Fueled by an influx of standout underclassmen, lacrosse (9-6, 4-4 Atlantic 10) has climbed two spots in the conference standings to sixth place as it makes a final push toward the A-10 tournament in May.

With 11 freshmen and eight sophomores on the 31-person roster, the team’s young talent has pushed them into 4-4 in conference play with two regular-season games remaining and kept them in the top half of standings all spring — a tremendous leap from their last year’s eighth-place 2-8 conference finish. Head Coach Colleen McCaffrey said the team’s new crop of players has driven its improvement this season, delivering the energy she expected during fall ball in September by strengthening their core fundamentals, strengthening the offensive attack and embracing a “100% all in” mentality.

“The difference being that this year, there is not one single person who doesn’t believe in how their role impacts the group,” McCaffrey said. 

Among the team’s young contributors making their presence felt across the A-10 are freshman attacker Mia Milkowski, who secured her third A-10 Rookie of the Week honor and sophomore goalkeeper Gabi Greth, who earned A-10 Defensive Player of the Week earlier this month.

The two A-10 accolades for Milkowski and Greth came after the Revolutionaries’ 12-9 win over George Mason on April 4. Their 8-0 scoring runs in the second and third quarters of the game cemented their control of the field in which Milkowski scored three goals on five shots made, and Greth made 10 blocks from the Patriots’ offense. 

The George Mason win came with contributions from nearly half of the freshman class, with midfielders Parker Febo, Maggie Pond, Daisen Iwan and attackers Sophia Levine and Milkowski all making goals. Senior attacker Grace Curry also had a notable contribution, netting four of her six attempts on goal.

McCaffrey said Milkowski’s success stems from both her physicality and mentality as she is both a multi-tool player and team leader on the field.

“Mia is unique, she’s one of the rare ones who has one of the best attitudes on the team, one of the strongest work ethics, is one of the physically strongest in the weight room and also has the stick work skills,” McCaffrey said.

McCaffrey said Milkowski’s seamless adjustment to the speed and physicality of the college level has made her a double-barreled threat. McCaffrey said her versatility in terms of being able to dodge, shoot and finish is what’s kept her on the A-10’s radar and allowed for the continuous recognition as Rookie of the Week.

“She’s getting assists and goals and finishing, and I think that is something that really drew the attention of the A-10 because she’s a dual threat,” McCaffrey said. “And then she can even take the draw, and she helps in transition.” 

Despite her award-winning performance, the freshman attacker said the ongoing recognition as Rookie of the Week comes as a surprise to her. She was quick to deflect the spotlight to her teammates and coach, saying she believes every freshman on the team deserves the same honor because lacrosse is a team sport, and her success is directly tied to her teammates.

“Every time I have gotten it, I’m like, ‘Really? Me?,’ because I look at all my teammates, and to me, they’re so deserving of it, and they’ve made such an impact on this team. As a class as a whole, we have really stepped up,” Milkowski said. 

Milkowski said the immediate on-field chemistry between the veteran players and the large freshman class is a direct result of the environment that McCaffrey helped establish. 

“I attribute that to Colleen, to be honest, because she’s cultivated an amazing culture, and we just feed off of that,” Milkowski said. “We click so well, not only freshman class, but with every other class as well.”

Even in the team’s loss to No. 1 seed Richmond last week, Milkowski, Iwan and Febo made four out of the six goals from GW’s roster. 

While the freshman offense keeps finding the net, Greth has been a crucial anchor for the team’s defense on the other side of the field. Greth credits her standout performance, which earned her A-10 recognition, to the “insane amount” of trust and confidence she shares with her defensive line and team as a whole, citing that she never has to worry about them making the wrong play.

“I’m always with these people, and I have such a strong amount of trust in their decision making,” Greth said. “I always know they’re going to make the best play possible, and I want to make the play that’s going to support them the best as well.” 

In her second year playing for the Revs, Greth has taken the bulk of the starting duties in the goalie net. She’s building even further on her solid freshman campaign, where she posted double-digit blocking numbers per game, like her 13-save game against Massachusetts, before they changed conferences. Greth has hit her season-high 12 blocks twice this season in games against conference rival Saint Joseph’s and the College of William & Mary. 

McCaffrey said Greth’s on-field success is a direct result of her consistency and preparation in practice. 

“Gabi is somebody who every single day will put in work on her game with our goalie coach and ask for what she needs so that she can be best prepared for our next opponent,” McCaffrey said. “I’m really proud of her work ethic, but she’ll credit her defense as well.”

Consistent preparation across the entire roster will be crucial over these next two weeks as the Revs head to the A-10 Championship for the first time since 2023. 

Milkowski said she’s encouraging her teammates to improve their clearing and shooting accuracy and draw accuracy heading into the final game of the season to prepare for the A-10 tournament. She said the upcoming season will be a challenge with eight seniors graduating, but she’s confident in the younger players’ potential.

McCaffrey echoed Milkowski’s sentiment, noting that freshmen have already stepped up to make an impact on the field, with them typically dominating the starting lineup. 

“Parker Febo and Mia Milkowski, in addition to some of these freshman middies, Maggie Pond and Daisen Iwan have done a very tremendous job, adding in a couple goals here in each game,” McCaffrey said. “I think the group themselves have really set themselves apart, and I think in terms of the future, they’re going to only improve.”

McCaffrey is confident in her next two recruiting classes for the next two seasons that she’s already selected, and the coaching staff is trying to bring in, “even better, bigger, stronger players.”

“I’m excited for what they bring, but I’m really focusing on the right now and just embracing the time that we have left with this senior class because they’ve done an amazing job,” McCaffrey said.