BALTIMORE - The UMBC women's lacrosse team (9-4, 2-1 AE) faces another tough test on Saturday when five-time defending America East champion and 17th-ranked Boston University (6-6, 2-0 AE) visits UMBC Stadium for a 12 p.m. tilt. The game can be seen live at UMBCRetrievers.tv.
Last Time Out: The Retrievers outscored Vermont, 10-3, in the second half en route to a 15-9 victory over their America East rival on Wednesday. Junior attack Erika Braerman (Fallston, Md./Fallston) equaled her career best with a game-high five goals, while sophomore midfielder Bria Phillips (Davidsonville, Md./Coronado (Calif.)) found the back of the net three times. Senior goalie Kate Quick (Phoenix, Md./Maryvale Prep) recorded a season-high 11 saves.
On the Terriers: Boston University is 6-6 on the season and 2-0 in America East play after a 10-4 victory over New Hampshire on Wednesday. Attacks McKinley Curro and Traci Landy each notched hat tricks, while goalie Rachel Klein posted 15 saves in the win. Ranked 17th in the most recent IWLCA coaches poll, the Terriers have won 25 straight games against America East opponents dating to April 2007. Curro leads BU with 38 points and ranks second with 26 goals, while Landy is tops with 30 goals and second with 33 points, and she is tied for the team lead with 22 draw controls. Klein has posted a 9.29 goals-against average and a .488 save percentage in more than 700 minutes this season. The Terriers were picked to repeat as conference champions in the America East preseason poll.
Inside the Series: The Terriers lead the all-time series against the Retrievers, 8-1, and have won three in a row since UMBC's 16-13 win in 2006. Last season, BU defeated UMBC, 15-10, at Nickerson Field. Abbey Swift and Kara Dorr each notched hat tricks for the Retrievers, while Landy and Sarah Dalton both scored four times for the Terriers.
For Starters: At 9-4, UMBC is off to its best start since also winning nine of its first 13 games in 2002. The Retrievers have won seven of their last eight contests, and their nine wins match their entire total from the 2009 campaign, when they posted a 9-8 overall record.
20/20: Five Retrievers - Braerman (29), junior midfielder Amanda Pappas (23), sophomore attack Emily Coady (23), junior midfielder Ashley Stodter (21) and sophomore attack Alicia Krause (20) - have scored at least 20 goals this season, the most players to reach that mark since the same number accomplished the feat in 2007.
Quick Stops: Quick entered the week ranking second in the America East and 14th in the NCAA in goals-against average. She has allowed double-digit goals just three times this season.
Tenacious D: As a team, UMBC boasted the 12th-best scoring defense in the nation entering the week and led the America East in caused turnovers.
Going Streaking: Braerman has tallied at least one point in all 13 games so far this season with a goal in all but one, including nine in a row, while Krause (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron/Duquesne) saw her 11-game goal streak snapped on Wednesday against Vermont, as was Stodter's (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel) nine-game streak.
Dawg Bites: UMBC's loss to New Hampshire on Saturday snapped a six-game winning streak, its longest since also taking six in a row from April 17-May 3, 2003… The Retrievers… 20 goals scored against Manhattan on March 29 were the most since also tallying 20 against Iona on March 17, 2009… Thirteen Retrievers have found the back of the net so far this season, including seven in double digits… Braerman and Krause lead UMBC with eight multi-goal games, while Braerman has posted a team-best 11 multi-point efforts… She leads the Retrievers with 29 goals, 17 assists and 46 points… Quick has picked up a team-best 32 ground balls, while senior midfielder Amanda Gable (Mount Airy, Md./Glenelg) has won a team-high 25 draw controls and senior defender C.J. Durham (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) leads UMBC with 22 caused turnovers… The Retrievers were picked to finish fifth in the America East preseason poll.
