, posting dominant wins over Plattsburgh State (18-9), SUNY Morrisville (18-3), Keuka (16-3), SUNY Poly (20-4), Russell Sage (20-3), and Alfred (20-4). Utica proved capable of explosive offensive performances throughout the spring, including four 20-goal outings, while competing in multiple close contests, including a narrow 11-10 loss to Buffalo State in the early season and a one-goal setback at Hartwick late in conference play.

Utica's attack was fueled by one of the most dynamic duos in the Empire 8, as Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) led the way with 45 goals and 64 total points while also controlling a team-high 99 draws, and Maria Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) added 41 goals and 48 points of her own. Alyssa Specchio (Chenango Forks, NY/Chenango Forks) (23 goals, 35 points) and Jordan Kowalski (Chicopee, MA/Westfield) (19 goals, 30 points in 12 games) provided additional scoring punch, while Bella Kolb (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) contributed 15 goals and two game-winners. In the midfield, Alexis Alteri (Clinton, NY/Clinton) impacted play across the board with 10 goals, 35 draw controls, and 24 ground balls, part of a unit that accounted for 244 draw controls. Between the pipes, Makayla Purdy (Shirley, NY/William Floyd) logged over 700 minutes and 98 saves, anchoring a unit that helped Utica average more than 12 goals per game offensively.

A New Era: Andrea Cofrin begins her first season at the helm of the Utica women's lacrosse program in 2026, bringing more than two decades of collegiate coaching experience across the Division I, II, and III levels. A 2003 graduate of Frostburg State and former four-year starter, Cofrin most recently served as head coach at Morrisville, where she guided the Mustangs through multiple conference transitions and led them to consecutive conference championship appearances. Her résumé includes five seasons as head coach at Columbia University, where she set program records for Ivy League wins and coached multiple All-Ivy selections, as well as successful head coaching stints at Saint Anselm, Siena, Lees-McRae, and the University of Dallas. Cofrin also brings Division I assistant experience from Yale, where she coordinated a defense that ranked 18th nationally in scoring defense. A nationally recognized leader and graduate of both the NCAA Coaches Academy and Women's Coaches Academy, Cofrin takes over the Pioneer program following an 18-year era and ushers in a new chapter built on experience, competitive success, and a proven track record of program growth.

The Road Ahead: Utica's 2026 slate features an even split of eight home games and eight road games, beginning with a home opener against New Paltz on February 21. The Pioneers then face an early test away from ABM Field with a three-game road swing at Plattsburgh State, Buffalo State, and Oswego State before returning home for mid-March matchups against the University of Rochester and SUNY Morrisville. Empire 8 play ramps up late March into April, highlighted by home dates with Nazareth, Keuka, and SUNY Poly, and a challenging stretch of road contests at St. John Fisher, SUNY Brockport, Russell Sage, and Alfred.

Key Departures: A total of 9 players are expected not to return from last season, including several valuable contributors. At the top, Grace Stuhlman (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) graduates from the squad after setting the program record for career draw controls, and placing top-five in every scoring-related category in the record book, including the third-most total points and goals. While a two-season career limits her overall totals, Jordan Kowalski (Chicopee, MA/Westfield) was a valuable piece of the Pioneer offense, recording 55 points in 26 career games. Karen Troche (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) rounded out the graduating class, making 14 appearances in the last two seasons. Non-graduate departures include Courtney Fish (Albany, NY/Albany) on attack, Abby Cangemi (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) and Kendall Best (Troy, MI/Troy High School) in the midfield, Samantha Shilling (Hampstead, MD/Manchester Valley) and Elliana Lasher (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa) on defense, and Angelina Borowiec (Clinton, NY/Clinton) in net. All in all, of the team's 276 total points last season (193 goals, 83 assists), 121 of them were recorded by non-returning players (43.8%). Off the field, the team loses the leadership of 18-season head coach Kristin St. Hilaire, the program's all-time winningest coach. St. Hilaire now serves as Utica's Director of Athletics and Physical Education.

Pioneer Pillars: Utica will look to continue to be led by a Stuhlman sister, this time, Maria. Last season, the returning Stuhlman netted 41 goals, adding seven assists for a total of 48 points. She joined her sister, Grace, as one of just two Pioneers with more than 35 points and one of just three to reach 20+ goals. Other high-production returners include Specchio (23 goals, 12 assists), Kolb (15 goals, seven assists), and Alteri (10 goals, six assists, 35 draw controls). Ella Jentsch (Rosendale, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) and Ella Stanton (Macedon, NY/Palmyra-Macedon) turned in defensive production, as the two were among just six Pioneers to reach 10+ caused turnovers. Stanton additionally pulled in 21 ground balls, third most among the team.

Notable Newcomers: The squad will welcome five new members this season. Of the five, two are sophomore attackers, two are freshman midfielders, and the final is a freshman goalie. Lucia Daubel (Walden, NY/Valley Central) and Kiley Kimpel (Marcellus, NY/Marcellus) will reinforce the offense, with Anna Nitti (Brewster, NY/Brewster) and Sydney Rochefort (Massena, NY/Massena Central) aiding the midfield. Alannah Nole (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) comes in as the newest netminder.

Covering the Crease: Utica's goaltending core will be made up of two players: Purdy and Nole. Last season, Purdy played 702:29 of the 960:00 total minutes. In that time, she posted a .370 save percentage and a 14.26 goals-against average. In her sophomore season, she fell just two saves short of reaching the 100-save milestone, a feat she accomplished in her freshman year and will look to build upon this coming season.

Notes on New Paltz: The New Paltz Hawks enter the 2026 season looking to build upon a successful 2025. As a unit, the team went 13-5, highlighted by an early-season 8-7 win over then-#19-ranked Colorado College, and a SUNYAC Tournament Push. After going 7-2 in conference play, the Hawks earned the #3 seed in the SUNY Tournament, defeating Fredonia 20-5 in the quarterfinals before falling 17-3 to Cortland in the next round. One trend New Paltz will look to achieve again this season is their perfect 8-0 home record.

The Hawks will return a large amount of their scoring from last season, bringing back four of their top five scorers. 2026 senior captain Lexi Atwater scored 67 goals and assisted on another six for a total of 73 points, tying Kaitlyn Shaw, a 2025 graduate, for the team lead. Ava Padilla joined the team's 50+ point club, netting nine goals herself but assisting on another 45. Lexi's sister, Morgan Atwater, fell just short of the achievement, pocketing 41 goals and eight assists. Mia Baldinger (11 goals, 28 assists) stands as the team's final returner of 20+ points.

New Paltz lost some key defenders however, as Morgan Woolley and Francesca Corozzo have left the program. Woolley led the team with 36 caused turnovers, followed by Corozzo with 34. Corozzo led the ground ball count with 43, followed by Shaw with 42 and Woolley with 40. Shaw additionally led the team with 75 draw controls. The team ran a two-goalie rotation in 2025 between Gabriella Tommaso and Piper Mascaros, both of whom return for the 2026 season. In 559:09, Mascaros turned in a .426 save percentage, with Tommaso playing to a .396 across 460:51. Tommaso led the goal allowed average race with a 7.16, followed by Mascaros' 8.37.

Up Next: After their season/home opener, the Pioneers go on a three-game road stretch, beginning with a Sunday, March 1st matchup at Plattsburgh State. Action for that contest is set to begin at 1:00 pm. Utica next returns to their home field on Tuesday, March 17th, in a 4:00 pm-scheduled matchup with the University of Rochester.