ANNVILLE, Pa. - If all goes to plan, then Lebanon Valley's best season in program history merely set the stage for even bigger things to come in 2015.

When the women's lacrosse team opens its season Wednesday afternoon at #13 York, the Flying Dutchmen (16-4 and ECAC champions in 2014) will have nine returning starters on the field, including their two top point-scorers and four of five defenders back. Now, third-year head coach Jackie Dando has her team ready to take the next step and capture its first Commonwealth Conference title, with an NCAA Tournament appearance to go along with it. 

LVC's home opener is Wednesday, Feb. 25 against Dickinson at 4:30 p.m.

ATTACK
Sam Boyce had a breakout sophomore season and will lead the attack once again a year after earning First-Team All-Commonwealth And IWLCA Second-Team All-Region honors. Boyce scored 68 goals with 27 assists, ranking second on the team in points, and showed the ability to dominate games with 14 hat tricks in 20 appearances. She was also one of the region's top draw takers, winning 113 controls. She is joined by returning starter Jenny Simensky, who scored scored 15 goals with as many assists. Junior Haley Patrick had nine goals and three assists in six starts and 15 appearances last season, and freshman Kristen Bannan will help up front as well.

MIDFIELD
LVC returns three key pieces of its midfield with Bailey Benz, Anna Pagels, and Tori Kuntz. Benz, the reigning Commonwealth Conference Offensive Player of the Year, powered LVC's game with 29 goals and a program-record 71 assists, and she also led the team with 65 ground balls and 44 caused turnovers. A three-time all-CC pick, Pagels has been equally impressive in her career, and is coming off a 44-goal, 19-assist season that saw her generate 48 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers with 62 draw controls. Kuntz had 22 tallies with six assists in 2014, both career-highs, to go with 24 ground balls.

LVC's midfield will have to absorb the graduation of goals leader Mel Modrick '14, but there are plenty of players ready to step up. Junior Alyse Bingham (4 G, 1 A in 12 games last year), sophomores Rachel Anderson (1 G in 6 appearances) and Kara Strack (9 appearances) return, and Dando adds Lock Haven transfer Brooke Stoltzfus, who made seven appearances for the 2014 NCAA Division II runners-up, along with freshmen Nikki Lloyd, Kristina Maleski, Emma Jones, and Brenna O'Neill.

DEFENSE
The Dutchmen bring back three of four starters on defense, led by captain Morgan Heller, Emily Moatz, and Laura Schmidt. The unit had an outstanding 2014, limiting opponents to 9.0 goals and 19.9 shots per game to help LVC be +4.5 in goals and +8.6 in shots per game. Moatz led the unit in takeaways with 13 caused turnovers and 24 ground balls, and Heller - a three-year starter - recorded 27 ground balls with eight caused turnovers. Schmidt stepped into a starting role as a freshman and delivered 24 ground balls and nine caused turnovers.

Sophomore Rebecca Tanz and newcomers Ciara Marshall, Megan Kastner, and Sabrina Colbridge will compete for the fourth starting spot. Tanz made seven appearances as a freshman and had four ground balls and three caused turnovers.

GOALKEEPERS
The cage will be well-protected for the Dutchmen in 2015, with two women possessing significant starting experience returning. Shelby Morris was thrust into a starting role last year after a preseason injury to Corinne Palombo, and she earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors with her 8.96 GAA and .421 save percentage. Despite missing 2014, Palombo has 23 career starts and recorded a 9.46 GAA and .475 save percentage in 2013. Freshman Mikayla Freed also joins the team in goal.