Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College women's lacrosse team opens its third season back at the Division I level at Presbyterian College on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Bailey Memorial Stadium in Clinton, S.C.

The Dolphins are coming off a 4-13 overall record, including 3-6 in NEC action.

The Dolphins will play a 16-game schedule in 2026, including nine NEC matchups and seven non-conference affairs and will include seven games at Ted Grant Field. The Dolphins will host Niagara University in February, Siena University and NEC foes Stonehill, Mercyhurst and Wagner in March and NEC opponents Delaware State and FDU in April. Following Sunday's game with Presbyterian, the team will visit non-conference foes Wofford College, Binghamton University and Manhattan University in February. In March, the Dolphins will head to Canisius University for a non-conference matchup and Howard University for an NEC matchup. The 'Phins will visit the University of New Haven, LIU and Central Connecticut State University for NEC matchups in April.

The Dolphins return 20 letterwinners, including two who earned recognition from the NEC last year. Senior attacker Bella Sampo (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) and junior midfielder Maddi Barney (Lorraine, N.Y./South Jefferson) were each named to the all-conference second team in 2025. Sampo led the Dolphins in scoring with a career-high 32 points on 14 goals and a team-best 18 assists as a starter in 16 of 17 games, while adding a career-best 14 ground balls. Barney registered 28 points on a team-high 22 goals and six assists as a starter in nine of 14 games played, while posting 22 draw controls for the second straight year and 14 ground balls.

The Dolphins return six others who started at least 11 games, including two who started all 17 games.

Senior Theresa Grosso (Syracuse, N.Y./Jamesville-DeWitt) started all 17 games on defense last year and recorded 17 ground balls and eight caused turnovers, but will miss the season following an offseason injury. Senior midfielder Sarah Hunter (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) is back for her final campaign after turning in career bests of 17 points and 16 goals to go with one assist as a starter in 11 of 17 games played. Junior goalkeeper Amanda Manfredi (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) is back after starting all 17 games between the pipes and recording a 12.34 goals against average, 136 saves and a .425 save percentage. Junior Julia Blakeslee (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) joins Barney and Hunter in the midfield after posting 22 points on 16 goals and six assists, 46 draw controls and 16 ground balls as a starter in 16 of 17 games played. Sophomore Kate Foster (Sweaburg, Ontario St. Mary's Catholic) tallied 16 ground balls, 11 draw controls and eight caused turnovers as a starter in 14 of 16 games as a freshman. Sophomore Mackenzie Prentice (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) returns on the attack unit after finishing third on the team in points with 24 on 15 goals and nine assists as a starter in 11 of 17 games played.

The Dolphins added 13 newcomers for 2026, including one graduate student, one redshirt junior and one sophomore through the transfer portal to go with 10 freshmen. Graduate student Francesca Tortora joined the Dolphins from Stony Brook University, Olivia Lockwood (whose father Charlie was a four-time All-American midfielder at Syracuse) came to Le Moyne from Onondaga Community College and Regan Briese transferred from highly-successful Division II program Limestone, which closed following the Spring 2025 semester. The freshman class is made up of attackers Aliyah Mattox, Keira Gilchrist, Jenna Santelli and Emma Fields, midfielders Allison LaMora, Kacie Pilla and Isabella Wormwood and defenders Katy Harbold, Mira Sheehan and Jenna Lagan.

Sunday's matchup with Presbyterian is the first in the program's history.

Presbyterian, which finished eighth (of nine) in the Big South Preseason Coaches Poll, comes into the contest with an 0-1 record after falling at Coastal Carolina, 15-8, last Sunday. Kate Dominick led the Blue Hose with five points (2g, 3a) in the setback. Emily Curry and Alyssa Perez also scored twice in the contest. Avery West, a preseason all-conference selection, had three caused turnovers and four ground balls.