New York Charging bolster defense during waiver period, pick up five players

The New York Charging were the only team in 2025 to roster one true defender. That changes in 2026.

The Charging picked up five players via waivers, including defenders Katie Goodale and Grace Fujinaga, freeing up captain Izzy Scane and Co. to focus more on offense in the 2026 WLL Championship Series. The Charging lost to the Boston Guard 22-17 in last year’s tournament final.

Goodale, the 2024 Syracuse grad, ended her collegiate career as the program’s all-time leader in caused turnovers with 102. She was also the second player in program history to have 100 ground balls and 100 caused turnovers in her career. Fujinaga — another ground-ball menace — played her undergraduate years at Penn before spending her 2025 grad year at Northwestern. She started every game of her collegiate career, nabbing 113 ground balls and 67 caused turnovers.

Goodale and Fujinaga will partner with the Charging’s returning defender, Kendall Halpern, to limit opposing stars and prevent rival offensive breakouts. If New York’s new defense can find fast harmony, it’ll be in prime position for revenge.

Moving up the field, the Charging also added midfielders Jillian Wilson, who played for the Maryland Charm in last year’s Championship Series; Sam Smith, who repped Team Izzy in the 2025 WLL All-Star Game; and Chase Boyle, a 2024 Tewaaraton Award finalist (who lost the award to her now-captain, Scane).

Smith absolutely dominated the draw circle during July’s All-Star Game. She won 39 of 45 draws and picked up 34 ground balls to give Team Izzy a scoring chance after nearly every draw. While draw controls aren’t a pivotal part of Sixes (there is only one draw control at the start of each quarter), Smith is also good for a scoring boost. She met net twice in Northwestern’s 2025 championship loss to North Carolina and had 22 goals on the season.

Boyle, a 2025 Loyola grad, is another proven commodity on the draw circle. She broke the Greyhounds’ career goals record (243) and draw-control record (481), as well as the single-season draw-control record (210) during this past season.

To make room on the roster, the Charging released attacker Meaghan Tyrrell and midfielder Belle Smith, and placed attackers Emma Tyrrell and Kylie Ohlmiller on the holdout list.

The 2026 WLL Championship Series kicks off Feb. 27 at The St. James outside Washington, D.C., with the winner being crowned March 8. Game play will take place over the course of the two weekends — a format change from last year’s week-long tournament. Round-robin play lasts from Feb. 27 to March 6. The second- and third-placed teams will play in the semifinal on March 7, meeting the first-seeded team — who earns a playoff bye — in the title game on March 8. The fourth-placed team after round-robin action will be eliminated from the tournament.

The PLL debuted the Sixes format Championship Series in 2023, and women’s play began last year, with the Guard taking home the first title. In its return at the 2028 Olympics, lacrosse will be played in the Sixes style, showcasing the fastest, most creative and aggressive angles of the sport.