BEL AIR, Md. - Saturday's Harford women's lacrosse season opener has been moved up to a 10 a.m. start against Jefferson. The Fighting Owls and the Cannoneers will both open the 2012 campaign at Harford Stadium.

Harford and first-year head coach Nikki Murphy are prepped for a quality 2012 season with a few returners and plenty of newcomers, earning a No. 5 preseason ranking from Lacrosse Magazine.

Sophomores Morgan Cillo, Megan Fennell and Hannah Kuhn return from last season's Region XX qualifing and 6-7 team. Freshman Maggie Shifflett, who played both women's soccer and women's basketball for Harford this year, will see plenty of time in goal for the Fighting Owls, and classmate Maddie Hewitt, who played volleyball for Harford, should pace the team in the midfield ranks.