LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Carissa Medeiros unveiled the complete roster for the River Hawks' inaugural season on Monday.
 
"Our coaching staff is eager to get underway with year one," said Medeiros. "We know we have a lot of work to do to get ready, but we will be focused on all of the little things, and growing together one day at a time. We can't control for our lack of experience, but we can control our stick skills and fitness levels, so those will be our main focuses in the fall. Building a sense of tradition and team unity will also be a major theme to instill in these young players, as we look at the bigger picture and try to lay the groundwork for a competitive Division I future."
 
Coach Medeiros looks to incoming freshmen Courtney Barrett (South Burlington, Vt.), Jenn Guen (Braintree, Mass.), Jesse Jay (Amherst, N.H.), Devon McKercher (Vestal, N.Y.), Sheila Nolan (Massapequa Park, N.Y.), Micaela Sanborn (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Taylor Sokol (Hopkinton, Mass.) to lead the 2015 squad.
 
Barrett, a goalkeeper, was a three-year member of the varsity lacrosse team at South Burlington where she helped lead her squad to three state championships. The team captain was a 2014 US Lacrosse All-American and a 2013 Brine Lacrosse All-American. A two-time All-Conference First Team selection, Barrett was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player of the Year for her team in 2013. She also played ice hockey and field hockey for South Burlington, earning All-Conference in both those sports, as well.
 
"We are eager to have Courtney coming in to anchor our defense," said Medeiros. "She capped her high school career with a US Lacrosse All-American nod, so to have someone with her successful experience at the helm of our defensive unit should prove to be extremely beneficial. She is focused and goal-driven, and I have no doubt that she will be a tremendous asset for the back line of our first-year team."
 
Guen, a midfielder, played four years of varsity lacrosse at Braintree, earning Bay State Conference First Team All-Star and Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic Team honors during her career. She received her squad's Unsung Hero Award as a senior and MVP Award as a junior. Guen also played three years of varsity basketball and soccer, helping her basketball squad to the 2014 New York State title, in addition to three Bay State Conference Championships and South Sectional Championships.
 
"Jenn flew under the Division I recruiting radar," explained Medeiros. "She suffered an untimely injury during a peak recruiting season and went somewhat unnoticed. When she sent me her highlight video, I was blown away that someone with her level of skill had not yet committed. We are extremely excited about what she will bring to the table. She is a tenacious goal scorer, strong defender and overall excellent athlete."
 
Sanborn, a midfielder, was a four-year varsity letterwinner and a two-time captain at Chelmsford. Her team's Most Valuable Player, Sanborn was a three-time Boston Globe All-Star Team and Merrimack Valley All-Conference selection. She was twice named to the Lowell Sun All-Star Team and was a member of the Lower New England Woman's National Lacrosse Team as a junior. Sanborn also participated in varsity indoor track for three years and varsity field hockey for two, running the 4x4 at the New Balance National Track Meet in New York City as a sophomore.
 
"Micaela was one of the first athletes to contact the UMass Lowell Women's Lacrosse program," commented Medeiros. "She is a great athlete who is extremely enthusiastic about coming to Lowell and being part of a first-year program. She has great speed and defensive instincts, as well as a balanced style of attack that will undoubtedly help us all over the field."
 
McKercher, an attacker, played four years of varsity lacrosse at Vestal, totaling 129 goals and 72 assists for 201 career points. She helped lead her team to a pair of New York State Section IV Championships and was selected to be a senior captain. The two-time Section IV All-Star was a Division I First Team selection. McKercher also participated in field hockey and indoor track at Vestal, while acting as a member of student government and a member of the National Honor Society.
 
"After evaluating Devon's skills and abilities, we knew we had to get her here to help our young program," said Medeiros. "Her diverse playing style will help lead our young squad, and as a strong student, we expect her to be a positive contributor off the field, as well."
 
Jay, an attacker, played lacrosse at Souhegan and earned First-Team All-State accolades as a senior captain. She was also named to the All-State Second Team as a junior and received an All-State Honorable Mention as a sophomore. Jay played field hockey, as well, and was a member of the National Honor Society and NH Scholars.
 
"Jesse's positive attitude is infectious, while her competitive nature is second to none," explained Medeiros. "She is a strong leader and fantastic playmaker, and we expect her to jump into the role of 'offensive quarterback' right away. Also a strong student-athlete, we know that what Jesse has to offer is what we want UMass Lowell Women's Lacrosse to be about."
 
Sokol, a midfielder who played lacrosse at Hopkinton, helped lead her team to the 2011 Division II State Championship. She was a team captain and was named to the Lower New England Team Three. Sokol was an Eastern Massachusetts All-Star Second Team selection, a four-year Honor Roll student and a member of the National Honor Society.
 
"Taylor is a strong, tall midfielder who can do it all," said Medeiros. "She is an aggressive and effective defender; she excels at taking and winning the draw; and she can score goals at will. We expect Taylor to be one of our strongest assets in year one and certainly a go-to playmaker all over the field."
Nolan, a defender on the varsity lacrosse team at Massapequa, was a captain during her senior season. She earned an All-County Honorable Mention that year, as well. Nolan played one year of basketball and was also named to the Honor Roll.
 
"I have been watching Sheila for some time and she is by far one of my favorite defenders to watch," commented Medeiros. "She takes calculated risks that pay off and her 1v1 lock-on defense is really strong. She has an excellent sense of defensive awareness and we anticipate her being an anchor of our young defensive unit."
 
Junior defenders and twins Elizabeth and Laura Kender (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) will look to make an impact as the lone upperclassmen on the first-year team, while fellow defender Kristy Robertson (Kingston, N.H./Haverhill) comes in as the squad's lone sophomore. The Kender sisters were four-year varsity lacrosse team members and 2012 All-Merrimack Valley/Dual County League selections at Chelmsford. Elizabeth was also a two-time scholar-athlete, while Laura was a 2011 All-Star. Robertson, a two-time captain at Haverhill, set a Massachusetts all-time, single-season record with 121 goals as a senior, resulting in a Merrimack Valley Player of the Year nod.
 
Also joining the UMass Lowell squad for its inaugural campaign will be rookie attackers Kaylan DiModugno (Deer Park, N.Y./Deer Park), Shayna Murphy (Dover, N.H./Dover), Austin Trasatti (Doylestown, Penn./Archbishop Wood) and Ally Williams (Winter Park, Fla.), midfielders Michaela Sulley (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth) and Liz Auffant (Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet), in addition to defenders Gabriella Bussanich (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) and Emily Wright (Avon, Conn./Avon).
 
Murphy led the Dover team in scoring as a junior and senior en route to earning Attack Player of the Year honors and Brine All-American accolades. Williams, who played varsity lacrosse as a team captain at Winter Park, represented Florida on the US Lacrosse National Team. DiModugno was a two-time captain at Deer Park, receiving All-League/Division honors as a junior and senior. Sulley, who was unable to compete due to injury as a sophomore and junior, was voted one of USA Today's top 35 most inspirational high school athletes in the nation. Auffant logged 199 career points (135 g, 64 a) at Winnacunnet and holds the school record for career and single season assists (29). Trasatti, who helped lead her squad at Archbishop Wood to an appearance in the league championship game as a senior year, was a two-time All-Catholic League Team selection. Bussanich was a Brine High School All-American at Wayne Hills, scoring over 100 career goals. Wright helped lead Avon to three North Central Connecticut Conference (NCCC) Championships, and was named to the 2014 NCCC All-Conference and All-State First Teams.
 
Adding depth for the River Hawks this season will be attackers Ashley Horan (Methuen, Mass./Methuen) and Erica Kiesling (Waltham, Mass./Waltham), midfielders Erin Hatch (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) and Gabrielle Zorkers (Quincy, Mass./Quincy), defenders Alex Comerford (Methuen, Mass./Methuen), Juliann Ramirez (Lowell, Mass./Lowell) and Shannon Walsh (Woburn, Mass./Woburn), and goalkeeper Olivia Wisner (Sylvania, Ohio/Sylvania Northview).