GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Thiel College women's lacrosse team will kick off its 2013 season at 3 p.m. today when they host the Allegheny College Gators at the Rissell-Schreyer Dome.
 
The game was originally scheduled to take place at Allegheny College, but was moved to the Rissell-Schreyer Dome due to inclement weather.
 
The Tomcats will be looking to improve on their 5-9 overall record from a season ago, the first season in the program's history.
 
Thiel returns a majority of its starters from a season ago, including key players midfielder/defenseman Cassy Mahdi (Odenton, Md./Arundel) and midfielder Emily Harrigan (West Hartford, Conn./Hall), both of whom were top scorers as freshmen last season. Mahdi recorded an impressive 39 goals last season and led the team with 54 ground balls. Harrigan scored 19 goals in 10 games a season ago.
 
Senior defenseman Alison Lange (Poland, Ohio/Poland Seminary) returns after starting all 14 games last season. She notched 16 ground balls last year, caused seven turnovers and was credited with two draw controls. Junior defenseman Amanda Bauer is also back after making nine starts in 2012. She recorded two points last season to go along with five ground balls and three caused turnovers.
 
A trio of talented sophomores, Jenna Simanovsky (Plainsboro, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro North), Sharr Martin (San Diego, Calif./The Preuss School UCSD) and Hannah Stelmach (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) will all see considerable playing time in the midfield for the Tomcats. Simanovsky returns after a season in which she and Stelmach each recorded 13 caused turnovers, while Stelmach won 28 draw controls to Simanovsky's 18. Martin returns after scoring 15 goals on 37 shots a year ago, while also scooping 17 ground balls.
 
The Tomcats have three goalies on the roster this season, including returners Asia Wallace (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) and Abby Spriggs (Westminster, Md./Westminster) and newcomer Amy Boxer (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria). Wallace made 158 saves a season ago and earned five wins in net.
 
Second-year head coach Kati Robbins has five freshmen on this year's roster, including: attackers/midfielders Beth Snider (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler Area) and Haley Pritchard (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), attacker Kenady Hubbard (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada/Moon Area) and defensemen Courtney Fatta (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) and Megan Williams (Lusby, Md./Patuxent).
 
The Tomcats will travel to Granville, Ohio, Saturday to take on Denison University at 2 p.m. Thiel will return home on Sunday to host Otterbein College in the Rissell-Schreyer Dome at 1 p.m.