BALTIMORE - The UMBC women's lacrosse team will spend two of the final three games of the regular season on the road, starting with a trip to Burlington to face the Vermont Catamounts on Saturday, April 17. The opening draw from Virtue Field is set for 11 a.m.

UMBC vs. Vermont Series Info: 

Who: UMBC Retrievers (4-4, 3-3 America East) at Vermont Catamounts (4-4, 4-2 America East)

Where: Burlington, Vermont - Virtue Field

When: Saturday, April 17 - 11 a.m.

How to Watch: Live Stats | Video

Social: @UMBC_WLacrosse, #RetrieverNation, #AEWLAX

Vermont Spectator Policy:

With updated guidance from the Vermont Department of Health, the University of Vermont will allow a limited number of fully vaccinated family members into home athletic events—along with UVM students, staff, and faculty who are participating in the University's Covid-19 surveillance testing program—according to the following guidelines: 

• Each student-athlete and coach participating (including visiting teams) is limited to two (2) family members who have completed a full COVID-19 vaccination cycle.

  •  A full cycle for a two-dose vaccine means that at least two weeks have elapsed since the second dose was received. 

  •  A full cycle for a single dose vaccine means that at least two weeks have elapsed since the single dose was received.

DAWG BITES

The Retrievers fell to the UAlbany Great Danes, 19-7, on Friday, April 9. The Great Danes used a 13-goal first half that the Retrievers were unable to chip away throughout the rest of the game.

Senior Olivia Docal led the Retrievers with three goals, including two from the free position mark. Classmate Lily Kennedy had a team-high four points, issuing a season-high three assists to go along with a goal early in the second period. 

Docal is now five goals away from her 50th career goal. Halczuk, who leads the team with 64 draw controls, is 14 away from tying the record for most draws in a season set by Caitlin Miller back in 2019 (78).  

In goal, senior Lexi Roberts made 10 saves against the Great Danes, bringing her season total to 79. Roberts has a 45.4 saves percentage and makes 9.88 saves per game.

TOP DAWGS
Following the win over UMass Lowell, senior goalkeeper Lexi Roberts and freshman attack Dymin Gerow both garnered America East Women's Lacrosse weekly awards. For the second time this season, Roberts was named Defensive Player of the Week, while Gerow earned her first Rookie of the Week nod.

About the Opponent: Vermont Catamounts

The Catamounts enter the contest after most recently defeating the UMass Lowell River Hawks, 17-11, on April 10. 

Vermont led, 7-4, late in the first half before going on a seven-goal tear that lasted into the beginning of the second half to take a dominating 14-4 lead. 

The win over the River Hawks broke a three-game losing skid for the Catamounts, after they fell to UMass on March 24, followed by back-to-back conference losses to UAlbany and Stony Brook. 

Vermont is currently 4-2 in America East play, with earlier wins over Hartford, New Hampshire, and Binghamton. 

Ava Vasile leads the Catamounts with 29 points (23g, 6a); Vasile is an overall threat for the Catamounts, with 10 caused turnovers, 21 ground balls, and 24 draw controls. 

In goal, Sophie McLaughlin has started seven games for Vermont, leading the America East with 10.00 saves per game. 

PADDING THE STAT SHEETS
Multiple Retrievers are in the Top 10 in the America East in multiple stat categories but also find themselves among the ranks in the NCAA.

Megan Halczuk is 9th in the country and first in the America East in draw controls per game with 8.00. Halczuk is a component to helping the Retrievers rank 10th in the nation in draw controls per game (16.38) and ninth in draw control percentage (.612); both marks rank first in the America East. 

Claire Bockstie is 42nd in the NCAA in goals per game (3.12), which ranks third in the America East.

Olivia Docal, who is 8-12 from the eight-meter this season, is 18th in the nation in free position goals per game (1.14). Dymin Gerow and Courtney Renehan, who both are 7-10 from the mark, are 24th with 1.00 goals per game. 

Gerow and Renehan are both 12th in the country in free position percentage, making 70.0 percent of their shots from the eight-meter mark; Docal is 21st at 66.7 percent. As a team, the Retrievers are 24th in the country with a 50.0 free position percentage. 

Lexi Roberts is fifth in the nation in ground balls per game (4.00), 20th in saves per game (9.88), 38th in save percentage (.454), and 45th in total saves (79). 

THE SERIES
UMBC holds a 10-6 lead in the series against Vermont, including a three-game winning streak. The game between the Retrievers and Catamounts in 2017 holds the program record for most combined goals (39 - UMBC 23, Vermont 16).

In 2019, UMBC edged out Vermont, 14-13, in Burlington. The game was neck-and-neck through 60 minutes of play, but the Retrievers were able to hold off a late rally by the Catamounts late in the second half. Zoë Pekins led UMBC with four goals in the victory.

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