MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Villanova women's lacrosse team will open BIG EAST Conference play this Saturday, Mar. 30. The Wildcats travel to Marquette University to face the Golden Eagles at 1 p.m. Headed into the contest Villanova stands at 6-4 overall and Marquette holds on to a 6-6 record and will also play in their first conference game.
Villanova and Marquette are tied 3-3 in the all-time series matchup. The Wildcats swept the first three competitions when they first met in 2013 and the Golden Eagles have taken the last three contests.
Last Game
In last year's competition between the two opponents Marquette left the Villanova Stadium with a 16-12 win over the Wildcats.
Ashley Lynch led the 'Cats with six points on four goals and two assists in the loss. Cate Soccodato helped propel the Golden Eagles to their victory with five goals and one assist.
Marquette out shot Villanova 34-32 and won double the amount of draw controls with 20 but turned the ball over 26 times to Villanova's 19 times. Both teams also recorded 10 saves and the Wildcats had a clear percentage of 76 while the Golden Eagles had a 72% clear rate.
Villanova
After coming off an exciting 11-10 overtime win at Columbia on Tuesday, Mar. 19 the Wildcats have had time to prepare for their first conference match of the season.
The primary contributors for the 'Cats this season is
Katie Comerford,
Ashley Lynch,
Liz Trojan,
Devin Hassinger,
Sydney Frank and
Alexa Moro.
Offensively, Comerford has tallied 31 points on 19 assists and 12 goals and is ranked 24
th in the nation in total assists. Lynch has recorded 29 points on 17 assists and 12 goals, her 17 assists this year sits her tied at 33
rd overall. Both individuals lead the team in points and assists. Leading the team in goals is Hassinger (20) and Trojan (18), Hassinger also leads the team with 69 draw controls this season. Her 6.9 DC per game lists her as 13
th in the nation.
Frank has made a huge impact as a starting freshman defender. She currently leads the team with 17 caused turnovers and is also tied for third on the team with 15 ground balls.
In the net,
Alexa Moro has also stepped up in her freshman shoes. As the starting goalie she currently posts a 6-3 record with 98 saves, 256 shots faced and an overall save percentage of .490. Moro is averaging 9.8 saves per game and is ranked 27
th in the nation and 15
th in saves. This season she has been named Freshman of the Week four times, including this week where she garnered both Freshman of the Week and Defender of the Week honors.
Marquette
The Golden Eagles are led by four main individuals offensively but have a total of seven players who have scored double-digit goals. Leading the team in points, goals and draw controls is Grace Gabriel who has 37 goals, 41 points and 87 DC. Behind her in points is Cate Soccodato who has 26 assists and six goals for 32 points. Megan Menzuber and Charlotte McGuire follow behind in points, goals and assists. Menzuber is second on the team in assists with 10 and has also scored 20 goals for 30 points this season. McGuire sits behind Gabriel in goals with 28 and has also dished out 3 goals for 31 points.
Also adding to the teams' 178 draw control total is Lindsey Willcocks at midfield and Erin Dowdle on defense, who have 34 and 22 respectively, Dowdle is also leading the team with 19 caused turnovers. Jocelyn Miller helps Dowdle on defense with 21 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers.
Marquette has used two main goalkeepers this season and has seen time from a third in one game. Juliana Horning has started in all 12 contests, has recorded 68 saves on 267 shots and has a .351 save percentage. Adding relief to Horning is Sophia Leva who has played in 10 goals, stopped 27 shots on 93 faced and has a .360 save percentage.
Looking Ahead
The Villanova Wildcats will return to action when they hit the road again on Tuesday, Apr. 2 for a contest against Princeton University. The game will begin at 7 p.m. in Princeton, N.J. at the Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium.
