By BOB CHAVEZ
Emily Hawyrschuk has seen plenty of quality lacrosse, but this?
“Top to bottom, everything the WLL did to create this experience was awesome,” said the 2016 Victor graduate and three-time All-American at Syracuse University.
That’s quite the review from an athlete who graduated SU as the program’s all-time leading goal scorer and has won box lacrosse gold with Team USA. But if playing in the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League championship series earlier this month was half as fun as watching it, the future of professional women’s lacrosse is bright.
Erin Coykendall, a 2019 Spencerport graduate who played at perennial power Northwestern, agrees.
“It was awesome,” she said. “It was a lot of fun to be part of.”
Hawyrschuk and Coykendall gave Section V a solid presence at the WLL event in Springfield, Virginia. The WLL is part of the Premier Lacrosse League, a professional lacrosse league for men that started in 2019. The championship series tournament in Virginia was the debut of the WLL.
The WLL plays a Sixes format, which has five runners on the field for each team plus a goalie. It’s a fast-paced, open game with an accelerated pace that creates exciting rushes and breaks. And that’s what the crowds in Springfield saw for a tournament that started on Feb. 11 with four teams playing at least three games.
Hawyrschuk and Coykendall were part of the New York Charging, which advanced to the championship. But the Boston Guard scored a 22-17 win over New York to clinch the league’s first title.
Still, the moment was not lost and might even emerge as the more important event that provided the spark for a sustainable professional league for women.
“It’s one of the most incredible lacrosse experiences I’ve had,” said Hawyrschuk, who won the Golden Stick Award with 19 goals in five games. “It’s great to play in front of a crowd and interact with the young kids.”
Professional lacrosse for women has been tried before and didn’t quite stick. But there’s something different about the momentum being created by the WLL.
“The game is growing so rapidly,” said Coykendall, a two-time All-American and Tewaaraton Trophy finalist in 2023. “And they’re being very diligent, making sure they’re biting off just as much as they can chew … the way they’re approaching it, it’s really exciting to see where it’s going. It’s player-driven with a great group of ambassadors.”
Standing out for Hawyrschuk was the media team. It’s been an enormous part of what’s helped the PLL reach the height it’s at and Hawyrschuk can’t help but feel it can do the same for the WLL.
“They have cameras everywhere, right on the field with you, and they do a great job of capturing all the moments,” Hawryschuk said.
Adding to the excitement is the expected exposure coming from the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, which will include lacrosse (in the Sixes format) for both men and women. It puts a neat bow on the lacrosse package for the world to see and the WLL is giving fans an early taste of how exciting the game can be.
“We we saw this past week is a huge step,” said Hawryschuk.
In the meantime, Hawryschuk keeps busy in her second season as an assistant coach for the RIT women while running her 51 Stars Lacrosse, an organization that trains female lacrosse players of all ages. Coykendall helps train young lacrosse players (erincoykendalllacrosse.com) and is an advocate for DINO (Dogs In Need Organization).
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