By Emma Deo
Under new leadership, the Plattsburgh State Cardinals’ women’s lacrosse team is looking to soar to new heights next season.
The Cards finished this season 3-12, 1-8, missing the SUNYAC playoff tournament following a five game losing skid to finish the year.
Junior attacker Cynthia Barnosky led the squad in goals with 33, points with 50, assists with 17 and shots on goal with 61. Junior defender Lillian Gilroy earned All-SUNYAC Third Team plaudits after leading the team in draw controls, ground balls and caused turnovers. Gilroy ranked fourth in the conference with 98 draw controls, sixth with 42 ground balls and 11th with 23 caused turnovers.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what this new coach brings to the women’s lacrosse program and to see what we can do next year,” Barnosky said.
Head coach Kelly Wall concluded her fourth season at the helm of Plattsburgh women’s lacrosse in 2025. Throughout her career, Wall holds a 19-40 overall record, becoming the program’s all-time wins leader in 2023. The team set a program record for wins in a single season in the same year with seven.
Wall and assistant coach Josh Walker, who was with the team for the past two seasons, will not be returning to coach the Cardinals in 2026.
Aside from the team’s record, there were many successes for Plattsburgh women’s lacrosse in 2025. Gilroy broke her own record for draw controls in a single season, earning her 62nd in their battle against Cortland. Barnosky set the career points program record as she accumulated 130 points in her three years as a Cardinal. In her first season with the lacrosse team, graduate student Mae Olshansky shattered the record for saves in a single game, stopping 18 shots in the team’s contest against the Potsdam Bears.
“I think the team is excited for next year. I think we have a lot of good kids coming in, a couple goalies that have had more than just a year’s experience and some height finally coming in. So I think they’re excited with who’s coming in and then what we can do next year,” Wall said.
Plattsburgh earned their lone conference win in a 16-5 decision over SUNY Morrisville on April 5. Barnosky led the way for the Cards with a career-high six goals and one assist. First-year Ashley O’Hara had a career-high three goals.
Senior midfielder Caitlin Nash said she is proud of the team and how they were able to come together and stay positive through any adversity they faced.
“Being able to be a part of a newer program was really awesome and was what drew me to come to Plattsburgh in the first place, watching it grow into what it is now, I know we can only go up from here,” Nash said. “I know there’s a lot more building that’s going to continue and just to help lay any bit of that foundation was really awesome. I’m proud of what I did here and what my class has done, and hopefully it’ll just keep going up.”
