SELINSGROVE, PA - Susquehanna University's women's lacrosse team will make its regular season debut this Saturday on the road at Shenandoah at 1 p.m. The River Hawks, under the guidance of ninth-year head coach Randall Swope, are confident to keep up the energy that powered them to a Landmark Conference Semifinals appearance last spring. The Landmark reciprocated that energy in its Preseason Poll release, slotting Susquehanna third behind top-ranked Scranton and two-ranked Catholic. 

The team welcomes back two All-Landmark Second Team selections in senior goalie Aerin O'Brien and sophomore defender Shea Cina. Some notable names on the attacking end return in Abby Andrus, who notched 38 goals and 40 points last season, as well as Jessica Russo and Sophia Trively. Another noted returning presence on defense is Bridget McCann. Faces like these are tasked to replace leaders from last season such as attacker Liv Owen an All-Landmark Honorable Mention who led the team with 74 points and 46 assists, attacker Emma Kelleher, who was second on the team with 59 points and 35 goals, and ttacker Allie Kutler (A), who scored 28 goals. With key returners from the back, the team looks to maintain their defensive prowess that saw them rank second in the conference with 190 total saves and a .495 save percentage, as well as third with a 10.20 goals against average. 

Susquehanna enjoyed a great season in 2025 filled with many redeeming qualities. The vast departure of graduating talent from 2024 would have made it easy for the River Hawks to look at 2025 as a rebuilding year, but a late season surge put many teams in the Landmark on notice as the team finished with a 5-4 conference record. In the regular-season finale against Elizabethtown in a battle of two teams with a 4-4 league mark, Susquehanna put the hurt on the blue birds with a 14-7 victory, giving them the Landmark Tournament opening round matchup they craved as the fifth seed and traveling to Moravian, a team that had beaten them back in March by a 14-6 score. This time around the Greyhounds were stunned to find the River Hawks out in front early 4-0, and even though a comeback tied things up at 6-6 at halftime it was all Susquehanna in the second half. They tallied seven more goals and shut Moravian out the entire fourth quarter in the convincing 13-8 playoff win.