SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's lacrosse team will kick off its 2022 season on Sunday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. versus Babson at Wachenheim Field. 
 
For the Thoroughbreds, the anticipation for season's start has grown even stronger after the season opener, originally scheduled for Friday, was pushed to Sunday.  
 
"Preseason in the Northeast is always a grind, but this group did a great job of showing up every day ready to go," Skidmore head coach Elizabeth Ghilardi said. 
 
Skidmore will embark in its first full season since 2019 after the last two years were substantially shortened. The Thoroughbreds will bring a youthful core into the season. "With such a young team, we have done a lot of teaching the last few weeks and things are really starting to click," Ghilardi said. "We are excited to let this group loose and see what they can do. With 17 first-years and sophomores, we may lack experience but this is a very athletic and skilled team."
 
The Thoroughbreds are eager to get back to the success of the mid-2010s, when Skidmore appeared in three consecutive Liberty League title games from 2015-17.
 
Last year, Skidmore played six games and finished with a 2-4 record. The Thoroughbreds won their first two games of the spring by a combined score of 35-12. The four leading scorers from a year ago will all return for Skidmore: Amelia Bassett (19g, 5a), Maddy Marr (7g, 12a), Avery Geddes (13g, 3a), and Gabriella Modesti (10g, 5a). 
 
The top six Liberty League teams at the end of the regular season will move on to compete for the conference crown. William Smith has won the last five league titles and is ranked sixth in the IWLCA preseason poll. Ithaca, however, comes into the year ranked fourth nationally and is the favorite to win the Liberty League. Skidmore checked in at 10^thin the Liberty League Preseason Coaches Poll. 

The Thoroughbreds and the coaching staff relish the opportunity to begin the year at home. "It's always nice to open the season at home, in front of our fans."