HIGH POINT, N.C. — Head Coach Lyndsey Boswell and the High Point University women's lacrosse team heads into the 2026 season on Friday, coming off the program's 13th overall Big South Conference regular-season championship.
The Panthers begin with a three-game homestand, against ranked No. 14 Duke and No. 16 Navy — with a game versus Campbell in between — before the team's first road test against No. 20 Denver.
Attacker Shannon Smith and goalkeeper Ava Welsh will serve as captains for the first time in their collegiate careers, while defender Caitlyn Baehr was named a captain for the second time. This will be Baehr's first time in this role while competing as she returns from back-to-back season-ending injuries.
"Last year, I would usually on game days, I would stand near Coach Taylor [Moncman], I'd have the iPad and we'd look back at what went wrong in the plays," Baehr said. "I would really be able to study what was happening in those plays, which I had never really done before because I was always out there playing and doing what I thought was right."
Baehr feels like studying the game from the sidelines has helped her realize what happens before a play that leads to the opposing team scoring. She thinks she has a better lacrosse IQ from watching many games and being able to have a coach next to her that she can listen to.
For the captains, leading by example is an aspect they believe is important for the younger players on the team.
"Our role is really important as we have to, not only look out for ourselves, but look out for everyone else," Smith said. "We have to hold ourselves to a standard that everyone else is also being held to. Just be accountable for everyone. We are not only accountable for ourselves; we are accountable for 42 people."
With a large roster, the Panthers have the depth to run different lineups throughout the game.
"I think our depth is going to be really important this year," Baehr said. "Our freshmen coming in this year have been really important for our game."
A couple of freshmen who stand out to Baehr so far are Anna Mullikin and Addison McEvers. These two rookies are a part of a 13-player freshman class.
In terms of returners, the Panthers had five players named Big South Pre-Season All-Conference: Smith, Welsh, Bella Germani, Julia Dustin, and Haley Urban. Smith and Germani combined for 91 goals last season, while Dustin and Urban teamed up for 51 caused turnovers. Additionally, Welsh returns to the cage after 144 saves in 2025.
Another key returner is attacker Reese Dowgiallo, who tied former Panther Allie Connally with a team-high 72 points (34 goals and 38 assists).
Building on last year's success, Smith plans to be even more of a vocal leader on the offensive side of the ball.
"Playing as a unit is the only way we're going to effectively score goals and put a bunch of points on the board," Smith said, "and the communication part of that is a huge piece of it because if we're not communicating effectively and working together as a unit, it's just not really going to work."
On the defensive side, communication is also clear as Welsh is the clear-cut starter at the goalie position. Welsh talks to her defense about what she is seeing and what she needs, as she plays a position where you need to be mentally strong.
"I can't do that by myself, and they can't do that by themselves. So, just really falling back onto the unit and using them as my support really helps me," Welsh said.
Welsh and Baehr bounce defensive ideas off of each other, but Dustin is another defender who has a really strong voice.
When it comes to goals for the Panthers this season, the captains want the team to play together and consistent.
"I think playing a whole game, a four-quarter game, at a consistent level and not having waves of good and bad," Welsh said, "just kind of staying here and being more successful rather than peaks and valleys."
Each individual unit will have its own goals. For example, on defense, it is 100 percent on clears.
For Smith, an individual goal of hers is to make sure that everyone is on the same page on offense.
"I am the main voice on attack," Smith said. "I mean me and Reese [Dowgiallo] split it 50-50 because we've both been on the field for four years. So, we kind of share that role together because you can't do it alone at the end of the day."
Consistency, specifically with all of the goalies, is a goal for Welsh.
"There's probably going to be a day where I'm not seeing the ball as well as I usually do," Welsh said, "we just need a different look in cage and making sure that Madilyn Wargo's ready to go and that Gwyn's [Bjork] is as well on the sideline, and that we all are on the same page at all times and that there's not a drop-off with IQ or save percentage."
The Panthers are looking to win their 14th Big South regular-season title and their first tournament title since 2021 when the season kicks off on Friday, February 6 at 4 p.m.
#GoHPU x #RollThers
