BALTIMORE - The UMBC women's lacrosse team (4-10, 2-3 AEC) hosts its second consecutive ranked opponent Sunday afternoon when the 13th-ranked Yale Bulldogs (9-4, 3-2 Ivy) visit UMBC Stadium at 1 p.m.
Last Time Out: Down just one at halftime, the Retrievers were outscored, 11-4, in the second period and fell to 16th-ranked Johns Hopkins, 15-7, Wednesday evening at UMBC Stadium. UMBC senior attack Ali Levendusky (Baldwin, Md./John Carroll) and sophomore midfielder Kelly Burgoyne (Sykesville, Md./Century) each posted hat tricks to account for six of the Retrievers' seven goals in the game.
Who's Up Next: The Retrievers conclude the regular season against America East preseason favorite Boston University, currently ranked 10th in the nation, on Saturday, April 19, at UMBC Stadium. UMBC is 1-6 all-time against the Terriers. The Retrievers will honor their three seniors - midfielder Maggie Chizmar (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air), attack Meghan Keelan (Randallstown, Md./Mount de Sales) and attack Ali Levendusky before the game in a Senior Day ceremony.
On the Bulldogs: Ranked 13th in the nation, Yale is 9-4 on the season and coming off a 16-8 victory over Ivy League rival Columbia on Wednesday. All four of the Bulldogs' losses have come against ranked opponents, including UMBC's America East rivals New Hampshire and Boston University. Midfielder Lauren Taylor, the 2007 Ivy League Player of the Year who was named to the 2008 Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List, leads Yale in goals (33), assists (17) and points (50). Goalie Ellen Cameron ranks fifth in the nation with a 7.00 goals-against average. Midfielder Jenn Warden leads the Bulldogs with 27 ground balls, 33 draw controls and 22 caused turnovers, and she is second in the team with 22 goals scored. Yale has outscored its opponents, 140-99, with seven players scoring double-digit goals on the season.
UMBC vs. Yale All-Time: Sunday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the Retrievers and Bulldogs.
Player of the Week: Senior attack Ali Levendusky was named America East Women's Lacrosse Player of the Week for the week ending April 6, the conference announced Monday. The award is the fourth of Levendusky's career and her second this season. Levendusky scored a team-high 11 goals and 13 points last week, leading the Retrievers to back-to-back victories. She added seven ground balls and three draw controls, and she tallied the game-winner in both contests. Levendusky equaled her career high with six goals in UMBC's 17-11 victory at America East rival Stony Brook on April 2, tallying three times in the first 15 minutes of action to help the Retrievers snap their seven-game losing skid. She also picked up six ground balls in the game. Then in UMBC's 21-4 win over Howard on April 5, Levendusky scored five goals and two assists for a career-best seven points, the most by a Retriever since Kelly Fiorani tallied seven at Virginia Tech on Feb. 24, 2006.
Scoring Machine: Senior attack Ali Levendusky has scored three or more goals in 12 of UMBC's 14 games this season, including a career-high six on two occasions - at Binghamton on Feb. 29 and at Stony Brook on April 2. Her 47 goals on the season puts her in a four-way tie for the sixth-best single-season total in UMBC history and are the most by a Retriever since Renee Tirocchi also scored 47 in 2001. In addition, she is the first Retriever to score 40 goals in a season since she tallied 41 as a sophomore in 2006.
UMBC Single-Season 40-Goal Club
1. Heather Kormanik, 1998 54
2. Debbie Krastel, 1999 53
3. Laura Robinson, 1984 51
4. Wendy Heald, 1983 49
5. Alison Zaetz, 1994 48
6. Ali Levendusky, 2008 47
Renee Tirocchi, 2001 47
Alison Zaetz, 1993 47
Robi Tamargo, 1983 47
10. Ashley Staines, 2000 43
11. Ali Levendusky, 2006 41
12. Jamie Gerhart, 2002 40
Climbing the Charts: Senior attack Ali Levendusky scored her 100th career goal at Binghamton on Feb. 29, making her just the 15th Retriever to reach that milestone, and she currently ranks fourth all-time at UMBC with 133 career goals. In addition, she became the 11th Retriever ever to reach the 150-point plateau against Cal-Berkeley on March 30, and she currently ranks eighth all-time with 168 career points.
UMBC Career Goals
1. Lauren Robinson 192 1984-87
2. Alison Zaetz 158 1993-96
3. Kelly Fiorani 140 2003-06
4. Ali Levendusky 133 2005-Pres.
5. Jackie Abendschoen 132 1985-88
6. Laurie Linnell 129 1984-87
7. Debbie Krastel 127 1996-99
8. Jen Dragoni 123 2001-04
9. Jamie Gerhart 120 1999-2002
10. Jackie Seboda 115 1987-90
UMBC Career Points
1. Laura Robinson 248 1984-87
2. Alison Zaetz 191 1993-96
3. Kelly Firoani 189 2003-06
4. Laurie Linnell 187 1984-87
5. Jen Dragoni 186 2001-04
6. Jackie Abendschoen 182 1985-89
7. Jamie Gerhart 173 1999-2002
8. Ali Levendusky 168 2005-Pres.
9. Jackie Seboda 158 1987-90
10. Jenny Held 153 1990-93
Helping Hand: Senior attack Meghan Keelan tallied five assists on five consecutive goals in UMBC's victory over Howard on April 5, one shy of a school record for most helpers in a game, as Gina Tirocchi recorded six against Vanderbilt in 1996. Keelan's previous career high of four also came against Howard on Feb. 18, 2006. She now has 18 assists on the season, equaling her career high set in 2006, and she is tied with former teammate Jen Kasper (2007) for the eighth-best single-season total in school history. In addition, Keelan moved into a tie with Jackie Seboda for 10th place all-time at UMBC with 43 career assists.
UMBC Career Assists
1. Jen Dragoni 63 2001-04
2. Laurie Linnell 58 1984-87
3. Laura Robinson 57 1984-87
4. Jen Kasper 56 2003-07
5. Jenny Held 53 1990-93
Jamie Gerhart 53 1999-2002
7. Kelly Fahey 52 2004-07
8. Jackie Abendschoen 50 1985-88
9. Kelly Fiorani 49 2003-06
10. Jackie Seboda 43 1987-90
Meghan Keelan 43 2005-Pres.
UMBC Single-Season Assists
1. Heather Kormanik, 1998 28
2. Emily Petrlik, 1994 24
Jen Dragoni, 2003 24
4. Kori Kindbom, 1984 22
5. Shawne Heckler, 1984 20
Jamie Gerhart, 2002 20
7. Jenny Held, 1993 19
8. Meghan Keelan, 2008 18
Megan Keelan, 2006 18
Jen Kasper, 2007 18
Streaking: Senior attack Ali Levendusky has scored a goal in nine consecutive games, dating to March 8 at Old Dominion. Also riding a current goal streak is freshman midfielder Megan Linkous (Jarrettsville, Md./North Harford), who has scored in five straight games. In addition, sophomore defender Sarah Willis (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) has scored a point in four straight games, while senior attack Meghan Keelan and freshman midfielder Amanda Pappas (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) have tallied a point in three in a row.
What a Pair: Senior attack Ali Levendusky and junior midfielder Abbey Swift (Baltimore, Md./Towson) have combined to score nearly half of UMBC's 140 goals on the season. Levendusky leads the Retrievers with 47 goals, while Swift has tallied 21.
Fabulous Freshmen: Nine UMBC freshmen have combined to score 26 goals and 43 points this season, led by midfielder Amanda Pappas, Megan Linkous and Erika Braerman (Fallston, Md./Fallston). Pappas' 10 goals and 14 points are tops among the Retrievers' first-year players, while Braerman has posted 10 points on five goals and five assists, and Linkous boasts seven goals and nine points. Linkous is also tied for the team lead with 23 ground balls. She and midfielder Kristen Milligan (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) have started every game which they have played, while Pappas and defender C.J. Durham (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) have also earned starting roles as the season has progressed.
Taking on the Best: UMBC will face six teams in 2008 that were ranked in the top 20 in the most recent IWLCA/Under Armour National Poll, including No. 10(t) Boston University (April 19), No. 13 Yale (April 13), No. 14 Vanderbilt (Feb. 22), No. 15 New Hampshire (March 22), No. 16 Johns Hopkins (April 9) and No. 19 Towson (March 15). In the current Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, Boston U. was ranked 11th, Yale 13th, New Hampshire 14th, Vanderbilt 15th, Towson 16th and Johns Hopkins 17th, while Delaware (March 10) received votes. Vanderbilt, Yale, Boston U., Johns Hopkins and Hofstra (Feb. 17) all advanced to the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
UMBC Picked Fourth: The UMBC women's lacrosse team was predicted to finish in a tie for fourth place in the America East standings, according to a vote of the league's head coaches. Both the Retrievers and Albany received 19 points apiece in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll. Three-time defending champion Boston University was the preseason favorite to win its fourth straight league title, followed by New Hampshire and Stony Brook. Vermont and Binghamton rounded out the seven-team poll. The top four teams in the conference will advance to the America East Championships April 25-27. The Retrievers look to return to the America East Tournament after missing the postseason for the first time since UMBC joined the league in 2004. At 2-3, they are currently in fifth place behind Boston U. (5-0), Vermont (4-1), New Hampshire (3-2) and Albany (2-2).
Dawg Bites: UMBC scored a season-high 21 goals against Howard last Saturday, the most since tallying 23 against the Bison on Feb. 17, 2007… UMBC opened the game against Howard with nine straight goals, its best start to a game since scoring 11 straight against Binghamton on April 4, 2007… Sixteen of the Retrievers' 21 goals in the game were assisted, more than doubling the previous season high of seven… The 16 assists were the most in a game since the Retrievers recorded 18 against Howard on Feb. 18, 2006… Eleven different Retrievers recorded at least one assist against the Bison… Twelve different players scored a goal and 17 recorded at least one point against Howard, with eight posting multiple points… On the season, 20 players have scored a goal and 22 have tallied a point, with seven in double-digit points… UMBC's 17-11 win over Stony Brook on April 2 snapped a seven-game losing streak which spanned the entire month of March… The Retrievers have never lost to the Seawolves in five contests… UMBC won back-to-back games for just the second time this season with the win over Howard, and the 38 combined goals scored in the two victories marked the best two-game stretch since April 27-May 1, 2003, when they also scored a combined 38 goals against Long Island and Wagner… Senior attack Ali Levendusky has posted a team-best 21 draw controls, and sophomore defender Sarah Willis is tops with 13 caused turnovers… Levendusky, freshman midfielder Megan Linkous and senior midfielder Maggie Chizmar (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) are tied for the team lead in ground balls with 23 apiece… UMBC defeated Loyola on Feb. 26 for the first time in 34 years dating to 1974, during which time the Retrievers had lost 22 straight games to the Greyhounds, including each of the last nine years.
