CHICAGO, Ill. - The Illinois Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team made significant strides in 2015, finishing in a three-way tie for fourth in the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference in just the second season in program history.

With added depth, another year of experience, and a fantastic team attitude heading into 2016, Head Coach Kirk Lamitie knows the program has a chance to be highly competitive.

"This team has so much passion for the game and for each other," said Lamitie, who is heading into his third season at the helm. "It has been so much fun to come to practice every day. I have never coached a team where every single athlete is 100 percent coachable. They work hard and understand the big picture of what we are trying to accomplish."

The team's superb mindset is something Lamitie has worked on instilling in the student-athletes since the program began three years ago. A strong work ethic with mental toughness has begun to become second nature to the Scarlet Hawks.

"Our freshman class has bought in 100 percent to our systems and culture, said Lamitie. "I stress hard work and dedication to the craft we have chosen to play. The past two seasons, we spent a lot of time building the culture, and 2016 has been the most seamless year to instill this into our team"

Tech's roster does still have a good amount of youth, as 11 freshman and three sophomores make up a large portion of the team's 19-player roster. Even with the expected adjustment period for the younger players, Lamitie is already seeing the roster play as one.

"The biggest battle so far is getting the players to understand they don't have to do it all themselves when they have the ball," said Lamitie. "We brought in players this fall who were the best on their high school teams, and now they are surrounded by athletes just like themselves. Now, even before our first game, they are already trusting each other."

Two returning sophomores return will serve as the team's captains for the upcoming season: defender Cassandra Reineke (second-year captain) and midfielder Sarah Maciorowski (first-year captain). Lamitie is excited for what both players can bring to the team in leadership roles.

"With them having played for me for a full season, they understand the systems we are trying to run on the field," he explained. "They help keep us in the mind frame of what the game plan is and how we're going to effectively accomplish it. Most importantly, they help set the culture of what our team is. They really take care of the off-the-field stuff and help bring our athletes together."

Reineke and Maciorowski aren't the team's only two leaders, however. The team's three seniors (attacker Heather Bennett, midfielder Briana Villagrana, and defender Emilie Woog) all help steer the Scarlet Hawks in the right direction.

"Our senior class who has been with me since the beginning has grown so much as individuals and as lacrosse players," said Lamitie. "It's really exciting to see them continue to evolve. Without them, we would not be where we are today."

One of the seniors figures to be a key component on the attack. Bennett (eight goals in 2015) and sophomore Isabel Fitzpatrick-Meyers (21 goals in 2015) will help stabilize a freshman-heavy roster. Freshman Sarah Colby also figures to play a large role this season.

"As one of the original members of our inaugural team, Bennett's experience playing under me has helped with our team's youth," he explained. "Fitzpatrick-Meyers brings her pure athleticism to the field, as her speed and field awareness is like none other. Colby brings fire every day, and I am excited to see how she can do at this level."

In the midfield, freshmen Alyssa DeLuca and Madison Meredith will play large roles as "two phenomenal athletes" who have excelled this preseason at the position despite being recruited to play elsewhere on the field. Maciorowsi also will play a large role after tallying 11 goals last season. Second-year players and former goalies in Villagrana and junior Taylor Thompson (Tech's former Female Freshman Athlete of the Year) will also be counted on.

On defense, Woog and Reineke (last year's leading scorer with 27 goals as an attacker) are joined by newcomers Isabella Rubin and Marina Eraas.

"We've probably made the most gains on defense this year," said Lamitie. "Woog has come a long way from her first lacrosse season three years ago, and with Reineke returning from the attack position, we return two solid defenders. With the additions Rubin and Eraas, we look to lower the number of shots taken on our goaltenders. This is the most athletic defense we've ever put on the field."

Two freshman will compete for time in net, as Abbie Reynolds and Jennifer Young both come with high successful prep backgrounds.

"We have two phenomenal athletes between the pipes for us," Lamitie said. "I cannot express how excited I am for our goaltender situation. They work so hard to be the best at their position. The competition between the two of them will only make us stronger as a team."

The team also has five additional newcomers to round out the team's depth. Attackers Abby Avila, Yeasarang Kim, and Mimi Hoeller along with defenders Maria Ortega and Clarissa Perez bring an added element to the team.

"They work so hard and stay positive and are so eager to learn more about the game," said Lamitie. "Without them, we would not have an opportunity to be as successful as we are going to be this year. We would not be who we are"

Lamitie believes the Scarlet Hawks can be a team that finishes in the top half of the MWLC this season, with double-digit victories and multiple All-Conference performers as reachable goals. A large part of this belief comes from the team's resiliency, which was exhibited last season when Tech won two triple-overtime matches in a four-day span.

"We spend a lot of time working on the toughness of our team," said Lamitie. "We know we have to battle every day. Whether it is on the field or in the classroom, there is no room for complacency at this university. We are a rigorous academic institution, and when you add-on being a student-athlete, it is not an easy job. I know because of how strong we are as a team and how mentally tough our athletes are, when it comes to a close game and there's only a few minutes left, we're going to walk off the field victorious."

All in all, the Illinois Tech women's lacrosse program believes it has big things in store for next season and is comfortable with those expectations.

"It's been an amazing transformation from the fall to now," said Lamitie. I cannot be happier with each and everyone of our student-athletes. From our seniors to our newcomers, we are a family, we are a team, and we are Illinois Tech."

The season begins this Friday, March 4, as Tech hosts MWLC opponent Loras College at 3:00 p.m. at Stuart Field. Live audio, video, and statistics will be available for all home contests this season.