LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell women's lacrosse Head Coach Lisa Miller has announced her captains for the 2026 season. Graduate student Elsa Skinner (Annapolis, Md.) earns the title of captain for the third straight season, while senior Audra Hansen (Stamford, Ct.) takes on the role for the second straight season. Meanwhile, juniors Alexa Kuhn (Rocky Point, N.Y.) and Emily Dodd (Calgary, Alberta) will take on leadership roles for the first time in their careers.

"We are excited to work with this leadership group as the program moves into its next phase of development," said Miller. "All four are similar in their leadership approach in that they are confident, thoughtful, communicative, and competitive, yet they diverge enough to appeal to all the personality types on a big team. Audra, Elsa, Alexa, and Emily are the epitome of student-athletes who represent the university well on and off the field."

Skinner has proven to be a great representative of the River Hawks both on and off the field since coming to UMass Lowell ahead of the 2023 season. Last year, she started in all 14 games she appeared in, ranking second on the team with 26 ground balls while adding seven caused turnovers. For her efforts all season long, she was named to the 2025 America East All-Conference Second Team following the regular season.

Entering her fourth year as a River Hawk, Hansen has proven to be one of the best midfielders in the America East. Last season, the Connecticut native made 14 starts in 17 appearances, scoring 46 points, the third most on the team, with 33 goals and 13 assists. She also left her mark on the defensive end, tallying 12 ground balls and seven caused turnovers, earning her a spot on the America East All-Conference First Team for the first time in her career, as well as the conference's All-Championship team for the second straight season.

Coming off the best goalkeeping season in program history, Kuhn will look to build off her remarkable sophomore campaign. In only her second season, Kuhn started all 17 games for the River Hawks, making 161 saves in 957 minutes of action, good for a .461 save percentage and an 11-6 record. Throughout the year, she was named the America East Goalkeeper of the Week five times before becoming the first River Hawk to be named the America East Goaltender of the Year, as well as being tabbed to the All-Conference First Team at the end of the regular season.

Rounding out the leadership group, Dodd will look to leave her mark in her first season as a River Hawk after spending two years at the University of Colorado. While there, she made 22 starts, recording 16 goals and six assists while also adding 25 ground balls and four caused turnovers. Beyond her time at Colorado, she also has experience on the international stage, starting every game for Team Canada in the 2024 World Lacrosse Championship.

Skinner, Hansen, Kuhn, Dodd, and the River Hawks will kick off the 2026 season at home on Saturday, February 7, when they welcome Manhattan to Cushing Field.