PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse squad (4-4) is set to open Atlantic 10 conference action this week, beginning with nine-time defending league champion UMass (5-3) at home this Thursday, March 29. Opening draw control is set for noon on Sweeney Field.

Live streaming ($) of Thursday's Atlantic 10 opener will be available via a subscription to the Atlantic 10 Network. To sign up, please click here. Live stats will also be provided at SJUHawks.com.

Saint Joseph's has a quick two-day turnaround before facing VCU (2-6) on the road this Saturday, March 31. Start time is set for 1:00 p.m. at Cary Street Field in Richmond, Va. VCU will open A-10 play at Richmond this Thursday before hosting the Hawks.

The 2018 A-10 Championship will run from Thursday, May 3 through Sunday, May 6 at the University of Richmond's Robins Stadium in Richmond, Va. The league's top six teams will make the postseason field. Saint Joseph's was predicted to finish in a tie for third, with George Mason, in the league's preseason poll, voted on by the league's 10 head coaches and announced on February 1. UMass earned six of nine possible first-place votes to take the top spot while VCU was tabbed seventh.

Saint Joseph's reached the A-10 postseason in 2016 and 2017 and return 2017 A-10 First Team defender Kristen Kelbon, 2017 A-10 Second Team midfielder Rebecca Lane, and 2017 A-10 Rookie Team selection Julia Pash.

The Hawks are coming into Thursday's game riding the momentum of an 11-10 overtime win at Wagner last Saturday, where junior midfielder and Atlantic 10 Player of the Week Sinead Brierley scored the late equalizer and converted the game-winning, eight-meter goal and graduate student goalkeeper Liz O'Sullivan made a career-high 13 saves between the pipes.

At the conclusion of the non-conference season, Lane (16g, team-high 12a) and junior attacker Francesca Donato (team-high 20g, 6a) lead the Hawks on the offensive end, joined by the 16-point efforts of junior midfielder Hayley Sabol (13g, 3a) and freshman attacker Stephanie Kelly (10g, 6a). Pash (28) and senior midfielder Kate Payne (25) have combined for over half of SJU's draw controls while Kelbon (team-high 18 ground balls, 11 caused turnovers), senior Juliana Strazulo (9gb, team-high 12 ct), and junior Ally Beck (13gb, 10ct) have anchored SJU's defensive end. O'Sullivan (4-4) sports a .419 save percentage on 64 saves vs. 90 goals allowed in 401:32, all but 84:13 on the season.

SCOUTING UMASS
After starting the season 2-2 with wins over Dartmouth, 17-13, and Marist, 19-10, with losses to then-#5 Boston College, 16-9, and Yale, 14-9, sandwiched in between, the Minutewomen have won three of their last four with back-to-back victories over UConn, 12-11, and Ohio State, 14-13 OT, a loss to then-#23 Cornell, 11-10 2OT, and, most recently, a 22-17 win over Harvard last Thursday, March 22; UMass outscored Harvard 15-6 in the second half to take home the win as five Minutewomen notched four points or more for the game, led by Holly Turner (5g, 2a).

For the season, six Minutewomen own double-digit points, led by Turner (22g, team-high 15a), Hannah Burnett (team-high 26g, 5a), and Kaitlyn Cerasi (15g, 10a). Kasey Keane leads UMass in both ground balls (30) and caused turnovers (21) while Kiley Anderson has recorded 43 draw controls through eight contests. Lauren Hiller (5-3) has made all eight starts in net and sports a .412 save percentage and 12.79 goals against average in 488:02, all but 4:45 of the season.

UMass fires off 35.25 shots per game and lands 26.13 of them on goal, both of which rank in the nation's top five. Additionally, the Minutewomen force 11.63 turnovers per outing, which ranks seventh nationally.

Thursday's game will mark the 27th all-time meeting between Saint Joseph's and Massachusetts. UMass owns a 24-2 all-time series advantage and has won the last 14 meetings. Despite a hat trick from current sophomore midfielder Penny Green, SJU fell by a final score of 24-14 last spring.  The Hawks' last win against the Minutewomen came on April 10, 2005, by a final score of 10-7, on the road. SJU also won in 1996. Saint Joseph's and UMass have faced each other every year since 1994.

Series results from the most recent five meetings are listed below:
2017 – L – 24-14 – Away
2016 – L – 13-8 – Neutral (Atlantic 10 Semifinals at Duquesne)
2016 - L - 15-5 - Home
2015 - L - 16-7 - Home          
2014 - L - 18-2 - Away

SCOUTING VCU
VCU opened its season 1-5 with back-to-back losses to Old Dominion, 11-9, and UMBC, 21-9, a 15-8 win over Longwood, and a trio of losses to Lehigh, 16-10, Army West Point, 13-11, and William and Mary, 15-5. The Rams then defeated LIU Brooklyn, 24-8, before most recently dropping a 22-7 decision to then-#16 Virginia Tech last Wednesday, March 21; in the Rams' 24-8 win over LIU Brooklyn, Keriann McTavish (4g, 4a), Molly Barcikowski (4g, 3a), Sky Hyatt (2g, 4a), and Isabella Evans-Riester (4g) combined for 25 points.

For the season, Barcikowski (14g, team-high 16a, team-high 15 ground balls) and Hyatt (team-high 19g, team-high 42 draw controls) lead the Rams while Ria Peralta has made all eight starts with a .452 save percentage and 14.95 goals against average in 321:03.

Saturday's game will mark the third all-time meeting between Saint Joseph's and VCU. Led by current junior midfielder Rebecca Lane's six goals and two assists and a second-half offensive burst, the Hawks stormed back to defeat the Rams, 18-17, at home last spring. SJU also defeated the Rams in 2016, by a final score of 15-4.

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SJU alumnae, family and friends, the Hawks will host SJU Women's Lacrosse Alumnae and Family Weekend on Friday, April 13 in conjunction with the Hawks' home game vs. St. Bonaventure at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 15 in conjunction with the Hawks' home game vs. Duquesne at 1:00 p.m. Registration can be made online by visiting alumni.sju.edu/wlax. For more information, contact Christina Henderson at 610-660-3280 or chenders@sju.edu.

Be sure to follow the Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse program on Twitter and Instagram and like the Hawks on Facebook. Fans can receive all of the latest news and info on the women's lacrosse program with Hawk E-News.

Also be sure to check out Sideline Photos, LLC's shots from home games vs. CCSU and Navy and road game vs. Villanova at PhotoShelter.com.