Bonnies Women's Lacrosse Enters 2026 Season With Eyes On Continued A-10 Rise

As the frigid winter of Western New York trudges on toward eventual sunshine and heat waves, the St. Bonaventure women’s lacrosse team has been embracing the harsh conditions while gearing up for one of the most important seasons in recent program history.

The Bonnies enter the 2026 campaign with high hopes in the midst of a rapid program turnaround. Now in her fourth season as head coach, former Bonaventure midfielder LeighAnn Stauffer has brought the team to success not seen in over a decade prior to her hiring. 

After a promising 2025 season in which the team went 10-8 overall and 6-4 in the Atlantic 10, the Bonnies return eight of their top 10-point scorers alongside a class of eight exciting newcomers.

“This group is hungry and unapologetically competitive,” Stauffer said. “We’ve committed to playing with discipline, toughness and urgency, and we expect to be a team that is difficult to play against every time we step on the field. Our returners understand what this level demands, our newcomers have bought into the standard and our leadership has embraced the responsibility of driving the culture forward. This season is about consistency, accountability and competing with edge, and we’re excited about the work ahead.”

Headlining the 2026 attack unit are seniors Rylee Gonzalez and Grace Hollenbeck. They each appeared in all 18 contests last season, ranking fourth and fifth on the team in points, respectively. Gonzalez notched 37 points on 19 goals and 18 assists, just edging out Hollenbeck who scored 25 goals and dished out 10 assists for 35 total points. 

Adding support on offense are sophomores Riley Devlin and Reagan Diehl. Devlin punched in three goals and an assist in 16 appearances last season while Diehl posted two goals and an assist of her own. Also returning to the unit and joining her sister is senior Emma Hollenbeck.

A new face joining the offense is High Point transfer Kierstin Hillis. She appeared in 12 games for the Big South Conference program last season, scoring seven points (4G-3A). Fellow newcomers on the attacking end are freshmen Gracie Williams, Hana Seeto, Riley Czapor, Riley Milligan and Alexis Scaramuzzino.

Leading the charge in the midfield is senior captain and Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference selection Brooke Piper. The Aurora, Ontario native set single-season program records last season with 78 points and 68 goals, also notching 10 assists and 84 draw controls. She enters her senior season ranking 10th in career Bona's history for points (148) and sixth in goals (123). 

“Brooke brings a steady, dependable presence to our program and leads by example in everything she does,” Stauffer said. “Her work ethic and accountability set the standard for our team, and she consistently elevates those around her through her preparation and competitiveness. She understands what it takes to win at this level and has been instrumental in establishing the culture we want both on and off the field.”

Joining Piper in transition is fellow senior Megan Schillinger. Alongside 16 points (12G-4A), she set a new single-season program record in 2025 with 143 draw controls. Her 221 career draw controls are also most in Bonnies history. Sophomore Sidney Van Tassel also returns to support the cause after posting 19 points (15G-4A) last season.

Filling out the midfield unit are Maddie Pieloch, Brooke Sumner, Arianna West and Aleah Petre.

Bolstering the defense are senior captains Brit Colangelo and Kate Hennessey.

A 2025 First Team All-Conference honoree and recent addition to the Preseason All-Conference Team, Colangelo caused the fourth-most turnovers in a single season in Bonnies history last year with 34. The Scarborough, Ontario native also scooped 45 groundballs and posted four points on an even two goals and two assists. For her career, Colangelo stands third in program history with 93 total caused turnovers while her 132 career groundballs stand ninth in the Bonnies record book. 

“A vocal and energetic leader, Brit plays with passion and purpose every day,” Stauffer said. “She has a strong understanding of the game and isn’t afraid to hold her teammates to a high standard. Her confidence and willingness to communicate make her a critical piece of our leadership group, especially in high-pressure moments.”

Hennessey appeared in every contest last season as a cornerstone on defense. The four-year Bonnie and Pittsford, N.Y. native compiled 11 caused turnovers and 24 groundballs in that action.

“Kate leads through consistency and resilience. She approaches every practice and game with focus and intensity, and her commitment to continuous improvement has been evident throughout her career,” Stauffer said. “Her teammates respect her composure and trust her in key moments, making her an invaluable leader for our program.”

Both junior Olivia Peeler and sophomore Kylie Pfeffer also appeared in every game last season on defense. Peeler caused eight turnovers while securing 13 groundballs and 25 draw controls. Pfeffer tallied six caused turnovers and seven groundballs. 

Junior Jordan Murrell also returns with valuable in-game experience having appeared in 12 contests last season on the defensive end.

Rounding out the defensive unit are senior Payton Klepacki, sophomore Rachel Dwyer and freshmen newcomers Grace Fritz, Lilliana Bertrando, Evie Raithel, Brooke Owens and Piper Emmick.

The Bonnies return two goalies from the 2025 campaign, Judy Mahoney and Lauren Draszkiewicz. Mahoney saw action in a win over George Mason, making two saves. Draszkiewicz appeared in a win over VCU and faced two shots. Joining the group in net for the first time is freshman Meredith Kearns as the Bonnies figure to have a primarily new face in net for games this season. 

The Bonnies are slotted to host non-conference opponents Colgate, Long Island and Robert Morris this year. They will also travel to Binghamton, Bucknell, Niagara, Furman and Cornell during the non-conference slate. As A-10 competition begins in early March, the team will look to make a push towards the Atlantic 10 Tournament, slated for April 30-May 3 and hosted by Davidson.