LEWISTON, Maine -- For the first time in six years, the Bates women's lacrosse team is traveling to California to begin their season. The Bobcats take on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps this Wednesday at 10 p.m. eastern, 7 p.m. pacific, and the University of Redlands on Friday to start the 2026 campaign.
It's the second year for Princess L. Zabel as the head coach of the Bobcats, coming off a debut season that saw the Bobcats post an overall record of 7-9. That year included a win over a nationally ranked Catholic University team that prompted this year's opening road trip.
"The team is beyond thrilled to start the season in California," Zabel says. "Last year before the Catholic game, Caitlin Quinn '28 (Dana Point, Calif.) asked me if we could open this season in California if we won. I sort of jokingly said, 'Sure.' Well, we won, and now we're starting this season out west!"
Zabel's first year as the head coach at Bates taught her a lot about herself and the team.
"Last year was a whirlwind," Zabel says. "I showed up the first day of practice and the women had to adjust to who I am as a coach. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about the competition in the NESCAC and the academic rigor that impacts everything, from practices to mid-week games."
Bates qualified for the NESCAC tournament for the first time since 2019 and they return most of their point-scorers from a year ago. In fact, 15 of the 16 players who tallied points last season for Bates are back this year.
Junior Laci Raveis (Fairfield, Conn.) paced the Bobcats last season, scoring a team-high 33 goals and dishing out 15 assists for a team-high 48 points. Classmate Lucy Taylor (Falmouth, Maine), led the Bobcats with 25 assists, also scoring 14 goals. Meanwhile, senior Caroline Keating (Rye, N.Y.) tallied 27 points while leading Bates in draw controls (57), ground balls (35), and caused turnovers (18) last year. Senior Lauren Wong (Walpole, Mass.), junior Grace Cassin (Glen Rock, N.J.) and senior Julia Roelofs (Rye, N.H.) provide more offensive firepower as Bates looks to continue to make progress in Zabel's second season.
"Our team chemistry is the biggest key to success," Zabel says. "We're energized by this offensive group. We've been working on getting comfortable and knowing each other's tendencies."
Returning stalwarts on defense include senior Sarah Jane Gavin (Boston) and sophomore Elsa Copeland (Toronto, Ontario), a two-sport athlete who earned second team All-NESCAC honors for the NESCAC champion Bates field hockey team in the fall.
"We want people to feel uncomfortable when they play us," Zabel says. "We're going to be aggressive and fast on defense. It's been a big focus of our chalk talks."
Senior Raegan White (Duxbury, Mass.) started 12 games between the pipes last year, recording a save percentage of .489 and posting a win-loss record of 7-4. The Bobcats have two experienced goalies, as White played 587:46 minutes in goal and sophomore Molly Urbonas (Englewood, Colo.) saw action in 13 games, starting four while playing 361:45 minutes in goal as a rookie.
"The goalies each have a different style that they bring to the game," Zabel says. "It's actually great for the shooters because they see different things in practice."
Four of the top five ranked teams in the country play in the NESCAC, but Zabel embraces the gauntlet of a schedule the Bobcats face.
"That's the opportunity we have being in this league," Zabel says. "We're prepared, we're intentional, we're locked in, and we're ready to compete."
