ST. PAUL, Minn. – The 2024 Concordia-St. Paul women's lacrosse season opens this Sunday at noon with CSP hosting Missouri Western State at the Concordia Dome at Sea Foam Stadium, opening a 5-game month of February that will be played inside the cozy confines of the Concordia Dome.

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE WITH FloSports
For the second year in a row, CSP lacrosse games will be carried online through FloSports, the official live stream provider of the GLIAC. FloSports is a paid subscription service where users are able to stream live sporting events on their desktop, tablet or mobile phone using the latest version of Chrome (recommended), Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge; or by downloading the FloSports app from the App Store (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV), Google Play (Android phones and tablets), Roku Channel Store (All Roku devices) and Amazon Fire (Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick).

CSP's lacrosse production with FloSports will feature a 720p broadcast with a single camera elevated from the sideline at midfield with the play-by-play audio from professional broadcaster Dan Flanagan, a broadcasting graduate from Fordham University in New York. Flanagan is a St. Paul native with more than 15 years of experience calling Golden Bear athletics for all sports that feature a live webcast. 

For more information about the GLIAC's agreement with FloSports, view the online press release prior to the school year.

BUY TICKETS TO HOME GAMES ONLINE
Fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance and bring your QR code to the gates to skip the line! Friends and families who utilize the pass list will also be utilizing the online ticketing service while all students, faculty & staff will access their free CSP tickets through the service. Fans do not need to create a login, remember a username or password or download an app to purchase tickets, and tickets can still be purchased with cash at the gates. Find out more in the partnership announcement between CSP Athletics and HomeTown Ticketing.

DOWNLOAD THE APP
Fans can download the CSP Bears fan app, free of charge and available in the App Store or on Google Play. The app contains rosters, schedules, scores, stats, news, social media and more! Customize your options to get notifications to your favorite teams, as well. Search "CSP Bears" in the app store to stay up-to-date on Golden Bear athletics.

DOME SWEET DOME
All five February home contests will be against Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) members as CSP will face the GLVC preseason #1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 ranked teams in the GLVC on the homestand, and will close non-conference play with a March 22-24 trip to Missouri to face two more GLVC foes William Jewell and Rockhurst, the eighth and third-ranked teams in the 8-team league.
 
The Missouri trip follows two other lengthy road trips during non-conference play for CSP, as the Golden Bears will leave the CSP Dome for a trip to Colorado, facing UC-Colorado Springs and Fort Lewis on March 6-8, both on the campus of UCCS, and then head to Ohio to take on Walsh in North Canton and Lake Erie in Painesville on March 14-16.
 
All of the non-conference contests are NCAA Division II in-region contests against Midwest Region opposition, a key factor for the Golden Bears entering head coach Ali Jennings' third season at the helm of the program.
 
"I believe in playing good Division II competition. If we want to be the best and continue to grow, we have to put good teams on the schedule," said Jennings, the 2022 GLIAC Coach of the Year. "Whether its sticking in the Midwest, or venturing out like we've done in Florida in the past, or this year to Colorado and Ohio. Competing at a high level is a process, not an overnight thing, and we have to keep playing tough teams to get better – it's how we increase our standing in the rankings and Won-Loss categories. The Midwest is becoming a competitive area, and the more we compete against good teams, the more likely it is that top talent is going to want to stay in the Midwest."
 
In all, CSP will play 11 non-conference games before getting into the truncated GLIAC league play action which begins in April, facing the other three GLIAC members at home and away.
 
GLIAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL

1. Grand Valley State (3) – 9 points
2. Northern Michigan (1) – 7 points
3. Concordia-St. Paul – 5 points
4. Davenport – 3 points

"There's a big rivalry between us and Northern Michigan, they have a lot of Minnesota kids every year, so it's friends competing against each other at the college level, and NMU usually brings a good crowd so there's a good atmosphere in the dome. And Davenport is always is a good game, scores are always tight against them. With Grand Valley, they're always nationally-ranked and always have a strong team. We look at that series in our scores: has our goal differential been closing? It has in recent years, and that shows progress, even if the wins don't come. We need to keep closing the gap and eventually flip that and make it a 'dub.'"
 
SEASON OPENER VS MWSU
The Golden Bears and Griffons have met twice, with CSP picking up a 13-8 win at the Concordia Dome in 2022 before falling on the road at MWSU 13-9 last season in St. Joseph, Missouri.
 
Last year, CSP had the early upper hand as Sara Kaiser scored three goals in a row for CSP to give Concordia a 4-2 lead midway through the second quarter. The Griffons rallied for seven straight goals with the run extending into the third quarter when Claire Flahaven finally stopped the scoreless spell at nearly 12 minutes of play. CSP wouldn't trim the margin closer than three goals, however.
 
Kaiser's hat trick led Concordia while Lauren Sheets added a hat trick and an assist and Candace McDole secured 11 saves in the cage.
 
This year, Missouri Western is fourth in the GLVC preseason poll after reaching the GLVC Tournament championship for the first time a year ago with the team finishing 9-8 overall and 3-3 in the GLVC. The team returns All-GLVC Second Team performers KC Ossello, Mackenzie Porter, Jazmine Servance and Grace Williams.
 
CAPTAINS
Concordia announced its team captains on social media in late January, selecting junior returners Paige Nicklaus on defense and Hailey Hartlage at midfield and sophomore transfer Cayla Jungwirth on the attack.
 
"There's always a set of standards as a captain and being in a defined leadership role, but everyone has different leadership styles whether they are vocal leaders, lead by example, or leading from behind the scenes – whatever the style is, we are encouraging our captains to lead into their style. It's important for leaders to be looked up to as great players, great students, and great humans. We strive to be a class act on and off the field and how we carry ourselves is important at all times. We have a lot of young eyes on us in Minnesota, being the only Division II lacrosse program, and these three exemplify how we want to continue to grow the culture in our program."
 
Jennings commented on each of their different attributes as team captains, "Hailey displays great leadership on the field and brings the intensity needed at the college level. She's an advocate for her teammates, and people can rely on her to talk when needed. Cayla is a newcomer, but has had an immediate impact both as a leader and as a player. Just three months into her CSP career and she is voted by teammates as a captain, that says a lot about her as a player and as a human. She has a level head, understands all sides of a situation and brings great energy and intensity to practice. Paige is a truly genuine person that the girls feel comfortable going to. She carries herself positively, and that rubs off on people as they feed into her energy. She brings a nice light to the program and was a captain last year. She's the heartbeat of the team and the energy she brings fuels the heart of the team in the correct way. She's a great player on the field, is a great low defender and it's been fun to see her grow from my first year (her first year) to now, she has a ton of confidence.
 
CSP SEASON OUTLOOK
Last year, the Golden Bears entered the season with the task of replacing their top-five goal scorers and top-five assisters on a team that graduated seven of its top-nine scoring leaders.
 
The team relied on its influx of young talent to step into the offensive roles, while the defense remained largely intact.
 
Fast forward to the 2024 preseason, the Golden Bears have a fresh outlook armed with plenty of experience all over the field. The team has returned nine of its top 11 point scorers from the 2023 season (six being sophomores) and virtually the entire defense.
 
"It's been fun to see the sophomore class progress. Last year, the biggest thing was the foundation, and this year the confidence they came back with is fun to see. We've been implementing things and increasing their lacrosse IQ in our systems, there's a lot more connection around the field which comes from time being here and playing together. The game experience they acquired is so important for their development, and that's really an important piece in college lacrosse generally speaking. Their sophomore year will be that much better, they have great chemistry as a class, but also growing within the overall team has been really special."
 
While the team has a number of key players back in key spots, they'll welcome fourth-year junior Hailey Hartlage back to the mix after missing 2023 due to injury, while also introducing multiple transfers including Division I attack Cayla Jungwirth.
 
Prior to her injury, Hartlage had been a full-time two-year starter as a freshman and sophomore, entering the 2024 campaign with 22 goals and 28 points in 27 career games played, adding 44 ground balls, 54 draw controls and 27 caused turnovers.
 
"Hailey brings good speed, stick work and vision on the attack and is a solid defender where she brings good footwork. We missed her last year, especially her experience, which will help boost our experience level this year. With transfers coming in, it means less catch-up and foundation work, they already have some of that even though each program is different, but the stick work, speed and aggression is a big difference from high school so having that year under their belt is key experience. Then we add our freshmen to the mix, and they are keeping up, they are pushing themselves to keep up with the pace of the returners and push the upperclassmen to get better."
 
MIDFIELDERS
"Our midfield group is competitive, and while we don't put too much emphasis on starting positions, the group is solid this year and has a ton of competition with each other – they have great matchups in practice. They all bring different qualities and strengths, allowing us to play around as a staff whether on the draw, the attack, or on defense, to make sure we are taking advantage of opportunities and matchups. This year, the group has improved, their confidence is up, and whoever is in the game, there won't be any regression to our overall team play. I'm excited about the speed, stick handling and because of our foundation set last year, we have more two-way middies which is a big change for us, there is more overall balance to their play."
 
Joining Hartlage in the midfield group are junior Maddie Westberg, sophomores Susie Monson, Kayleigh Nelson and Kennedy Bolander while freshman Shelby Hansen will swing from midfield to attack and fellow freshman Kaysawn Carlson continues to develop and push the upperclassmen at the position.
 
Monson led the group statistically last year with 20 goals and eight assists, clocking in third on the team in goals and third in total points (28), being named All-GLIAC Second Team while Nelson was an All-GLIAC Honorable Mention selection, leading the team with 14 assists, adding eight goals, tying for fourth on the team with 22 points. Bolander added 10 goals, and Westberg had five.
 
ATTACK
"It's been a fun group this year, the speed which we can play this year has been faster, which is nice because it took a while to find the groove and make our connections. We have strong connections already, and that will be fun to see translate into games. We have more understanding with different looks in our systems this year, too."
 
The group features Kent State sophomore transfer Cayla Jungwirth, a local connection from Bloomington Jefferson High School coming into CSP with 14 games of Division I experience for the Golden Flashes in 2022.
 
"Cayla is a heavy-hitter around the crease and x-position. She's fierce and unstoppable and I'm excited to see her CSP Bears debut."
 
The position also returns senior Taylor Preece, who has 40 points with 25 goals and 15 assists in 30 games over the last two years at CSP. "TP is one of the best stick handlers this program has ever had, and she and Cayla have a connection on the field. She's passionate about the sport and leaves it all out on the field."
 
Additional multi-year experience comes from junior Anna Fisher, with 31 games under her belt as a college player at CSP including nine goals and four assists. "Anna has been one of those players who came back from summer and is night and day. She put in so much work and I'm so excited to watch her! The hard work over the summer, we saw it translate in the fall, and we see it now in preseason. She's coming into her own and can make a name for herself with more opportunities."
 
The group also features last year's breakout performer, All-GLIAC Second Team selection Sara Kaiser, who forced her way into the starting lineup for the final six games, finishing second on the team in goals (22) and third in points (27). "She is such a strong left-x for us, she's someone who had great points for us last year and we were excited to see her carry that into this year, but will wait another year and see what next year brings for her game."
 
Bringing additional game experience to the attack unit are sophomores Sydney Smith and Morgan Haapala, who each had 10-goal freshman campaigns with Haapala adding seven assists and Smith four. Freshmen Janna Hamann and Brooke Nicklaus round out the position as first years looking to develop and push the returners.
 
DEFENDERS
While the defense loses two-year starting goalie Candace McDole, who etched her name across CSP's goalie record book and career leaderboard in just two seasons, the rest of the defense in front of the cage returns to protect the goalies.
 
"Our starting defense is phenomenal. Losing Candace is a bummer, but having those four back who played a big chunk of the minutes for us last year is exciting. They have strong chemistry, work really well together, communicate well and they are now starting to read each other – they are seeing when a teammate slides or stay and holds. We're starting from a strong position on 'D' and we keep growing. The rest of the returners on the unit have improved, too, which helps out our depth, we have a strong unit as a whole."
 
The incumbent starters include juniors Paige Nicklaus (All-GLIAC Second Team) and Meghan McGowan (All-GLIAC Honorable Mention) with sophomores Anna Palony and All-GLIAC First Team selection Claire Flahaven. As a group, the four players started all but six total games among 64 opportunities as a foursome.
 
The unit also includes senior Lily Walesheck, one of just three players in their fourth year in the program who has played 24 games across her career and sophomores Isa Bukraba and Natalie Brownfield. Bukraba played all 16 games and started twice last year as a freshman while Brownfield competed in 12 contests during her debut season. They're joined by first-year sophomore transfer Kaitlyn Stelk, an Elk River alum by way of Upper Iowa.
 
"This group vibes well together, their chemistry, confidence, and lacrosse IQ have all grown from 2023 to 2024. Their ball handling out of transitions has improved, they have a calmness to their game, they aren't panicking when bringing it up the field and we are hitting their roles a little more in-depth this year," said Jennings of the defensive unit.
 
GOALIES
The goalie group features senior returner Maddy Huebner and a pair of freshmen in Margarita Lucio and Erika Holm. Huebner has been a key contributor at the position the past three years and is one of three fourth-year members of the program, joining Hartlage and Walesheck. She's played in 22 games, logging over 1,000 minutes of game time, holding a 10.58 goals against average and .421 save percentage.
 
Last year, she posted her best single-season stat line, with a 6.99 goals against average and .521 save percentage while competing in five contests.
 
"Our goalie unit is fun, we have a senior in Maddy Huebner and a pair of freshmen Erika and Marge. It's fun to see Maddy share her leadership and mentor younger players in the fall and now in our preseason. She's a positive role model at a tough position. Goalie has a big mental aspect, and Maddy has been great with the freshmen, she's sharing her experiences, how to reset after a goal and various goalie tricks."