PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse team (3-5) will look to bounce back from a pair of losses when the Hawks host Monmouth (2-5) this Wednesday, March 26. Opening draw is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Sweeney Field. Live streaming of all home games is available on the Atlantic 10 Digital Network via a subscription to Hawks All-Access.

Sophomore attack Emily Bowers leads the squad on the offensive end with 28 points on nine goals and a team-best 19 assists while junior midfielder Julia Falcone leads the Crimson and Gray in goals scored with 17 on 25 total shots for a team-best .680 shot percentage heading into Wednesday. Senior attack Val Paolucci owns 16 points on 12 goals and four assists while sophomore midfielder Kelly Phelan (10G, 2A), junior midfielder Hannah Hutchins (9G, 4A), and freshman attack Nora McCallion (7G, 6A) have also been consistent in SJU's scoring efforts.

Senior defenders Brittany Hanrahan and Allison Heath have combined for 45 ground balls, 26 draw controls, and 24 caused turnovers through eight games while classmate Kaitlyn McSwiggan has caused a team-high 16 turnovers. Sophomore goalkeeper Genevieve Giblin (3-5) sports a 10.27 goals-against average and .458 save percentage in 455:39.

Saint Joseph's averages 10.88 goals per game on 26.1 shots per game.

SCOUTING MONMOUTH
Monmouth enters Wednesday's game with a one-game winning streak having defeated Sacred Heart, 15-8, on Saturday. The Hawks dropped their first three games of the season, all in February, but are 2-2 through March, but are 0-3 overall on the road. Monmouth's Allison Stathius (10G, 4A), Danielle Rakowitz (10G, 1A), and Emily Barbieri (5G, 6A) own 10-plus points for the Hawks. Defensively, goalkeeper Katie Donohue (2-5) owns a 9.80 goals-against average and .488 save percentage in 397:48 and has picked up a team-high 18 ground balls heading into Wednesday. Monmouth averages 7.29 goals per game through seven games.

SERIES HISTORY: HAWKS EDITION
Monmouth owns a 3-2 series edge having defeated the Hawks twice in the past two years and in the initial meeting in 1996. SJU's last two losses to Monmouth have been by just one goal each, including an overtime loss in 2013. In the last two seasons, senior attack Val Paolucci has recorded six goals and three assists against Monmouth's everyday goalkeeper Katie Donohue. As Paolucci was out SJU's most recent game due to injury, Saint Joseph's will need a strong effort from the entire offensive unit heading into Wednesday's matchup with Monmouth.

LAST TIME OUT
Recap | Box Score
Leading 3-0 just six minutes into the game, the Hawks fell to a 9-0 Campbell run en route to an eventual 11-7 loss to the Fighting Camels on Sunday, March 23 at Sweeney.

Sophomore attack Emily Bowers posted a team-best four-point effort on one goal and three assists while sophomore defender Kelly Phelan (2G, 1A) and freshman attack Nora McCallion (2G) also recorded multi-goal games. McCallion also tallied a team-best four draw controls and added three ground balls. On the defensive end, senior captains Brittany Hanrahan and Kaitlyn McSwiggan combined for eight of the team's 16 caused turnovers and seven of the team's 25 ground balls while sophomore Caroline Hagan added three ground balls and three caused turnovers. Sophomore goalkeeper Genevieve Giblin (3-5) made 10 saves in a full-game effort and added a game-high five ground balls to go along with two caused turnovers.

MILESTONE WATCH: PAOLUCCI, BOWERS
Senior attack Val Paolucci is just three points shy of 100 for her career as the senior standout owns 97 career points on 72 goals and 25 assists entering Wednesday's game against Monmouth. Additionally, Paolucci's 25 career assists set her just four helpers shy of cracking SJU's all-time career assists list. Thanks in part to her school-recording breaking performance of seven assists against Delaware State, sophomore attack Emily Bowers owns 19 assists at this point in the season and ties for seventh with Jenna Martino '09 and Shannon Feite '96 on SJU's all-time list for assists in a single-season.

STARTING IT UP
Seven Hawks have started all eight games thus far. The defensive unit has been consistent with everyday starters in seniors Brittany Hanrahan, Allison Heath, and Kaitlyn McSwiggan and sophomore Caroline Hagan while sophomore goalkeeper Genevieve Giblin has started all eight games in net. On the offensive unit, sophomore attack Emily Bowers and junior midfielder Julia Falcone have consistently sparked the scoring unit through their eight starts.

HOME SWEET HOME
Saint Joseph's will play four of its next five games at home as the Hawks host Monmouth and Atlantic 10 opponents  Richmond, St. Bonaventure, and Duquesne from now through April 13. The Hawks are currently 2-1 at home.