GREENSBORO, N.C. – For the first time since 2021, the Guilford College women's lacrosse team (8-8, 3-5 ODAC) is headed to the playoffs; the eighth-seeded Quakers will travel to Winchester, Virginia, to square off against the fifth-seeded Shenandoah University Hornets (10-7, 5-3 ODAC) in the First Round of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament on Saturday, April 25, at 2:00 PM.
In the second year of the
Taylor Cline era, Guilford arrives at the tournament having reached its highest single-season win total since 2015. Under the leadership of Cline and assistant coach
Becki Haislip '99, the Quakers have revitalized the program: the Quakers' 8-8 record marks a decade-high, punctuated by a record-breaking non-conference slate. On March 7, Guilford set new program records in points (45), goals (27), and assists (18) in a dominant win over Columbia College. They proved it was no fluke just four days later, matching the 27-goal mark against Montreat College.
The Hornets earned the No. 5 seed following a strong conference campaign that included a 21-5 victory over Guilford in late March. In that meeting, Shenandoah was led by Emily Ransom, who found the back of the net five times. However, the Quakers enter the rematch as a battle-tested unit that has found success in high-pressure situations, notably ranking third in the ODAC and 34th nationally in free position percentage (.527).
Guilford's offense is powered by a mix of upperclassmen leadership and breakout newcomers. Graduate student
Hannah McMasters (Browns Summit, N.C.) has been a force since transferring from Division I Delaware State. McMasters currently ranks second in the ODAC in assists (31) and third in total points (77), a mark that sits 39th in the nation. Junior
Emma Garland (Hampstead, N.C.) provides a potent scoring threat with 52 goals, fourth-most in the conference, while also dominating the circle with 5.44 draw controls per game. Senior
Kylie Wood (Greensboro, N.C.) has been remarkably efficient, ranking fourth in the ODAC in shot percentage (.566).
Defensively, the Quakers rely on a veteran core including seniors
Brenna Holden (Kernersville, N.C.),
Natalia Rubio (Greensboro, N.C.),
Trinity Whitfield (Greensboro, N.C.), and
Leyla Strong (Concord, N.C.). Anchoring the unit is freshman goalkeeper
Marlene Nusraty (Damascus, Md.), who has been a standout in her debut season. Nusraty ranks third in the ODAC with 124 saves and is 52nd nationally in the category, highlighted by a career-high 15-save performance earlier this spring.
Shenandoah utilizes a rotation in goal but is primarily led by Maddie Gaboury, who has logged the majority of minutes with a .362 save percentage and 67 saves on the year.
Key Contributors for Shenandoah:
- Emily Ransom: 45 G, 6 A, 51 PTS
- Natalie Opatovsky: 21 G, 27 A, 48 PTS
- Ayla Jantz: 40 G, 6 A, 46 PTS, 35 DC
- Addison Harmel: 33 G, 3 A, 25 CT, 31 GB
- Maddie Gaboury (G): 591 MIN, 67 SV, .362 SV%, 7-6 record
Projected Starters for Guilford:
- Hannah McMasters (Gr., A): 46 G, 31 A, 27 DC, 77 PTS, 17 GB
- Emma Garland (Jr., M): 52 G, 19 A, 87 DC, 37 GB
- Carm DeFeo (So., M): 45 G, 10 A, 46 DC, 32 GB
- Kylie Wood (Sr., A): 30 G, 11 A, .566 Shot %
- Kennedy Gates (So. M): 12 G, 5 A, 7 CT, 11 GB
- Chanelle Fossie (Fr. M): 11 G, 4 A, 7 CT, 10 GB
- Kaylee Carr (Sr. A): 4 G, 7 A, 11 GB
- Brenna Holden (Sr. M): 15 CT, 21 GB
- Trinity Whitfield (Sr. D): 7 CT, 16 GB
- Natalia Rubio (Sr. D): 11 CT, 12 GB
- Leyla Strong (Sr. D): 15 CT, 13 GB
- Marlene Nusraty (Fr., G): 946 MIN, 124 SV, .396 SV%, 55 GB, 8-8 record
| Statistic |
Shenandoah University |
Guilford College |
| Overall Record |
10-7 |
8-8 |
| Conference Record |
5-3 |
3-5 |
| Goals Scored |
213 |
217 |
| Goals Per Game |
12.53 |
13.56 |
| Goals Allowed Per Game |
9.59 |
11.81 |
| Shot Percentage |
48.6% |
48.4% |
| Shots on Goal (SOG) % |
78.5% |
75.0% |
| Assists |
97 |
96 |
| Ground Balls |
236 |
274 |
| Draw Controls |
209 |
203 |
| Caused Turnovers |
123 |
144 |
| Clear Percentage |
84.4% |
73.6% |
| Free Position Percentage |
48.3% |
52.7% |
"We're thrilled to be competing in the first round of the ODAC Tournament this weekend," said Head Coach
Taylor Cline. "We faced Shenandoah earlier this season and are looking forward to building on that performance and being even more competitive this time around. This team has reached historic heights this season, posting its best record in over 10 years, earning a spot in the conference tournament for the first time since 2021, and breaking multiple program records. We're excited for the opportunity to keep our season going!"
With the momentum of a record-breaking season, the Quakers will look to secure the upset and advance to the ODAC Quarterfinals.
#GoQuakes
