For the first time since the 2020 spring season, the Hiram Terriers will field a women’s lacrosse team. The Terriers will begin their return with a large underclassmen group as they seek to lay the foundation of success for the next several years.
“I think that the squad is excited, and my assistant coach and I are excited. It has been a long time coming and we have put in a lot of work this fall and already so far this spring,” Coach Maddie Wilson said. “I think it is time we get into competition, and I am excited mostly that they are going to continue to learn from these games that we play and get better throughout the season.”
As The Weekly Villager previously reported, Hiram’s Athletic Department decided to revive the women’s lacrosse program in the summer of 2024 and selected Wililson as its new head coach. Wilson was hired after spending the 2024 spring season as an assistant coach with her alma matter Chagrin Falls.
Wilson leads the Terriers into the Presidents’ Athletic Conference and said that the inclusion of Hiram can only make the PAC an even more competitive league.
“I know the teams that are in our conference are pretty similar schools to Hiram so competition-wise, it could go anyway any year and I think it will promote stronger competition now that we have been added,” she noted.
Wilson said that the ultimate goals for Hiram are to identify the building blocks that will set the program up for success for the foreseeable future.
“We are going to work on a lot of fundamentals,” she said. “We are going to work on team camaraderie, team culture and, starting traditions and hopefully we get some wins to follow that and then next year dive more strategically and hopefully continue to increase our number of wins.”
Hiram enters its revival season with a roster dominated by eight freshmen and four sophomores. According to Wilson, having a young squad in the first season was always expected but is confident that in only a few years, Hiram’s underclassmen can become top players in the PAC because of all the experience they will gain competing as underclassmen.
She also spoke of how the team will need to grow up quickly to adjust to the level of competition in the PAC. Although the Terriers are newcomers, Wilson said that she is encouraged by the level of competitive balance in the league,
As of right now, Wilson said that the Terriers will be sparked by their defense, which will be spearheaded by senior midfielder/defender and team captain Madigan Nolan, who played with men’s lacrosse team in her sophomore year.
“She is a tough cookie,” said Wilson. “We are going to play against some aggressive teams this season where they are not afraid to make contact. I know Madigan is very vocal and she learned how to calmly and collectively take contact,” noted Wilson.
Joining Nolan on defense is freshman midfielder/defender and captain Megan Dayton and freshman defender Sofiah Barkfoot.
Wilson said that Dayton will be counted on not just for her performance on defense but also her leadership by being named one of the three team captains.
“Coming right out of high school and onto a college team as a captain, it is just going to make her a stronger person throughout her four years,” she said.
Manning the goal for Hiram will be sophomore Emma Fox.
“She is working hard every day, putting in extra work, she has quick hands, and I am excited for her to develop,” added Wilson. “Once she starts seeing live shots in games against other competition and not our own team, I think she will quickly catch on and upgrade her skills.”
On offense, the Terriers will be led senior midfielder and team captain Jane Clark,
“Jane picked up lacrosse in the fall and is an absolute beast out there on offense,” said Wilson. “I am really excited to see what she does and how she contributes this season.”
Flanking Clark on offense is freshman attacker Natalie Easterday, who is a new face on the team after graduating high school a semester early and enrolling in Hiram at the beginning of the New Tear.
“She is an attacker,” Wilson said. “She is pretty feisty out there and can muscle her way through to make some goals happen.”
Hiram’s first game is on the road against Marietta College on Saturday at Don Drumm Stadium at 4 p.m.
