Believe it or not, spring sports season in Adrian is upon us, and while the weather outside may not show it, many teams in the Maple City have been practicing day and night, in rain and in snow, in preparation for yet another competitive campaign. One of those squads is the Adrian College women’s lacrosse team.
Led by first-year head coach Kali Bills, who was hired last July, the Bulldogs will be looking improve on last season’s 3-11 record.
“The preseason has been about trusting one another, establishing how we want to play, and dialing in on what needs to be accomplished each time we come together as a unit,” explained Bills. “Our main focus has been on looking forward and preparing for the excitement and energy that competition brings.”
A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Bills takes over at the helm of Adrian’s program after serving in the same position for two seasons at Elmhurst University. She is joined by another newcomer in assistant coach, Lillan Gutierrez, who played four years of collegiate lacrosse for the University of the Cumberlands from 2016 to 2019.
“It’s always exciting coming in as head coach to a program and getting to work with a group of players who are just as passionate about lacrosse as I am,” says Bills. “It was very rewarding to learn that the women have incredible drive, commitment and are willing to work hard to improve as individuals and as team.”
In 2021, the Bulldogs won two of their seven conference matches. Though, technically, they did see each of their MIAA foes twice during the season, with only their second meetings counting towards the “unofficial” conference standings.
This season, Adrian will play its first ten contests against non-conference opponents, including three consecutive home games with Ohio Northern, Ohio Wesleyan and Rochester to kick things off on February 23.
“Our non-conference schedule is filled with talented teams,” noted Bills. “We are really excited to see some strong competition this season and we know it will make us a better team every time we take the field.”
In MIAA-play, the ‘Dogs have some doubters to prove wrong after being tabbed with seventh-place in the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll. Beginning with Kalamazoo College on April 9, Adrian will play four of its league games at Docking Stadium, including a bout with conference-favorite Hope College on April 27.
When Adrian does hit the turf this season, it will feature leading returning-scorer Olive Stevens. The senior made 11 appearances for the black and gold in 2021, tallying 44 points on 30 goals and 14 assists. She will be flanked by fellow senior Carlee Casteel, whose 15 total points ranked third on the line-up last season.
As a team, the ‘Dogs averaged 8.4 goals an outing on 227 total shots on goal. Both of those marks finished seventh among conference teams.
Another senior Brooke Barabas, and junior Jenna Anheuser are back to pace the Bulldogs’ backline on defense, along with Mey Sun, who like Anheuser, started all 14 of Adrian’s matches in 2021, and led the team with 39 ground balls. Barabas, while being a key piece of the defense last year, also contributed six goals on ten shots.
In goal, Adrian is expected to start junior Avery Huxter between the pipes. This move comes after the loss of Emma Mathie and Sydney Doroh, who combined to post a 0.435 save percentage and 13.5 goals against average last spring.
“We have a really strong returning defensive unit with Barabas and Anheuser leading the way,” says Bills. “Our incoming defensive freshmen have already begun to shift our energy in a positive way, and I am really confident in our midfield lines and our fresh sticks on attack.”
Speaking of freshmen, this year’s Bulldog roster includes five; Zoe Weber, Maggie Bean, Samantha Krawczyk, Olivia Gedman and Lucia Commare. Plus, four sophomores, three juniors and five seniors.
“I am really excited about our freshman class and their growth and potential this season,” expressed Bills. “We have a handful of players that I feel will be big contributors this season. Our newcomers have already made their presence felt, and we have serious depth that continues to show up under the radar.”
“Our expectations as a program are first and foremost to live out our values of character, accountability, unity, and perseverance,” stated Bills. “With these guiding principles as the common foundation for every player, we can achieve new heights. Coming to a new school there are always new challenges and adjustments you have to be willing to make as a coach, but I think we have found a groove. When we encourage, motivate, and push each other on and off the field, we know the sky’s the limit to what this program can achieve.”