The College of Wooster women's lacrosse team opens the 2018 schedule with a notably deeper roster and a slew of incoming and further-solidified talent that has veteran head coach Elizabeth Ford excited for a team that is expected to contend for a top-four standing in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

"Now that we are in full force, we are really excited about the talent level that we have," Ford said. "We have tremendous speed on both ends and we're looking to utilize that, and with the depth we have, we should be able to take advantage of our options."

Wooster, who turned in an 11-5 overall record and 4-4 mark in conference play, graduated one senior and returns over 80 percent of its total point production. In addition, the Fighting Scots return to their entire defensive unit to go along with some welcomed first-year additions.

Junior defender Megan Healy represented Wooster on last year's All-Great Lakes Region team.

Leading Wooster's backline contingent is junior all-Great Lakes Region selection Megan Healy, who ended last seaon with 49 groundballs, 47 draw controls and 37 caused turnovers to go along with 11 goals and five assists. In conference play, Healy finished second league-wide in groundballs (33) and caused turnovers (21), while maintaining a top-10 mark in draw controls (22). Additionally, Healy returns to the fold as one of the Scots' strongest draws, according to the coaching staff.

Providing veteran experience alongside Healy includes senior and All-NCAC honoree Michaela Lawrence, as well as juniors Megan Myers and Natalie Souleyrette.

Lawrence proved to be a force in the attacking midfield as part of an overall career year last season. The senior tallied a career-high 18 assists and 28 goals through 15 games in 2017 while more than doubling the previous year's draw total with a team-high 55, including 37 in league play.

Myers and Souleyrette each started all 16 games and combined for 22 caused turnovers and 34 groundballs. Myers, noted by the coaching staff for her defensive vision and athleticism, is expected to be down at the crease, as is Souleyrette, who returns as a good communicator and valued veteran, according to the staff.

Transitioning from the midfield to the defensive end is junior Rose Taylor, who pulled in 13 draws and 23 groundballs in addition to 11 caused turnovers last season. Taylor's natural defensive skills and instinct will be a nice addition to the defense, according to Ford.

Junior all-conference selection Emma Lawrence returns to the fold as another experienced defender. The two-time All-NCAC selection continued to showcase prowess at the draw with 49 on the year while totaling career-highs in groundballs (40) and caused turnovers (25). Additionally, Lawrence is expected to aid on the offensive end after scoring a career-high 20 goals.

As a class, Wooster's eight juniors, Ford noted, have continued to coalesce and will be a nice compliment for the underclassmen, as well as the Scots' two seniors in Lawrence and Helena Enders.

As part of a standout year, Enders posted career-bests in goals (40), assists (13) and points (53), and as a 16-game starter recorded a team-best .645 shot percentage. Noted as a slick attacker, Enders will be joined by juniors Laura Papp and Jordan Stone, as well as sophomore Jenny Grossmann, who is expected to shift into a full-time attacking role after serving in the midfield as a first-year.

Papp's 2017 campaign amounted to a career year for the Ada, Mich., native, as she accounted for team-highs in assists (25) and points (73), both top-five totals conference-wide, while putting away a career-best 48 goals, good for eighth-most in the league. Papp served as a go-to attack option for a thin-rostered Scots' squad while also accumulating the third-most caused turnovers (20) on the team.

Like Papp, Stone started all 16 games in an increased attacking role. The junior recorded a career-high 29 goals and ranked second on the team in assists (20) while scooping up 21 groundballs and eight draw controls. In addition to a top-10 rate in the NCAC in free position goals (12-for-26), Stone's speed and aggression to the cage are expected to produce more opportunities for herself and others, according to the staff.

Ford is looking for more offensive production from Grossmann as she shifts into a dedicated attack role. As a first-year who started all 16 games in the midfield, Grossmann totaled 35 goals and six assists in addition to 40 groundballs and 23 draw controls.

In net, sophomore Emma Hambright started all 16 games last season en route to 95 saves, the sixth-most among conference goalkeepers. As one of only two league 'keepers to record 11 wins on the year, Hambright will compete for playing time with first-year Katie Shideler, who is coming off a strong first year as the women's field hockey goalie.

With eyes set on a top-four conference mark and returning once again to the NCAC Tournament, Ford noted the overall talent of this year's squad and the senior leaders within it.

"I think that our two seniors are good in a variety of ways, including their leadership and what they're capable of producing on the field," Ford said. "So I think we have a really good group around them, and if we produce the way we're thinking we can, there's no reason we can't be competing for amongst the top four."

The Scots open the 2018 season at home on March 1 at 7 p.m. against Ohio Northern University.