After winning their league with a 7-1 record, senior Kasey Buchmiller and junior Mary McDaniel lead the St. Thomas women’s club lacrosse team into the Women’s College Lacrosse Association Division II playoffs.
The Tommies find out their playoff opponent Thursday and begin postseason play this weekend. St. Thomas is ranked fourth in the latest laxpower.com rankings.
“We’ve had a phenomenal season,” coach Katie Carrico said. “It’s one of the best starts we’ve had in years.”
Competing in the WCLA II’s National Collegiate Women’s Lacrosse League-Plains division, St. Thomas compiled wins over schools with much higher enrollment figures including Kansas, Iowa State and Minnesota.
This is the eighth year of women’s club lacrosse being offered at St. Thomas.
Should the Tommies win this weekend, the team has a chance to move on to nationals.
“If we do well in the playoff game, we’ll try and get a bid for nationals,” Carrico said. “It would be the first time ever for the program to go to nationals if we’re selected.”
Senior Grace Vo said the camaraderie between the team is one of its strengths.
“Everyone gets along, which is noticeable during games with our great communication on the field,” Vo said.
Sophomore Ellie Warner said the win against St. Benedict was a team highlight this season.
“St. Ben’s has consistently been our biggest competition, and we actually won up there this year pretty handedly on the St. John’s field,” Warner said. “That was a great feeling. We’re hoping to keep up that momentum into this weekend.”
Along with captains Buchmiller and McDaniel, this year’s squad has a “strong” core of young freshman talent.
“Andrea Warner, Ashley Hanson and Maddie Johnson have provided a lot of scoring for us,” Carrico said.
Warner is confident in her team’s offensive abilities heading into the playoffs.
“When we win the draw, we will score; no doubt about it,” Warner said.
The Tommies have a team fundraiser at Davanni’s on Cleveland Avenue from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday. Players will hand out fliers that allow 20 percent of the profits to go to the team. Vo said the profits will go to travel costs and anything else the team needs for upcoming games.