UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University women's lacrosse team makes its debut in the Spring of 2025 with its first game at Lake Erie on Friday, February 14. The Cardinals are set to compete in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) this season, which released the annual preseason Coaches Poll this afternoon, earning four points for fifth in the poll.
Defending GLIAC champions Grand Valley State top the poll with four first-place votes and 16 points. Northern Michigan follows with the final first-place vote and 13 points. Davenport edged out Concordia-St. Paul by one point with nine total to claim third, and SVSU wrapped up the poll in fifth.
The Cardinals, led by first-year head coach Cait Gaitley, begin their inaugural season on Friday, February 14. The team consists of 14 student-athletes: nine freshmen, one sophomore, three juniors, and one senior.
Twins Aleena and Marlee Edwards add experience to the roster as transfers from Montevallo and Notre Dame College. Aleena Edwards made 13 appearances and eight starts a season ago. She tallied 11 points on three assists and eight goals in her only season with Montevallo. Marlee Edwards saw the field in 12 games on defense in her lone season.
Sophomore Sophia Ried, junior Sarah Graziano, and senior Sarah Veale add depth to the roster, with Veale being named one of the two team captains along with Aleena Edwards for the first season.
Saginaw Valley State lacrosse debuts in Painesville, Ohio against Lake Erie on Friday, February 14 at 5:00 p.m. (ET). The Cardinals then play at Northwood on Thursday, February 27 and Tiffin on Monday, March 3 for the first three contests of the season.
The home opener for SVSU is scheduled on Thursday, March 13 against Dominican and begins a string of four-straight home games (Dominican, Concordia-St. Paul, Northern Michigan, and Lewis) with Concordia-St. Paul is the first GLIAC matchup for SVSU on Friday, March 21.
The Cardinals have four road games to start April with GLIAC games at Grand Valley State (April 4), Davenport (April 6), Northern Michigan (April 17), and Concordia-St. Paul (April 19). The regular season concludes with Davenport and Grand Valley State at home on April 25 and 27.