ANNVILLE, Pa. – All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) honorees Anna Dale and Mia Frisoni headline a strong group of veterans who will lead the Lebanon Valley College women's ice hockey team on the quest for its third consecutive trip to the postseason.
The Dutchmen enter 2026-27 ranked third out of eight teams in the MAC Women's Ice Hockey Coaches' Preseason Poll, following a year in which the team made it to the MAC Championship semifinal for a second straight campaign. LVC finished the season with a 19-7-0 overall record and a 16-5-0 mark against conference opponents. The squad's 19 wins set a single-season program record.
"I think we have some first-years coming in who can really make an impact," Head Coach Matt Yingst said. "We are confident that our returning players will build off their successes from last season. The biggest thing is consistency and continuing to build on what we've started. We have to play an overall, very good team game."
The Dutchmen return 21 players from last season and are joined by eight first-year student-athletes. Dale (18 goals, 16 assists), a senior forward and the team captain, is coming off a campaign in which she tied for second in the MAC in game-winning goals, while tying for sixth in NCAA Division III. She was also tied for 13th in the nation in goals per game and 15th in the country in points per game. Lebanon Valley expects junior forwards Addison Taylert (17 goals, nine assists) and Leela Nemani (11 assists, nine goals, 186 faceoff wins), and sophomore forwards McKayla Romano (nine goals, eight assists, 162 faceoff victories) and Addi Alaoui (13 goals, seven assists) to be key contributors as well. Taylert tied for first in the MAC and tied for sixth in the nation in short-handed goals, while ranking second in the conference and tying for 13th nationally in power-play goals and ranking 19th in the nation in goals per game. Alaoui also tied for 18th in the country in game-winning goals.
Defensively, Frisoni, a senior goaltender, will look to build on a season in which she was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year. She made 530 saves, while finishing tied for 13th in the nation with five shutouts and ranking 25th in the country with a .938 save percentage. LVC will also depend on goaltender Savannah Alexander, who registered 142 saves and a .953 save percentage, while tying for 16th in Division III with four shutouts. The Flying Dutchmen will look to sophomore defenseman Abby Mak (14 blocks and 14 assists) to make an impact as well.
Lebanon Valley is also excited to see what its first-year class brings to the table. The program anticipates that first-year forwards Evvy Finch and Hailey Benson and first-year defenseman Lula Rego will contribute this winter.
Lebanon Valley will open the campaign on Friday, Oct. 30, at 5:30 p.m., when the program will travel to take on Chatham University in Pittsburgh. The Dutchmen will begin MAC competition on Friday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m., against Stevenson University in Reisterstown, Maryland.
LVC will host Wilkes University on Friday, Nov. 20, at 4 p.m., for the first of 11 home games at Hersheypark Arena. The Flying Dutchmen will host Senior Night on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m., against Stevenson. Lebanon Valley will close out the regular season on Friday, Feb. 19, against Alvernia University in Reading. The program's full 2026-27 schedule can be found here.
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