The Augustana women’s lacrosse team didn’t just open up their season with a win; they opened it with a sense of accomplishment and momentum. After losing their season opener the past two seasons, the Vikings started the season with an 11-4 victory over Hanover College. The win felt significant for a group eager to change its early-season narrative.

Much of the tone came from the defensive side. The Vikings only allowed four goals and limited the Panthers to 11 shots. On the offensive side, the Vikings had five assists, which is a major improvement from last season, when the team struggled to pick up assists throughout the game. 

While Head Coach Jordan Tice saw their defense as a key takeaway from the game, they still have some areas to improve. 

“I think our transitions could have definitely been a little bit better, but I would say that’s probably our biggest challenge that we’re trying to battle right now in our practices and correct,” Tice said. “I think our overall communication on defense has been fantastic. Our offense is taking risks and really working together as well, so being able to have multiple games with five-plus assists is a huge improvement from last year.”

For all the optimism surrounding this season’s start, the program understands its history. The Vikings have not finished a season above .500 since 2018.

Rather than shying away from the past seasons, players like sophomore Kritika Chitnis have used it as fuel, turning it into a sense of motivation, and focusing on accountability, chemistry and showing up for one another every day. 

“We know how hard it’s been in the past, and we’re looking to kind of change the narrative now, and we’re looking to hopefully get back to that spot one day,” Chitnis said. “We just need to show up for each other, show up for the game, build that chemistry with each other, especially with the newcomers on our team, and I think that we’re working on that now.”

With six seniors and four juniors, this year’s roster isn’t short on experience, and their presence has already started to shape the team’s identity. From practice intensity to communication on the field, the upperclassmen have made it clear what the standard is. Instead of learning through trial and error alone, First-Years and underclassmen have veteran voices beside them helping direct positioning, timing and decision-making in real time.

That leadership has also accelerated the team’s chemistry. Many of the upperclassmen have played together for years, giving them a deep understanding of one another’s tendencies and strengths. Seniors such as Rachel Wylie know which teammates thrive in space, cut best off-ball and need the ball in certain situations due to that familiarity. Not only has it strengthened on-field execution, but it has also created a tighter-knit group overall, something they believe will make the difference in close games.

“I think having upperclassmen who can help guide not just the returners, but especially the freshmen and younger players, has been huge,” Wylie said. “With so many of us having played alongside each other for years, there’s a chemistry; we know how each person works and what puts them in the best position to succeed. That helps us set up plays around our strengths. We understand each other’s quirks and tendencies, and that makes us more connected as a team.”

The strong start didn’t stop with Hanover. The team followed it up with a 9-6 win over Culver-Stockton College, proving the season opener wasn’t a fluke but the beginning of something building. Back-to-back victories have given the group early confidence. Now, the focus shifts to Cornell College, with momentum on their side and a veteran core setting the standard for the rest of the team.