PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's women's lacrosse squad (2-3) remains home to host Vanderbilt (5-1) this Sunday, March 11. Opening draw control for the fourth meeting in program history, and the first since 1998, is set for noon on Sweeney Field. The Hawks enter the weekend looking to snap a two-game losing skid while the Commodores are on a two-game win streak.
Live streaming ($) of Sunday's game 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.
Sunday's game will mark the fourth time in program history and the first time in two decades that Saint Joseph's and Vanderbilt will meet. SJU won the first meeting in 1996 by a final score of 12-11 before Vanderbilt won the next two in 1997, 11-8, and 1998, 19-6; all three games were played at Saint Joseph's.
The fifth-ranked team in the nation in both assists per game (7.60) and shots per game (36.20), the Hawks will go up against a Commodore offense that leads all of Division I women's lacrosse in shots per game (38.00) and shots on goal per game (29.33), ranks third in scoring offense (17.33) and points per game (24.33), and sits sixth in scoring margin (6.33).
SJU's offense ranks seventh nationally in points per game with 25.00, led by junior midfielder Rebecca Lane (4.40 points per game on 2.20 goals per game and 2.20 assists per game) and junior attacker Francesca Donato and junior midfielder Hayley Sabol, each averaging a hat trick per contest. Those scorers will go up against a Vanderbilt defense that leads the nation in caused turnovers per game (13.50) and sits fifth in ground balls per game (25.00).
Saint Joseph's enters Sunday's game following a 16-11 loss to #11/8 Navy on Tuesday; with a slight 9-8 Navy lead at the half, the Midshipmen outscored the Hawks 8-4 in the second frame to pull away with the victory. Lane (2g, 1a) and Sabol (2g, 1a) led the Hawks in scoring with three points apiece while Donato and freshman attacker Stephanie Kelly each scored twice.
Lane (11g, 11a), Donato (16g, 4a), Sabol (13g, 2a), and Kelly (8g, 3a) own double-digit points for the Crimson and Gray while sophomore midfielder Julia Pash (21dc) and senior midfielder Kate Payne (15dc) have combined for more than half of SJU's 69 draw controls. Senior defender Kristen Kelbon (11gb) and junior midfielder Ally Beck (9gb, 6ct) have led the Hawks on the defensive end of the field while graduate student goalkeeper Liz O'Sullivan (2-3) owns a .388 save percentage with 40 saves in 245:47 and freshman goalkeeper Corinne Buttner, who saw action off the bench in three of the first four games of the season, owns a .467 save percentage with seven saves in 54:13.
Vanderbilt opened the season with three straight wins over Kennesaw State, 18-14, Fresno State, 22-12, and Furman, 19-7, before dropping a close 17-15 contest vs. Louisville on February 27. The Commodores then earned a 19-6 win over William and Mary and, just last night (Thursday), an 11-10 overtime win over La Salle; Emily Mathewson scored the game-winner on an eight meter.
Kayla Peterson (team-high 23g, 4a), Mathewson (22g, 7a), Julie Blaze (16g, 5a), and Gabrielle Fornia (7g, team-high 11 assists) lead Vanderbilt's offense while six Commodores have gone for 10+ ground balls, led by Frankie Angeleri's 15. Melissa Hawkins has also anchored the defensive end with 11 ground balls and a team-high 10 caused turnovers while Lily Argyle (3-0, .283 save percentage in 176:15) and Madison Foglio (2-1, .472 save percentage in 188:18) have split time in net, with Foglio seeing all 64:33 vs. La Salle.
