PITTSBURGH (PTTP) – It has just been four games for the budding 2026 campaign for the University of Pittsburgh Women’s Lacrosse team, and they have already set history on multiple occasions. The Panthers, for the first time in their history, have been ranked within the NCAA’s 25 best lacrosse teams, and they are only getting started. Head Coach Emily Boissonneault inherited this roster in its infancy as the University’s first ever lacrosse head coach in 2019, and has focused on building a competitive team from there.
Boissonneault’s team is one that has revolved around one thing from the very beginning – athleticism. “Our fitness is top notch, honestly, our fitness has gotten better every year,” she remarked. “The ACC is also the fastest conference in the country, so you have to be fast to compete.” Boissonneault’s team is one built from “resilience and character”, and as the roster has grown, so to has its ability to with stand outside pressure and perform on the field, hungry for every potential victory in their path. This quiet but composed lacrosse roster has been built to compete with the best within the ACC and NCAA, and the players within it are beginning to get the recognition they deserve.
The Pitt defense is currently ranked 12th in the NCAA in Caused Turnovers, led by the reigning IWLCA National Defensive Player of the Week, Lainey McGonagle. McGonagle tied the Pitt record with six turnovers alone in the team’s sole overtime loss to Penn State, and averages 3.0 a game, which is both 2nd in the ACC and top 15 in the nation. She is an integral part of the Panthers’ zone defense, though not the only part. Boissonneault stated that the team loves the scheme, as it is only as strong as its weakest link, and each of the players gets an opportunity to add to its success. The constant mayhem of the defense is the polar opposite of goalie Molly Cain, however. Cain, who has already recorded ten saves in multiple games this year, is a cool, calm, and collected voice through all of the chaos that is the Panthers’ defensive front. On the offensive side of the ball, Boissonneault credits what she’s described as the Panthers’ Three Headed Monster, composed of Paige Telatovich, Avery Moon, and Kaitlyn Giandonato, a group that has quickly grown to feed off of one another. The Panthers run a remarkably fast paced offense, with the intention of getting shots off quickly and en masse, allowing them to set the tone in games all year long.
The Panthers look to extend their ACC win streak as they travel to South Bend, Indiana to take on the number 8 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday, February 27th