With 14 returning players, the Upper Perkiomen lacrosse team has set the goal of returning to the Pioneer Athletic Conference playoffs.

        According to Morgan Rynn, the Indians want to avenge their season-ending loss to Pope John Paul II.

        "Coming off the field, we were pretty disappointed," she said, describing the aftermath of a 11-10 loss to visiting Panthers last May.

        Rynn said Upper Perkiomen, which went 8-10 overall in 2015, has the experience and leadership to make a run at the conference and District One Class AAA playoffs. The senior midfielder and her three classmates will be responsible for leading the team on the field.

        "This team is very motivated," head coach Susan Flack said.

        According to Rynn, the goals include sweeping the season series with Pope John Paul II, a Frontier Division rival, scheduled in April and May.

        Rynn, Alyssa Long, Regan McComb and Jenna Wismer have been named captains.

        The quartet will make sure the players are focused and continue to improve, according to Rynn. She said the four seniors, who have played together since they were freshman, will hold each other and their teammates accountable.

        "This team definitely has a backbone," Flack said. "Those four girls have plenty of experience."

        Each will continue their lacrosse careers in college.

        Rynn, who will begin her fourth season as a starter and a two-time, first team selection in the Pioneer Athletic Conference, will attend George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

        Long, an attacker/midfielder who will be a three-year starter, will play at Goucher College, a Division III school in Towson, M.D.

        McComb, a three-year letter winner and a two-year starter,  has committed to attend Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C.

        Wismer, a three-year starter at defense, will continue her career at Lock Haven University.

        "A big part of our responsibility will be to elevate the level of play of the other girls," Rynn said.

        The Indians opened practice with 11 returning starters on a varsity roster with 16 players. They included juniors Courtney Drager, Kathryn Lehman, Liz Pierson, Michaela Swenk and Lauren Weeks along with sophomores Hope Flack and Liz Fox.

        A pair of juniors, Jess Neumann, an attacker, and Megan Wismer, a defender, earned varsity experience last season. Their classmate, Kenzie Gebhart, returned to the team after a one-year absence.

        "We certainly have the experience," Flack said last week between sessions of the team's tri-scrimmage with Upper Moreland and Gwynedd Mercy Academy. "The girls need to play together and trust each other."

        According to Rynn, the first day of practice felt more like a continuation of last season than a start of a new season. She said name tags were definitely not necessary.

        "We have so much experience," said Rynn, who expects to increase her scoring. "We're definitely not starting over."

        On offense, the Indians must improve their ball movement, according to Rynn. She said the defense needs to focus on the basics.

        "As long as we iron out those kinks, we should be golden," Rynn said.

        According to Flack, Rynn will play a vital role in any team success.

        "Morgan is going to have to play well," the coach said. "She is focused and motivated."