No. 19/18 Women’s Lacrosse Visits UMBC for Noon Draw on Saturday

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | Saturday, April 19, Noon | UMBC Stadium, Baltimore, Md. |UAlbany leads the series 7-6 |

 ALBANY, N.Y. – The No. 19/18 University at Albany women’s lacrosse team (11-2, 2-1 AE) visits UMBC (7-7, 1-2 AE) on Saturday at noon for an important America East match-up.

The Great Danes dominated Columbia 18-4 on Wednesday in their final regular season home game of the season. Rachel Bowles scored four goals to lead UAlbany, while Maureen Keggins tied a career high with six points and four assists. UAlbany has not lost a home nonconference game since March of 2012.

With a win against the Retrievers, UAlbany would clinch a spot in the America East Tournament.  Two wins this weekend and next weekend would ensure the No. 2 seed for the Great Danes. A Stony Brook win at home against New Hampshire this weekend would earn the Seawolves the No. 1 seed and the hosting responsibilities for the upcoming tournament.

SERIES HISTORY

UAlbany leads the America East series 7-6 going into the 14th meeting. The Great Danes took last season’s meeting 9-6 at John Fallon Field. In that game Ariana Parker scored her 100th career goal. The Retrievers took advantage of their free positions shots in the 2013 game, scoring four of their six goals at the arc.

The last time UAlbany trekked to Baltimore, the Great Danes fell 8-5 in the opening America East game of the season. UMBC took a narrow 9-6 advantage in draws and a 25-17 edge in shots in the 2012 game. The Purple & Gold is 2-3 in Baltimore since joining the league.

PARKER RECORD BOOK BOUND

Senior midfielder Ariana Parker has started 67 games in her career, and with two starts to close out the regular season she will become the all-time leader in career starts. With one game in the America East Tournament, the senior will become the all-time leader in games played with 70 to her credit.

Parker ranks tied for third in career points with 171 and third in goals with 138 in Division I program history. She’s also fifth in career ground balls with 101.

CENTURY MARK FOR BOWLES

Sophomore attack Rachel Bowles is two points shy of tallying her 100th career point. She has scored 75 goals in her career thus far. 

SCOUTING UMBC

With a 12-9 win against Vermont last Saturday, the Retrievers have nearly clinched a spot in the America East Tournament for the third time in four years. UMBC started slow in league play with a 12-1 loss at Stony Brook and an 8-2 loss against New Hampshire, but the Retrievers have since picked up their offense. UMBC most recently lost by four, 10-6 at No. 7/6 Johns Hopkins.

The Great Danes and the Retrievers are on opposite sides of the offensive spectrum. UAlbany ranks first in the league in goals per game (15.00) and points (20.38), while UMBC ranks last in each category (7.71 pg and 11.21 pg, respectively). The Retrievers also win a league-low 7.36 draws per game and six per game in league play. Senior UAlbany defender Kathleen Lennon averages seven draws per game in conference games.  

Junior Alyssa Semones leads the Retrievers on offense with 23 goals this season. Rachel Benzing posts a team-high 16 assists.

UALBANY AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
Points  ……………………………………………………………………….. 26th (240)
            Rachel Bowles – Points……………………………………… 14th (4.42 per game)
            Rachel Bowles – Assists…………………………………… 25th (1.67 per game)
Scoring Offense………………………………………………………….. 8th (14.75 gpg)
Scoring Defense………………………………………………………….. 6th (7.00 gpg)
            Anna Berman – GAA…………………………………………. 5th (6.77 per game)
            Anna Berman – Save %…………………………………….. 21st (.477)
Scoring Margin…………………………………………………………….. 3rd (7.75)
Draw Controls……………………………………………………………… 47th (12.08 per game)
            Kathleen Lennon – Draw Controls……………………….. 10th (5.33 per game)
RPI       ……………………………………………………………………….. 13th

2014 HONORS

Tewaaraton Watch List
Allie Phelan, Sr., M

Inside Lacrosse Rookie of the Year Watch List
Dakotah Savitcheff, Fr., A

Inside Lacrosse All-America Midseason Watch List
Kathleen Lennon, Sr., D (Third Team)

America East Offensive Player of the Week
Allie Phelan, Sr., M (April 7)
Rachel Bowles, R-So., A (March 10)
Rachel Bowles, R-So., A (March 3)
Rachel Bowles, R-So., A (Feb. 24)

America East Defensive Player of the Week
Anna Berman, Sr., GK (March 24)
Kathleen Lennon, Sr., D (March 17)

America East Rookie of the Week
Dakotah Savitcheff, Fr., A (March 31)
Dakotah Savitcheff, Fr., A (March 3)

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