PHILADELPHIA – After turning in the best single-season league record in program history, the Hawks are heading into postseason play, as the fourth-seeded Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse team faces fifth-seeded Davidson in the 2016 Atlantic 10 Conference quarterfinals this Thursday, May 5. Opening draw is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Arthur J. Rooney Athletic Field in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Live streaming ($) of the game will be provided free of charge through the Atlantic 10 Digital Network, while live stats will be provided through Atlantic10.com.
Thursday's game will mark the first postseason appearance for the program since 2009 and just the third in program history.
Saint Joseph's ranks second in the Atlantic 10 in caused turnovers per game (9.29) and third in points per game (16.00), assists per game (5.47), and draw controls per game (11.65). Junior attacker Nora McCallion leads the league in total goals (47) and goals per game (2.76) while senior defender Caroline Hagan leads the league in caused turnovers per game (1.65).
Davidson leads the league in save percentage (.526), led by Rose Woolson's 53.2 percent in net.
HIGH-FLYING HAWKS
Through 17 games, junior attacker Nora McCallion (team-best 47g, 14a) and junior midfielder Maggie Egan (20g, team-best 30a, team-best 41 draw controls), and freshman midfielder Rebecca Lane (31g, 19a) lead the squad with 50+ points apiece while seven Hawks have scored 14+ goals for the Crimson and Gray. Saint Joseph's all-time leader in caused turnovers (82), senior Caroline Hagan (30gb, team-best 28ct) leads a defensive unit of junior Megan Tracy (26gb) and sophomores Kate Payne and Catie Vivian while senior goalkeeper Genevieve Giblin (8-9, 7-2 A-10) owns an 11.21 GAA and .395 save percentage to go with a team-best 38 ground balls in 893:57.
SERIES HISTORY VS. DAVIDSON
Thursday's game will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the Hawks and the Wildcats; Saint Joseph's leads the series, 3-1, and defeated Davidson, 10-8, on April 3 of this season to spark a program-best six-game winning streak that spanned 21 days. Davidson last defeated Saint Joseph's in 2015, by a final score of 13-10. Prior to last season's match-up, the teams had not met since 1995; the Hawks won on March 7, 1995 (17-8) and April 24, 1994 (16-6).
LAST TIME OUT
Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week Rebecca Lane recorded nine points (5g, 4a), Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week Nora McCallion netted five goals, and graduate student goalkeeper Ashley Alden made a key save with 26 seconds to play to lead the Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse team to a 14-12 win over George Washington in the Atlantic 10 Conference finale, played at the GW Lacrosse Field last Saturday afternoon.
WINNING WAYS
After going 1-7 in non-conference action, the Hawks have turned things around in league play. Saint Joseph's finished 7-2 in the A-10 and won six straight games from April 3 through April 22, which marks the longest win streak in program history. Additionally, the seven wins broke the record for single-season league wins, previously set at five by the 2009 squad. The program record for most wins in a season is 10; the Hawks are currently at 8-9 overall.
RECORD WATCH
Saint Joseph's senior defender Caroline Hagan now owns SJU's all-time record for career caused turnovers with 82. Senior goalkeeper Genevieve Giblin ranks sixth in career saves (325) while junior midfielder Maggie Egan (T-5th, 38) and junior attacker Nora McCallion (7th, 33) rank in all-time career assists. Egan sits atop the single-season assists record with 30 this season while McCallion ranks fifth in single-season goals with her team-best 47 scores this year. Freshman midfielder Rebecca Lane ties for ninth in single-season assists (19).
HAWKS PICKED EIGHTH IN A-10 PRESEASON POLL
The Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse team was picked to finish eighth in the Atlantic 10 this season, according to the conference's preseason poll. Under the direction of second-year head coach Alex Kahoe, Saint Joseph's returned 18 Hawks, including nine starters, and added eight newcomers to the field for the 2016 season.
