Veterans, rookies come together as York College women's lacrosse finds its groove

The York College women’s lacrosse program has thrived under the guidance of head coach Jen Muston, becoming a consistent force on the national scene in recent seasons.

Last year’s Spartans advanced all the way to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. They reached the second round the year before that. Over the past three seasons, York has tallied up 45 victories including a pair of the MAC Commonwealth titles.

That year-over-year success doesn't happen without recruiting talented players who not only improve on the field but develop into leaders and mentors. Central York graduate Madison Kurland, now a senior, is a perfect example.

Kurland is third on the Spartans in points (31) and fourth in goals (19). She’s already surpassed her 2023 totals in both categories after shifting into a more prominent scoring role. Kurland, who scored 35 goals as a sophomore in 2022 and has started every game since the middle of that season, has played an especially pivotal part in York's rebound from a 3-6 start this season.

After six early losses against nationally-ranked teams, the Spartans have now won three straight. Kurland scored York's first goal on Wednesday evening in a 20-6 home victory over Alvernia that brought the team to 6-6 overall and 2-0 in the MAC Commonwealth.

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For Kurland, getting the most out of all her teammates — from the freshman to her fellow seniors — is tantamount for not just her own legacy, but also the legacy of the program.

“We have (players from) every year playing. It’s not just upperclassmen playing,” Kurland said. “We have to play unified and I think that everyone has something they can teach each other.”

Muston and the coaching staff have certainly brought in plenty of recruits with the talent to make an impact.

Last year, former York Catholic standout Sydney Mentzer joined the fold and won the MAC Commonwealth’s Rookie of the Year honor. Mentzer hasn’t lost a step this season, as she leads the Spartans with 26 goals. Two other sophomores, Lauren Gillies and Julia Silvernale, tallied five and three goals, respectively, on Wednesday.

The Green and White have another breakout freshman this year in Sofie Steel, who's fifth on the team in both goals (14) and points (19). Steel and fellow rookie Kate Feldman both scored twice against Alvernia and figure to be important X-factors as the spring continues.

“(The seniors) made us feel really comfortable,” Steel said. “Especially after those six or seven top-ranked teams. It was just a huge time for us to start building that trust.”

Kurland was nothing but smiles talking about Steel, who has come off the bench in each of her nine games this season.

“I think Sofie is just an all-around good player,” Kurland said. “She’s got the speed and she has this hard shot that goalies will shy away from. At practice, everyone is just in awe of her amazing whipper. She’s got a positive attitude and is fun to talk to off the field and on the field. I think she’s just amazing to learn from as a senior and she her go hard every single day and that inspires me as well to play.”

Steel, likewise, couldn’t help from gushing about what it’s like playing with Kurland.

“Kurland just sets an example for everybody,” Steel said. “She’s always out here on time and always pushing herself and pushing everybody. She never takes a day off. She gets our offense going a lot. She’s like a coach on the field, but a coach that’s scoring. Just a great role model.”

For Steel, a native of Leesburg, Virginia, playing at York College was particularly appealing because of the atmosphere cultivated by both Muston and the players, as well as excitement from last season’s historic run to the Elite Eight.

“Before I committed, I went to a couple of practices,” Steel said. “And I just loved watching them play. I went to a decent amount of games and I just thought that ball movement and the attitudes were just something that I wanted to be a part of. Everybody is here to win.”

That last sentence brought a smile to Kurland’s face that only grew bigger when Steel offered her feelings on playing for York.

“I love it here,” Steel said.

“You better quote that,” Kurland said before patting Steel on the back.

This season hasn't been an easy one for the Spartans, with Muston battling kidney issues and a handful of close games breaking the wrong way. But the camaradierie throughout the team, from the coaches to the veterans to the newcomers, has helped York keep moving forward.

“We play for each other,” Kurland said. “Especially this season. We’re playing for Coach. She inspires us and we’re all just trying to draw the fire from her. For her to be here after that process that she’s gone through … we’re playing for her. It’s just been great to be out here.”