Grand Rapids, Mich. — It's not just a brand new season, but an opportunity for a complete overhaul in an attempt to bring the AQ Women's Lacrosse program back to the upper echelon of the WHAC conference. Before you get too excited, Rome was not built in a day and there will be plenty of bumps before the turnaround is complete. What you can be sure of is that the Saints will compete hard, will respect the game, and will be a team that AQ can be proud of.
Saint Mary's 13, Aquinas 9
Saturday marked the official debut of Head Coach Marvin Hardy, and while the scoreboard showed a 13–9 setback to Saint Mary's, the foundation of something new was clearly being poured.
The Belles jumped out quickly, scoring three early goals before Sophia Davis put the Saints on the board with a free-position finish. Addison Munn added another late in the first quarter to trim the deficit to 5–2 and settle some early nerves.
In the second quarter, Vanessa Bailey buried a goal off an Audrianna Lienhart assist, and Davis added her second of the afternoon to keep Aquinas within striking distance. Saint Mary's, however, capitalized on a few transition opportunities and took a 7–4 advantage into halftime.
The third quarter showed growth.
Maizie Holmes began to take control offensively, scoring twice in the frame as the Saints tightened defensively and received key saves from Samaya Dean. Emersyn Gaitan also stepped in between the pipes and provided energy in goal as Aquinas battled to stay within reach, trailing 8–6 entering the final quarter.
Holmes continued her strong debut, finishing with four goals on the afternoon. Bailey added two goals of her own, while Davis chipped in two and Munn recorded a goal and drew multiple defensive assignments. The Saints were aggressive on free-position opportunities, converting all five of their attempts.
Saint Mary's leaned heavily on Alyssa Grant, who scored eight goals, and used a strong fourth-quarter surge to create separation. Still, Aquinas never folded.
Bailey struck again midway through the fourth, and Holmes added a man-up free-position goal late to bring the Saints within four. Draw controls were competitive, with Aquinas winning 14 on the day behind Davis, Holmes, and Bailey. Defensively, Lucy Dusseau-Thompson, Mya Chickering, and Devyn Shenk forced key turnovers and helped the Saints stay engaged throughout.
Yes, there were 35 turnovers. Yes, clearing will need refinement. Yes, the defensive rotations will sharpen with time.
But there was fight.
There was structure.
There was accountability.
And perhaps most importantly, there was belief.
For a program that endured unimaginable challenges just one season ago, simply stepping onto the field with confidence and cohesion felt like progress.
The result may not yet reflect the vision, but the direction is clear.
This is a rebuild rooted in standards.
And Saturday was step one.
Inside the Numbers
• 4 goals from Maizie Holmes in her 2026 debut
• 5-for-5 on free-position attempts
• 14 draw controls won by Aquinas
• 6 combined saves from Dean and Gaitan
• 9 goals scored — more than any official contest last season
Coach's Comments
After the game, Head Coach Marvin Hardy focused not on the outcome, but on the effort:
"I'm proud of the way our team competed today. We asked them to fight for 60 minutes, to trust the system, and to represent Aquinas the right way — and they did that. We have a lot to clean up, but that's coachable. What you can't coach is heart, and our group showed plenty of that. This is just the beginning."
Up Next
Aquinas will hit the road for their first trip of 2026, traveling to Albion to battle the Britons on Tuesday, February 24th with a 6:00 PM start.
Don't miss out on any of the AQ Athletic happenings. Stay up to date on all the action by regularly visiting AQSaints.com for full coverage, stats, and postgame recaps.
