Women's Lacrosse Hosts Conference Leader UAlbany on Saturday Afternoon

UMBC will look to end a two-game losing streak when it hosts the first-place UAlbany Great Danes on Saturday afternoon.
The Dawgs lead the circuit in goals per game (13.00), points per game (19.70), shots per game (31.30), shots on goal per game (23.60), ground balls per game (16.60), fewest turnovers per game (12.00), goals against per game (8.5), and saves percentage (.491).
Emily Knapp leads the America East in goals per game (3.60, 11th in NCAA) and points per game (4.40, 35th in NCAA).
Knapp has recorded 83 goals and 29 assists (112 points) in just 26 career appearances (4.31 ppg.)
Reese Macintosh ranks second in the AE with 1.80 assists per game and is 6th in points per game (3.60).
Libby Staples is eighth in assists per game (1.40) and 11th in points per game (2.80). She's also 12th in draw controls (2.50 per game).
Ella Killian ranks sixth in the league in draw controls (3.10 per game) and is 12th with 1.10 caused turnovers per game.
Olivia Worden is fourth in the league with 3.60 draw controls per game.
Goalie Emine Luznar leads the AE with a 7.90 goals against average (10th NCAA) and a .520 save percentage (4th NCAA).
UMBC's 47 shots against Delaware State are a league-high this season. The Dawgs also scooped a league-high 24 ground balls against La Salle.

Last Time Out

Redshirt sophomore Emily Knapp tied a career high with six goals, but UMBC dropped a 12-10 neutral site decision against the William & Mary Tribe on Wednesday evening at Gainesville High School.
William & Mary (6-4) led 4-0 with 5:38 remaining in the opening quarter as four different players found the back of the net. Aubrey Roth assisted on the first two goals, and the next two were unassisted.
UMBC scored two consecutive goals to cut the deficit to 4-2 at the end of the first frame. Freshman midfielder Olivia Worden scored an unassisted goal with 2:20 left, and Knapp produced her first with 1:45 remaining.
Taylor McCall scored her second goal of the game to open the scoring in the second quarter for the Tribe, but Knapp tickled the twine three times in a row to bring the Retrievers even heading into intermission. Sophomore attackers Reese Macintosh, Annika Wray, and Sam Hewitt were all credited with assists.
Knapp scored the first two goals of the third quarter to give the Dawgs their first lead at 7-5 with 10:28 remaining in the stanza. Knapp produced an unassisted tally at 11:06 to give the Retrievers the lead and then scored off a feed from freshman midfielder Claire Moffitt less than a minute later.
The Tribe answered with two goals to knot the score at 7-7 with 5:06 left in the third quarter on goals by Katie Draddy and Nora Begley. Senior captain Lizzie Bateman took a feed from sophomore attacker Mya Stewart-Parsons to give UMBC their final lead at 8-7 with 3:29 left in the third quarter.
William & Mary scored five unanswered goals to open the fourth quarter to surge ahead, 12-8. McCall scored the final two goals to end the run.
The Retrievers scored two late goals as Macintosh and sophomore midfielder Tess Curtis scored, but the Dawgs could not get any closer.
Sophomore goalie Emine Luznar recorded seven saves and added four ground balls in a losing cause. Senior defender Ella Killian picked up four ground balls, and sophomore midfielder Ave Martin forced three turnovers.
UMBC outshot William & Mary by a 32-25 margin, but the Tribe held a 14-10 advantage on draw controls.
Knapp has recorded at least a hat trick eight times this season.

About UAlbany

UAlbany fell to the #12 Boston College Eagles, 22-5, on Monday evening at John Fallon Field. Ravan Marsell led the Great Danes with two goals on three shots on net, one coming off a free-position goal.
Riley Fortohfer and Zareena Sorho both tallied two points on a goal and an assist.
Paisley Cook picked up a team-high two ground balls as five Great Danes recorded one caused turnover.
The Great Danes have registered league wins against UNH, UMass Lowell, and Binghamton.
Cook leads the squad with 2.17 goals per game, which is good for 10^th in the league. She also leads the league with 10.00 draw controls per game.
Kloey Roos (2.00 goals per game) and Jaedyn Frink (1.83 goals per game) rank 12^th and 13^th, respectively.
Ravan Marsell is second in the league in points per game (4.25) and leads the circuit with 2.67 assists per game.
Goalie Grace Cincebox is 5^th in the AE in goals against (10.74) and save percentage (.415)

Series History

UAlbany holds a 20-7 advantage in the all-time series
UMBC has dropped 14 of its last 15 contests against the Great Danes.
The Retrievers defeated the Great Danes, 12-11, during the 2024 campaign.
Last season, UAlbany came away with a 14-8 triumph at home. Knapp led UMBC with four goals and an assist.

Head Coach Amy Slade

2021 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee Amy (Appelt) Slade is in her 14th season at the helm of the Retrievers and 17th overall with the program. Slade served as a co-head coach for her first two seasons at the head of the program after being hired as an assistant coach in August of 2009.
Slade had a career record of 110-98 (.532).
She enjoyed 11-win seasons in 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2024-25.
Slade, who won the prestigious Tewaaraton Trophy and led the University of Virginia to a national championship in 2004, joined the UMBC women's lacrosse staff in August 2009. She was inducted into the 2020 class of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame after an illustrious career with the Cavaliers, where she was a four-time All-American at Virginia, set school records for career goals (258) and points (373), and ranks second in career assists (115). Her goals and points totals are in the top 10, respectively, in the NCAA Division I record books, and she set an NCAA record by scoring a goal in 66 straight games.

Preseason Honors

The America East Conference announced its Preseason All-Conference Team and Preseason Coaches' Poll in January. Sophomore attacker Emily Knapp, senior defender Ella Killian, and sophomore midfielder Tess Curtis were all recognized by the league's coaches.
Knapp burst upon the season in 2025 after earning a redshirt in 2024 and was named the America East Rookie of the Year. Knapp was second in the league with 4.25 points per game (68 points) and finished fifth with 2.94 goals per game (47 goals). She has also added 21 assists, 24 ground balls, and 11 caused turnovers. Knapp was the third Retriever to be named Rookie of the Year and the first since 2022.
The speedy and fearless Killian is a significant reason why UMBC ranked 15th in the country in clearing percentage. Killian, who finished sixth on the circuit with 4.44 draw controls per game, also compiled 24 ground balls and caused 12 turnovers.
Curtis ranked seventh on the squad with 20 points (18 goals, two assists). She recorded hat tricks against La Salle and New Hampshire in her first season as a Retriever.

2025 Rewind

UMBC finished the 2025 season with an 11-5 record and has been picked to finish fifth out of seven teams this year. Last season, the Dawgs placed fourth with a 3-3 conference record.
The Dawgs return six players who started at least half of the squad's contests last season (attacker Emily Knapp, attacker Libby Staples, attacker Lizzie Bateman, defender Lauren Flynn, defender Ella Killian, and defender Emily Renehan)
UMBC will look to replace All-Conference performers Grace Bruce (48 goals, 11 assists), Katana Nelson (55 goals), and goalie Isabella Fontana (10.44).

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Players Mentioned

#11 Lizzie Bateman: Attack; 5' 7"; Junior

#28 Isabella Fontana: Goalie; 5' 1"; Graduate Student

#2 Ella Killian: Defense; 5' 2"; Junior

#7 Katana Nelson: Midfield; 5' 7"; Senior

#3 Emily Renehan: Defense; 5' 5"; Junior

#24 Grace Bruce: Attack; 5' 3"; Senior

#6 Libby Staples: Attack; 5' 6"; Junior

#14 Lauren Flynn: Defense; 5' 3"; Sophomore

#23 Emily Knapp: Attack; 5' 5"; Freshman

#19 Reese Macintosh: Attack; 5' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#11 Lizzie Bateman
: 5' 7"; Junior
: Attack

#28 Isabella Fontana
: 5' 1"; Graduate Student
: Goalie

#2 Ella Killian
: 5' 2"; Junior
: Defense

#7 Katana Nelson
: 5' 7"; Senior
: Midfield

#3 Emily Renehan
: 5' 5"; Junior
: Defense

#24 Grace Bruce
: 5' 3"; Senior
: Attack

#6 Libby Staples
: 5' 6"; Junior
: Attack

#14 Lauren Flynn
: 5' 3"; Sophomore
: Defense

#23 Emily Knapp
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: Attack

#19 Reese Macintosh
: 5' 1"; Freshman
: Attack