FROSTBURG, Md. - A year ago, Frostburg posted nine wins and earned a trip to the CAC Tournament and first-year head coach Hayley Engster wants to build on last year's momentum.
 
The nine wins are the most for the Bobcats since the 2010 and Engster will bring a new energy to the team in hopes of pushing further into the CAC Tournament.
 
The backbone of the '16 version of the Bobcats will be 11 upperclassmen, highlighted by nine juniors. They are the strength of the team and cover every position on the field. They also provide a veteran leadership that should be hard to match among CAC teams as 10 of the 11 upperclassmen appeared in a combined 145 games with 102 starts a year ago.
 
"The upperclassmen lead by example with their confidence and hustle on the field," said Engster. "They also help create a close knit community among the team and their drive to success is infectious."
 
The group consists of seniors Marissa Howk and Jamie Twardowicz, along with juniors Taylor Mone, Megan Hart, Haley Hines, Alyssa Barlow, Ali Scrivener, Molly Hart, Emani Byrd and Dylan Teitelbaum. The returners also welcome in newcomer Logan Brady (junior).
 
A closer look at the 11 upperclassmen also reveals the amount of talent and depth the group possesses. Last spring, they accounted for 83 goals, 27 assists, 139 ground balls, 57 draw controls, 67 caused turnovers and 113 saves.
 
With those kinds of numbers, it's easy to understand why Engster and her coaching staff believe the strength of her team lies with the upperclassmen.
 
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Defense
Five of the 10 returning upperclassmen reside on the defensive end of the field and account for 51 combined starts last spring.

Junior Emani Byrd

Junior Megan Hart

Junior Molly Hart

 
Howk, Byrd and Barlow boast the most returning experience on defense, while Teitelbaum started all 17 games in goal for the Bobcats last year.
 
Howk has the most experience of any member of the Frostburg team having played in 48 games with 41 starts during her previous three seasons. She has caused 31 turnovers and scooped up 49 ground balls, while on the offensive end she has found the net 14 times with one assist.
 
Byrd was named to the 2014 All-CAC Second Team after finishing her freshman campaign ranked fourth in the CAC with 31 caused turnovers. Last season, she added 18 ground balls, 21 caused turnovers, six goals and one assist.
 
Barlow has appeared in 16 games in each of her first two seasons and looks to add to her 35 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers which she has collected during that span.
 
Junior Ali Scrivener and sophomore Sam Cataldo appeared in combined 24 games with 11 starts last spring and both will look for an increased role this spring.
 
Teitelbaum will enter the season as the starting goalkeeper having totaled 188 saves in 27 games played. She dropped her goals against average by four goals over her first two seasons and looks to continue that trend in 2016.
 
Attack
Junior Megan Hart, sophomore Courtney Ridenour and freshman Morgan Cavey will form the top three at attack this spring for Engster's squad.
 
"The attack will be more spread out this year with several scoring options and I rely on the players to think on the field and make decisions on what is happening during the game," added Engster.
 
Megan Hart was the team's fourth-leading scoring last spring totaling 25 goals and seven assists in 17 starts. She also contributed 32 points (21g, 11a) as a freshman in 2014.
 
Ridenour made nine starts as a freshman and finished with eight goals and three assists, while Cavey was voted as the Most Improved Player as a junior at Chesapeake High School.
 
The group will also have the tough task of replacing two-time All-CAC performer Mallory Brunett, who led the Bobcats in scoring a year ago.
 
Midfield
This year's midfield line will be directed by junior Molly Hart, the Bobcats' leading returning scorer from a year ago. She started all 17 games and poured in 28 goals and six assists. She also led the team with nine free-position goals to go along with 26 ground balls, 14 draw controls and 11 caused turnovers.
 
At the draw, a trio of players will compete for time that includes Brady, Byrd and Hartley. Byrd has won 40 draw controls over her previous two years and was third on the roster last spring with 20 draws.
 
Schedule
The Frostburg State '16 schedule will be highlighted by a pair of NCAA Tournament participants and the Bobcats will open their season in early March.
 
Frostburg welcomes Alleghany this Saturday (March 5) with its season opener at Bobcat Stadium. A week later, the Bobcats dive into CAC action with a road contest at Marymount at 1:00 pm.
 
A year ago, the CAC had four teams with 10 or more wins, behind NCAA Tournament participants, York (15-6) and Salisbury (14-4). The Spartans and Sea Gulls were ranked eighth and ninth, respectively in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III Preseason Poll.