Haudenosaunee Nationals announce roster for PALA Women’s qualifier

Haudenosaunee Women's National Team at the 2022 World Lacrosse Women's Championship in Towson, MD (Photo: World Lacrosse)

The Haudenosaunee Nationals announced their 22-player roster today for the Pan-American Lacrosse Association (PALA) Women's Qualifier, which will take place from June 26-30 at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, Fla.

The top four teams from the Pan-American region will qualify for the 2026 World Lacrosse Women's Championship, to be held in Japan. Three more teams will earn spots in the WL Women's Division II Championship. The 11-team field comprises the Haudenosaunee, the United States, Canada, Argentina, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Peru, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Haudenosaunee enter the event ranked eighth in the world. The Originators of the Game are coming off a gold medal finish at the 2023 PALA Sixes Cup. The person tasked with constructing the coaching and support staff is, once again, Claudia Jimerson, Director of Women's Lacrosse Operations (Cayuga). Jimerson, who has been with the Haudenosaunee program since 2021, has high hopes for the team.

"It would be awesome (to medal) because it just goes to show that we have that potential to place when we get to the women's world championship," she said. "It will help to give us a pulse on where we're at, how we perform, how we place, and what we need to work on so we can get there. We've got some good pieces of the puzzle, so we want to see how we'll come together at PALA. It's important that when we get there, we know we've got a job to do. We've got a mission; this is one step of a mission."

Achieving the goal of medaling starts with hiring a great coaching staff, which starts at the top with Taylor Frink. Frink, an assistant coach at the University at Albany, is also a former player for the Haudenosaunee Nationals. Frink was a member of the coaching staff for the U19 program and competed in the 2019 World Championships in Peterborough, Ontario, as well as in the 2022 World Cup as a player.

"She's just very positive," said Jimerson. "You know she's got a lot of enthusiasm and passion, and she likes to hype the girls up, so that's what I love about her. She knows what she's talking about. She's been in the game for a long time. This is a great opportunity for our organization to have someone who is part of our pool. She is the first person from our previous team to become a head coach. Taylor took the opportunity when I offered it to her and jumped right into it. I'm excited about it."

"It's an honor. I'm deeply grateful for this opportunity to lead the Haudenosaunee women's national team," said Frink. "The role means so much to me. It allows me to give back to a program and community that has had a profoundly positive impact on my life. These women empower me to do my best for them. As a coaching staff and program, we really believe in these women and believe in what we're building together for the future of the program."

Frink leads an experienced coaching staff, which includes a trio of collegiate coaches: Liz Beville (Le Moyne), Leah Gallagher (UAlbany), and Brittany Dipper (East Carolina University). Both Beville and Dipper are well-established collegiate head coaches, while Gallagher serves as an assistant at Albany, helping the Great Danes win the 2025 America East title.

"I am super excited to work alongside the staff that we have," said Frink. "We have such high-character people who have a ton of knowledge and passion for the game."

The staff has high expectations, given that the Haudenosaunee women's program has made significant strides in the past five years. In 2022, their eighth-place finish at the World Games in Towson was one of their best. They followed that up with a seventh-place finish at the World Games held in Birmingham, Ala.

In 2023, the team captured gold at the PALA Sixes Cup in Kingston, Jamaica, and won bronze at the World Lacrosse Super Sixes. It was just a year ago that the Haudenosaunee won bronze at the inaugural World Lacrosse Box Championship.

Frink described what she was looking for when assembling the roster of women who will wear the purple and white of the Haudenosaunee. Many of those women have had a hand in the previously mentioned milestones.

"When we were looking at building this team, some of the main characteristics that we were looking for were connection, experience, and a high compete level within the players," she said. "The roster that we built and finalized is exceptionally talented. It consists of athletes who have competed and are currently competing at the highest level of collegiate women's lacrosse, which is super exciting. They bring a diverse background across field, box, and sixes, which contributes to a dynamic and well-rounded style of play for the team."

That creativity and skill are on display on the offensive side of the ball. One of the biggest strengths of the Haudenosaunee is their potent attack units, led by the Jimerson sisters, Alie and Jalyn (Cayuga), and Lois Garlow (Seneca).

Alie Jimerson played two seasons at Syracuse (2017-18) and Albany (2015-16). While at Albany, she was a two-time All-Conference selection. She concluded her collegiate career with 75 goals and 97 assists, totaling 172 points. On the world stage, Jimerson has played at two World Championships with Team Canada and two with the Haudenosaunee.

Jalyn Jimerson also played at Syracuse. Internationally, she competed for the Haudenosaunee Nationals at the 2022 World Championship in Towson, Md. She tied for the team lead in points (26) and dished out a team-best 15 assists during the tournament. She also played for the Haudenosaunee at the U19 World Championship.

Garlow is another threat on the Haudenosaunee attack. She was named to the 2024 All-MAAC First Team, finishing the season with 53 goals, 31 assists, and 84 points for Niagara University. Garlow is also a veteran of the Haudenosaunee program, which has included appearances at the 2021 Pan-American Lacrosse Association Cup, the 2022 World Games, the 2023 Women's Super Sixes, and the 2023 PALA Sixes Cup.

"The players right now are just unbelievable," said Frink. "They have played together for a long time at such a young age. They've competed at the highest level on the international stage growing up. The connections and chemistry are deep. We have Alie and Jalyn Jimerson on the attack, who have a strong connection and bond, but they also have great instincts for each other. Then you have Lois Garlow, who has played with Jalyn and Alie since they were young girls, and they just know each other's strengths well and play really well together. Those are three offensive players who have a really strong IQ, but also have a strong connection and chemistry with one another. As a staff, we are encouraging this group to play with freedom and creativity. They are going to be fun to watch."

The attack also includes Avery Doran (Mohawk), Wynter Jock (Mohawk), Mia Mitchell (Mohawk), and Tallis Tarbell (Mohawk), who were all on the U20 World Women’s Championship Team that traveled to Hong Kong. Doran brings extensive international experience to the team. She was a member of the World Women's Sixes Haudenosaunee Team. In 2023, she was on the gold-medal-winning team at the PALA Sixes Cup and was on the Haudenosaunee squad that won bronze at the World Lacrosse Super Sixes.

Jock comes to the team after completing her sophomore campaign at the University of Notre Dame and also played in the 2022 World Women’s Championship Team in Towson while Mitchell (Mohawk) played at UMass-Lowell and Cortland State. Tarbell (Mohawk), who is a St. Lawrence commit, played at the 2024 World Lacrosse Women's Box Championship.

The midfield unit includes another pair of Jimerson sisters: Addison and Laelle. Both are fresh off playing at the 2024 World Lacrosse U20 Women's Championships, which included their sister Jalyn as one of the coaches. The young ladies will play with their two older sisters on the Haudenosaunee team, which also includes their mother, Claudia.

"All four of them are on it," said Claudia, who once played for the program as well. "You know the two older ones have a big role. The two younger ones are probably going to be role players. They'll probably want to play as big a role as their two older sisters, but they’ll get some minutes and it'll be good for them to experience and learn."

Addison and Laelle will have veterans like Sierra Cockerille to learn from at the PALA Women's Qualifier. The former Syracuse University All-American leads a talented group of midfielders. Cockerille posted impressive numbers, scoring 88 goals and dishing out 58 assists for a total of 146 points in her college career. Her resume also includes playing in the first-ever Sixes Lacrosse game in 2021 for the Haudenosaunee, where she was named the Most Valuable Player. She also played a big role in the gold medal win at the 2023 PALA Sixes Cup.

"I am really excited about this group of midfielders," said Frink. "Some of the standouts are Sierra Cockerille. She's going to be amazing. She's been playing two-way middie for us. She also played for four years at Syracuse University, so we're excited about her. We have Paisley Cook, who I currently coach at UAlbany, and she is a two-way midfielder and takes the draw controls. She is super talented and crafty, not to mention hard to scout as a draw-taker. You have to honor her when she wins the draw because she will take off and attack the cage hard with her speed. I'm really excited about her versatility. We're excited about having her take the draw for us and win us many possessions."

Cook recently completed her sophomore season at the University at Albany, posting 12 goals and three assists for 15 points. She was also one of the captains of the U20 women's team in Hong Kong. She is joined by Jordan Coulon, who played four seasons at UConn while completing her fifth-year season at Missouri Western State University. Coulon has played with the Haudenosaunee Nationals since 2021. She helped lead the team to its first-ever win at the PALA Sixes Cup. She also played in the 2021 Super Sixes tournament against Team USA and Canada. In 2022, Coulon also competed in the World Games and 2023 PALA Sixes Cup.

The midfield is rounded out by Chloe Luther (Seneca), who played for Haudenosaunee Nationals at the U20 World Championships. She spent her freshman season at Jacksonville University. Xavier University's Ava Tallchief (Seneca) is also heading to this year's event after competing in the World Lacrosse U20 Women's Championships. Jacelyn Lazore (Mohawk) is back and adds some firepower to the midfield after stints at Dominican University of California Athletics College and Virginia Tech. She also played on the 2019 U19 Team and the 2022 World Championships and World Games Team.

One of the team's leaders is veteran goalie Paige Crandall (Onondaga), who has been with the Haudenosaunee Nationals since 2019. She backstopped the team to gold in 2023. The former Le Moyne All-Conference netminder currently works as an assistant coach at her alma mater.

"Paige is unbelievable," said Jimerson. "She's so talented and skilled. She's very sound and steady, which brings great confidence to the defense. She's super steady and poised. She's an unbelievable goalie and anchor for our defense.

Crandall admitted that her greatest joy is playing for her nation.

"There's no other feeling than putting on that jersey," she said. "I don't really know how to explain it because it's like playing through college, but wearing this jersey is just so much different with a whole group of girls that are there for the same thing. It's just a great feeling."

Crandall is one of two goalies who will head down to the Pan-American Lacrosse Association Women's Qualifier. Kimora Swamp (Mohawk) joins the Haudenosaunee after completing her freshman year at SUNY Potsdam. She earned several accolades, including SUNYAC Goalie of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and First Team All-SUNYAC.

In front of the dynamic goalies is a strong, dynamic defensive group with a ton of experience through the Haudenosaunee program, according to Frink. The defense is powered by former Syracuse standout Allyson Trice (Oneida), past Buffalo State All-League defenseman and 2017 SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year Bean Minerd (Onondaga), and former SUNY Fredonia star Lottie Gill (Tuscarora). Fawn Porter (Cayuga) will make the move back to defense. She recently co-captained the Haudenosaunee to a bronze medal at the 2024 World Box Lacrosse Championship.

The defenseman also includes Kimaura Schindler. The sophomore from Six Nations recently won the 2025 America East title at the University at Albany. Schindler served as one of the team captains for last year's U20 World Lacrosse Championship.

"Bean and Lottie have been a part of the program for a long time, so they bring that wealth of experience," said Frink. “Allie Trice is going to bring her experience from Syracuse and speed coming out of our defensive end. Also, Fawn Porter is going to be a good defensive player for us. She is transitioning to the defensive side of the ball. She was more of a two-way middie, but she's going to bring a ton of strength and physicality to our defense. She's a box player, so we're really excited about her."

There is certainly a lot of enthusiasm about this year’s team. The 2025 (PALA) Women's Qualifier is another opportunity for the Haudenosaunee to showcase their progress and demonstrate that they are contenders for a medal. Head Coach Taylor Frink and goalie Paige Crandall have seen the progress and know their time is now.

"It's been amazing seeing the growth of the program, and just credit to the organization for providing all of those players with opportunities, across box, field, and sixes, those opportunities to play on that stage are amazing," said Frink. "The player pool is just so strong. This program is very talented, and it just keeps getting better and better. It's super exciting for the future of the program."

"We all go in with that mindset of we're all super competitive, and we're not going in there just aiming for top four," added Crandall. "We want to go in there and aim for gold."