Five women 's lacrosse players at the University of Maryland Baltimore County have been suspended indefinitely after being accused of threatening freshman teammates in text messages . The messages , exchanged using the GroupMe app , included threats to maim and 'kill ' their freshmen teammates and 'take down the coaches . ' Mackenzie Reese , 19 , Alyssa Semones , 21 , Amber Kovalick , 19 , Meghan Milani , 19 , and Brittany Marquess , 20 have been suspended , with no timetable for their return . The suspended University of Maryland Baltimore County students , including Alyssa Semones , right , are accused of threatening freshman teammates in text messages . The Baltimore Post-Examiner received an anonymous email on Friday that contained 16 pages of text screenshots capturing the alleged messages that appeared under the heading 'Sophmores rule . ' The messages were n't sent to the freshmen , but exchanged between the senior girls who expressed their hatred for their new teammates . In one text , a player asked if she can just threaten the freshmen and not haze them . That triggered the response from another player , 'Can we just kill them ? ' To which another replied , ' I 'll pitch in . ' 'We wanted to make sure you were aware of the extreme situation at UMBC concerning the women 's lacrosse team , ' the email signed by 'Seeking Justice ' said . 'It is an appalling situation of a jealous older group threatening and carrying out threats of harm against the freshman class . ' The players , including Meghan Milani , left , and Mackenzie Reese , right , were suspended nearly an hour before last Wednesday 's game but were allowed to sit in the bleachers , where they applauded as their freshman teammates were knocked to the ground . There is no timetable for the return of the suspended girls who include Amber Kovalick , left , and Brittany Marquess , right . UMBC athletic director Tim Hall did not discuss specifics of the texts in an interview on Monday , but he said the school has taken steps to protect the team 's freshmen . The university did not directly attribute the suspensions to these accusations , saying only that the five players were suspended 'for violation of team rules . ' 'The athletic director and other university leaders are following all applicable policies and practices as we work to fully understand the situation and support our student athletes , ' the statement said . The players were suspended nearly an hour before their Wednesday game against Drexel but were allowed to sit in the bleachers , where parents said they applauded as their freshman teammates were knocked to the ground . One of the co-head coaches , Tony Giro , refused to attend the Drexel game unless the administration removed the players accused of threatening the freshmen from the team . Co-head coach Amy Appelt coached the players . The players have already missed two games - last Wednesday against Drexel and Saturday against Manhattan . The Retrievers won both games and are 5-3 this season .
Mackenzie Reese , 19 , Alyssa Semones , 21 , Amber Kovalick , 19 , Meghan Milani , 19 , and Brittany Marquess , 16 have been suspended indefinitely . They exchanged messages using the GroupMe app that included threats to maim and 'kill ' their freshmen teammates and 'take down the coaches ' The players were suspended nearly an hour before last Wednesday 's game but were allowed to sit and watch in the bleachers . Parents report that the girls applauded when their freshman teammates were knocked to the ground .