DUDLEY, Mass. (6/1/2026) – The Nichols College women's lacrosse team continued to take positive steps forward during the 2026 campaign, with a balanced lineup of veteran leadership and emerging young talent helping them through.

After losing some key pieces from their lineup following 2025, the 2026 season saw the Bison showcase growth, resilience, and competitiveness. Overall, under the guidance of seventh-year head coach William Mraz, the Bison finished with a 6-7 overall record and a 4-6 mark in Conference of New England (CNE) play. Despite battling through a competitive conference schedule, Nichols delivered several strong performances throughout the spring.

Their first triumph of the spring came on Wednesday, March 4^th against Rivier University, where the Bison clipped the visiting Raiders, 8-7 at Vendetti Field. From there, the Bison went on to claim wins in four of their next five contests, which included a 13-9 victory at Virginia Wesleyan University during the program's spring break trip, with five players recording three points on March 12^th. Less than a week later, the Bison opened conference action in dominant fashion with an 18-4 win over Gordon College, which was their highest single-game scoring effort throughout the season. That same effort also saw six players record multi-point performances, with freshman standout Kaylyn Bourque leading the charge with six goals and one assist.

Bourque emerged as one of the top newcomers in the conference during a sensational rookie campaign, as she led Nichols in both goals (45) and points (55) while starting all 13 games. She also added 49 draw controls and was ranked among the conference leaders in goals and points per game. Additionally, the Bison saw it's veteran corps contribute on a routine basis, with sophomore Macy Abrams ranking second on the team in points (28), while tying for second in goals scored (16) with senior Gabriella Mandirola. From the draw, senior Emma Patton capped off her collegiate career tied for the team-lead in controls (49), while junior defender Anieca Hyppolite contributed the defensive front with a career-high 23 caused turnovers.

Equally, senior goalkeeper Briar Slattery was another key piece of the puzzle, starting in all 13 games (6-7) with a 13.54 goals against average, and .343 save percentage. While the Bison narrowly missed postseason contention, the program demonstrated significant progress and established a strong foundation for the future.

SEASON LEADERS
Goals: Kaylyn Bourque (45)
Assists: Makala Dube (17)
Points: Kaylyn Bourque (55)
Ground Balls: Briar Slattery (40)
Draw Controls: Kaylyn Bourque, Emma Patton (49)
Caused Turnovers: Anieca Hyppolite (23)
Free-Position Goals: Kaylyn Bourque (5)
 
SEASON AWARDS
CNE Rookie of the Week (3/23): Kaylyn Bourque
CNE All-Conference Third Team: Kaylyn Bourque
CNE All-Conference Third Team: Emma Patton