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0324_Team_PREVIEW

PREVIEW: No. 18 women’s lacrosse vs. No. 15 Assumption

3/23/2021 4:15:00 PM

MANCHESTER, N.H. – After starting the 2021 campaign with two wins, the nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College women's lacrosse team will look to keep the momentum going as the squad will host No. 15 Assumption University on Wednesday, Mar. 24 at 7 p.m.

NO. 18 SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE HAWKS (2-0, 1-0 NE10)
Roster | Schedule & Results | 2021 Statistics | News

NO. 15 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GREYHOUNDS (1-0, 1-0 NE10)
Roster | Schedule & Results | 2021 Statistics | News

Spectators of any kind are not allowed at Grappone Stadium as of Wednesday.

LIVE VIDEO of Wednesday's match with the Greyhounds will be available via the NE10 Now network, as will LIVE STATS.

HAWKS NOTES
  • The Hawks finished the opening week with wins against Southern New Hampshire University (19-5) and American International College (12-4). Saint Anselm is now ranked 18th in the most recent Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll.
  • Saint Anselm is currently the national leader for caused turnovers per game (16.50) and ground balls per game (28.50). The Hawks are one of 20 teams in Division II to remain undefeated in 2021. The squad from the Hilltop also has the third-best scoring defense in the nation with a 4.50 goals-against average.
  • Senior Annie Richards (Reading, Mass.) leads the Hawks offense as she dished out a program-record eight assists in the victory over the Yellow Jackets. Richards has recorded three or more assists in each of her last four games, dating back to Mar. 5, 2020, when the Hawks defeated Wingate, 17-12. So far this season, Richards has recorded 12 points, which ranks second in the top point scorers of the Northeast-10 Conference, with 11 coming off assists. Richards' 11 assists sit atop the NE10 rankings with the closest student-athlete at four from Stonehill and Pace. Richards averages 5.50 assists per game, which is the best in all of Division II so far.
  • Leading in the Hawks' goals department is freshman Alison Ferullo (North Andover, Mass.), who has totaled seven goals in the first two games of her college career, ranking in the top five of the Northeast-10 Conference goal scorers. Ferullo contributed mightily in the Hawks 12-4 victory over the Yellow Jackets, posting a team-high five goals.
  • Right behind Ferullo is tri-captain Kelsey Czarnota (Wakefield, Mass.), who has netted six goals on the season, including a career-high five goals in the Hawks 19-5 win over the Penmen. Czarnota is currently on a five-game points streak, going back to 2020 against Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in the 18-11 win. She also leads the team in ground balls with eight, which is tied for third in the conference.
  • Sophomore Lexi Palmisano (Woburn, Mass.) has been a force on the Hawks offense for the past two years, including this year scoring a team-high two free-position goals out of her overall three goals. Those two free-position goals are in a tie for fifth in the NE10. Palmisano will face for the first time in her collegiate career her own sister, Cassie Palmisano of the Greyhounds, on Wednesday. The two siblings have yet to play each other in the college scene. Freshman Jess Sullivan (Wrentham, Mass.) is also an offensive threat for the Hawks, tying Palmisano for four points.
  • Junior tri-captain Jenna Balboni (Billerica, Mass.) joins the other Hawks offensive scorers as Balboni has fired a team-high 15 shots along with seven of them on the free-position mark. Those 15 shots rank third in the NE10, right behind two Pace student-athletes.
  • In the past two games, the Hawks defense has held their opponents to five goals or less. Junior defender McKenzie Robinson (Mont Vernon, N.H.) led the Hawks with five caused turnovers, ranking fourth in the NE10 and 21st in the nation, with Balboni right behind her teammate with four. Robinson also picked up five groundballs, which helps the transition for the Hawks.
  • After finishing the week with two wins, junior goalkeeper Grace Young (Merrimack, N.H.), recently named NE10 Goalkeeper of the Week and IWLCA/StringKing National Defensive Player of the Week, and the Hawks defense, which allowed only nine goals past them, look to keep their opponents away from the net. Young has also recorded a goals-against average of 4.50 while stopping 15 shots. Young's 62.5 save percentage is the second-best in the NE10, right behind Wednesday's opposing goalkeeper Allie Collins from Assumption. The Hawks defense is tied for second in least amount of goals allowed among NE10 opponents with New Haven, holding opponents to seven.
  • As a team, the Hawks have scored 31 goals in the past two games, ranking second behind Pace's 36. Saint Anselm ranks among the conference's top defense in caused turnovers with 33 behind a conference-leading 36 from American International College.
SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS
  • The Greyhounds come to the Hilltop as one of the seven nationally-ranked teams in the NE10. Assumption holds the 15th spot in the IWLCA National Poll after claiming a 15-111 victory over Stonehill College on Saturday, Mar. 20
  • In their contest against the Skyhawks, the Greyhounds went 16-for-18 on the clear attempts compared to the Hawks 35-for-39.
  • Olivia Catanzarite of the Greyhounds leads the offense with seven points (6-1=7) on six goals and one assist. One point behind her teammate, Olivia Angelo has six points (4-2=6) on four goals and two assists. She also leads the team in ground balls with three. Jenna Joseph has scored the only free-position goal for the Greyhounds in their first game while also leading in the assists category with three.
  • In net, the Greyhounds hold three goalkeepers on their 2021 roster. Emily Burton and Allie Collins split time against Stonehill on Saturday, Mar. 20. Burton totaled 27 minutes, allowing eight goals and stopping five shots, while Collins earned the victory, only surrendering three goals and recording six saves. Collins is currently leading the entire NE10 in save percentage with 66.7, one spot ahead of Young from Saint Anselm. She also sits in third with a 5.33 goals-against average, right behind Young's 4.50.
  • On Mar. 4, the Greyhounds were picked second in the NE10 Northeast Division Preseason Coaches' Poll, one spot ahead of the Hawks.
  • Assumption finished the shortened 2020 season with a 3-0 overall record. The Greyhounds were ranked 15th in the final 2020 IWLCA Division II Coaches Poll.
  • The Greyhounds also welcome new head coach Courtney Dincecco, who most recently was the head women's lacrosse coach at Ave Maria University.
ALL-TIME vs. NO. 15 ASSUMPTION
  • Saint Anselm heads into the nationally-ranked battle with the series advantage, 15-7. When these two opponents face each other on the Hilltop, the Hawks have won 10 out of the 11 times.
  • The Hawks largest win against the Greyhounds happened in 2008 when Saint Anselm won 21-5, but in 2018, Saint Anselm claimed the smallest margin of victory with a 12-11 triumph.
  • Against Assumption, Saint Anselm averages 13.59 goals, totaling 299. In the last 10 matchups, the Hawks hold the advantage, 6-4, dating back to 2010.
  • The last meeting between the Hawks and the Greyhounds was back on Apr. 13, 2019, with Assumption claiming victory. Saint Anselm fell to at-time No. 17 Assumption University by a 19-10 score. Richards, Balboni, and Taylor Cobain (Smithfield, R.I.) each registered a hat-trick for the Hawks. Bailee Pudvar '20 made 13 saves in net in just over 50 minutes of action.
WHAT'S NEXT?
  • Saint Anselm will return to Grappone Stadium for its fourth straight home contest of the 2021 season on Saturday, Mar. 27 at 11 a.m., hosting in-state rival Franklin Pierce University.
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