SCOUTING THE SCARLET HAWKS    
Illinois Tech enters their third season coming off a tie for fourth in MWLC standings in 2015. The Scarlet Hawks have their fair-share of youth on their roster, featuring 11 freshmen and three sophomores within their 19-player roster, including their leading scorer from the 2015 season, sophomore Cassandra Reinke, who had 27 goals. Joining Reinke on the attack will be fellow sophomore Isabel Fitzpatrick-Meyers, who netted 21 goals in the 2015 season. After successful prep campaigns, freshmen Abbie Reynolds and Jennifer Young join the roster in 2016 and will compete for the starting job in goal. Kirk Lamitie is in his second year as head coach after spending two seasons at California State-Chico.

ASHLEY McGEE COMMANDING THE NET    
Sophomore Ashley McGee returns as goalkeeper for the Duhawks in 2016. McGee started in all 16 games of her freshman campaign, finishing the year with a .386 save percentage. Her 133 saves last season ranked fifth in the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference (MWLC). McGee tallied a career-high 16 saves against Augusburg in the second game of the season. The Chicago native garnered four wins last year, but with a season of college experience under her belt, McGee will command the net this spring.

CORE REMAINS INTACT    
Three and a half years ago, the Loras women's lacrosse team came together for the first time. A group of new faces with a new coach, playing a sport that had never appeared on the Loras campus before. Now, in the week leading up to the first game of the season, the core group remains and has experienced the ups and downs of starting a new program. This season, seniors Kaitlyn Kutsch, Nadia Duarte and Shaunna Weber have their own goals for the year, but regardless of how the season plays out, they'll always remember their time as members of the first Loras women's lacrosse team.

OFFENSE RETURNS FOR THE DUHAWKS    
Even with four starters gone from last year's squad, Loras' offensive productivity will experience little dropoff. The Duhawks are returning a starting attacker and four midfielders who totaled 70 goals last season, with senior Kaitlyn Kutsch scoring 42 goals. The Duhawks will look to run a fast-paced offense with the midfielders and attackers charging the opponents net and taking advantage of openings in the defense.

KUTSCH TO CAP OFF CAREER    
A three-year starter, senior Kaitlyn Kutsch returns for her final lap in a Duhawk uniform. In her first three seasons, Kutsch has totaled 149 goals, reaching the 100-goal mark early in 2015. While its no surprise that the offense runs through Kutsch, opponents have struggled to contain her lethal shot. When not on the rush, Kutsch added 18 free position goals and won 71 draw controls.

NELSON CAN DO IT ALL     
All-Conference junior Hannah Nelson looks to play a vital role on the field this season for the Duhawks. A season ago, Nelson finished third on the team with 17 goals and led the squad with a .515 shooting percentage. Nelson also led the team in ground balls with 42. Her versatility will prove its worth as she can get the job done in any aspect of the game, both as a solid scoring option or lockdown defender.

CHICAGO FAMILIARITY     
Four members of the 2016 Duhawk Lacrosse roster come from the same high school located on Chicago's Southwest Side. Sarah James, Emily O'Keefe, Molly Johnson and Sabrina Almanza spent four years at Mother McAuley High School. Having the familiarity of knowing each other for the past four years can go a long way in terms of team chemistry both on and off the field. Additionally, all four student-athletes will open their careers in their old backyard when they face Illinois Tech.