The DU women’s lacrosse team has been to three consecutive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship games, however they have gone home empty handed three straight years.

The Pioneers can still feel the sting from last season’s 11-10 championship-loss in double overtime of their final game against Stanford.

“To be that close three times is beyond frustrating, but it’s also motivating,” said head coach Liza Kelly. “Every individual who played in that game remembers it and has been thinking about it everyday.”

DU will get a chance to avenge the close loss when they travel to Palo Alto, Calif., to take on the Cardinal on April 8, however Kelly says there are more important things to worry about then revenge.

“You don’t want to hang your season on one team and one game,” said Kelly. “We go into this season thinking about the loss, and will use that as motivation.”

The Pioneers, 13-5 last season and 6-0 in conference play in regular season, lost their top two players, midfielder Ali Flury and attacker Lexi Sanders, but return a slew of young talent on both ends of the field.

On offense, the team will rely heavily on the attack position led by a quartet of underclassmen including juniors Lauren Ciccomascolo, Melissa Maier and Becca Steinberg along with last season’s MPSF Freshman of the Year Kara Secora.

Maier is transitioning for the third time in as many years, moving to attack after playing in the midfield last season — a move Kelly notes will pay dividends.

“Melissa will probably start on the attack for us,” said Kelly. “She’s the type of kid that you wish you had 12 of. I get asked ‘how do you replace an Ali Flurry?’ You get a Melissa Maier. She embraces the pressure that comes with being a top player, which is always good to see.”

In the midfield, senior captain Tulley Stapp will provide the leadership along with fellow senior defender Carrie Gamper.

Along with that pair, the team has leadership in junior goalie Ashley Harman, who returns between the pipes after a strong sophomore campaign.

With a core group of scorers and defenders returning, Kelly looks to her freshman to make an immediate impact. She sees a bright future for Jenn Etzel, Annabelle Gilbride, Cailie Murphy and Meredith Harris.

The newcomers will need to make an immediate impact as the Pioneers will be challenged early in their non-conference schedule.

No. 3 North Carolina comes to Denver on March 7, but even before that, the team will get challenged by No. 22 Florida on the road this Sunday, following DU’s season opener versus Jacksonville on Friday afternoon. In addition to those games, the Pioneers will take on No. 12 Towson and No. 16 Loyola before entering their conference schedule against No. 13 Stanford.

“We try to challenge ourselves as much as possible out of conference,” said Kelly. “You play those top teams to see what you can do and how you can improve as well as to get yourself in position to make it to the MPSF championship. We aren’t going to get to the championship game playing cupcakes.”