BALTIMORE - The UMBC women's lacrosse team (8-7) hosts non-conference foe Le Moyne (5-9) on Saturday at 1 p.m. at UMBC Stadium in the Retrievers' final home game of the season.
Fond Farewell: Prior to the game, the Retrievers will honor seniors Kara Dorr (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright), Ashley Lancer (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright), Susie Sweeney (Madison, N.J./Madison) and Abbey Swift (Baltimore, Md./Towson) in a Senior Day ceremony, as the quartet will play their final game at UMBC Stadium.
Last Time Out: The Retrievers picked up a big America East victory over Albany on April 11, defeating the Great Danes by a score of 9-6 at Fallon Field. Dorr and sophomore midfielder Amanda Pappas (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) each tallied three points on two goals and an assist apiece. Sophomore midfielder Ashley Stodter (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel) also scored twice. Junior goalie Kate Quick (Phoenix, Md./Maryvale Prep) recorded nine saves.
Where They Stand: UMBC and Albany are tied for second place in the America East standings with a 3-2 record. The teams are a game-and-a-half behind first-place Boston University (4-0) and a half game ahead of New Hampshire (2-2) and Vermont (2-2). The Retrievers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with Albany. The top four teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the America East Championships, which will be played April 30-May 2 at the home field of the highest seed.
On the Dolphins: Le Moyne is 5-9 on the season after a 17-5 loss at No. 18 New Hampshire on April 11. Midfielder Rebekah Elmer leads the Dolphins with 28 goals and 37 points, while midfielder McKenzie Gray has dished out a team-best 25 assists and ranks second with 33 points. Defender Kaitlin Walker is tops with 30 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers, and midfielder Nerissa Barzee has won a team-high 24 draw controls. Goalie Kelly Fucillo has played every minute in the net for the Dolphins, posting an 11.61 goals-against average and a .510 save percentage with 173 saves on the season. Le Moyne has already played four other America East opponents, losing to Stony Brook, Vermont, Binghamton and New Hampshire.
UMBC vs. Le Moyne All-Time: Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting between the Retrievers and Dolphins.
20/20: Seven Retrievers have tallied at least 20 points this season, the most players to reach that mark since 2003, when seven Retrievers accomplished the feat. In addition, three Retrievers - Dorr (35), Pappas (23) and Stodter (22) - have scored at least 20 goals, the most since five players reached that mark in 2007.
30 Rock: Three Retrievers - Dorr (44), Pappas (31) and freshman attack Emily Coady (Westminster, Md./Westminster) (30) - have tallied at least 30 points this season, the most players to reach that mark since five players did so in 2007.
Home Sweet Home: The Retrievers are 5-3 inside the friendly confines of UMBC Stadium this season, and they are outscoring their opponents, 109-74, at home. Dorr has scored a team-best 25 goals at UMBC Stadium, while Quick has posted a 9.53 GAA and a .524 save percentage. A total of 13 different Retrievers have found the back of the net in home games.
Going Streaking: Stodter has scored at least one goal in 13 straight games, the longest current streak on the team. Other Retrievers with active streaks include Dorr at eight and Swift at four.
Knocking on the Dorr: Despite missing half of last season with an injury, Dorr needs just five more goals to become the 16th Retriever ever to score 100 in her career. She has scored a career-high 35 goals and 44 points so far in 2009, and she reached the 100-point milestone on March 21 against Stony Brook.
Swift Resurgence: The Retrievers' top returning scorer entering the 2009 campaign, Swift had scored just seven goals and 12 points through the first 11 games of the season. But in the last four contests, the senior has more than matched that output, tallying nine goals and 13 points, including a career-high five goals against Binghamton on April 1.
Taking on the Best: UMBC will face four teams this season that were ranked in the top 20 in the most recent IWLCA Coaches' Poll, including No. 11 Boston University (April 25), No. 12 Vanderbilt (Feb. 21), No. 16 Loyola (Feb. 25) and No. 19 New Hampshire (April 4). In addition, Old Dominion (March 13) received votes in the poll.
Underclassmen on Top: Six of UMBC's top nine scorers this season are freshmen and sophomores. Pappas ranks second with 31 points, while Coady is third with 30, Stodter and freshman midfielder Bria Phillips (Davidsonville, Md./Coronado (Calif.)) are tied for fifth with 23, sophomore attack Erika Braerman is eighth with 18 and sophomore midfielder Carrie Paris (Longwood, Fla./Lake Brantley) is ninth with 14. In addition, Coady leads the Retrievers with 11 assists, followed closely by Braerman with 10, while sophomore defender C.J. Durham (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) is tops on the team with 24 caused turnovers.
Top Dawgs: UMBC leads the America East in caused turnovers per game (10.93) and save percentage (.490) and ranks second in goals-against average (9.73). Dorr ranks fifth in the conference in goals per game (2.50) and shots per game (6.14) and seventh in points (3.14 pg). Durham is third in caused turnovers (1.60 pg), while Quick is second in save percentage (.492), third in GAA (10.02) and fourth in saves per game (8.60).
Among the Best: UMBC ranks 14th in the nation in caused turnovers per game (10.93), 21st in points (250) and 23rd in scoring defense (9.73). Quick ranks in the top 50 in the NCAA in save percentage (18th, .492), GAA (26th, 10.02) and saves per game (30th, 9.0). In addition, Durham ranks 41st in caused turnovers per game (1.6).
Dawg Bites: The Retrievers' eight wins and three America East victories this season are the most since they won a share of the America East regular-season title with 10 overall wins and five league victories in 2006, the last time they earned a berth in the conference tournament… Quick has been named America East Defender of the Week twice this season… Dorr leads the Retrievers with nine multi-goal games this season, followed closely by Pappas with eight… On the season, 14 players have scored a goal, with seven in double-digit goals and nine in double-digit points… Quick has picked up a team-best 31 ground balls this season, while Dorr is tops with 24 draw controls… The Retrievers' 20 goals against Holy Cross on March 6 were the most goals they had scored in a game since a 23-7 victory over Howard on Feb. 17, 2007… When UMBC tallied 20 goals against Iona on March 17, it marked the first time the Retrievers scored 20 or more goals twice in the same season cine 2006… UMBC allowed just one goal to Howard in the season opener on Feb. 14, the fewest goals scored by an opponent since St. Francis (Pa.) scored just one on April 10, 2002… The Retrievers combined to score 38 goals in back-to-back games against Iona (20) and Stony Brook (18) March 17-21, matching last season's best two-game stretch.
