WLAX Set to Open 2022 Campaign

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MILWAUKEE — The Marquette women's lacrosse team opens its 10th season this weekend as it prepares for a pair of games against non-conference opponents. The Golden Eagles will open their 2022 campaign at home as they host Cincinnati at Valley Fields on Saturday, Feb. 14 at noon (CT). The team will then hit the road for its road opener on Monday, Feb. 16, when it faces No. 4 Northwestern. The game will begin at 6 p.m. (CT) at Ryan Fieldhouse in Evanston, Illinois. Live stat links for both contests are available at GoMarquette.com.

The Golden Eagles are coming off of a 2021 campaign which saw them go 7-9 overall and 4-6 in BIG EAST play, finishing the year tied for fourth and missing the conference tournament on a tiebreaker. They were picked fifth in the year's BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Marquette welcomes in 10 newcomers to this year's squad, including eight true freshmen and a pair of graduate transfers. They will join 12 returning letterwinners and six returning starters from a season ago.

Cincinnati is coming off of a 7-10 campaign in 2021, as the Bearcats finished fourth in the AAC. MU and Cincinnati have faced off every season since the start of Marquette's program in 2013, with the Golden Eagles leading the all-time series 6-3. Last season, the teams faced off in a 20-19 thriller, a win for Cincinnati.

Northwestern continues to be one of the nation's elite programs, picked fourth in the IWLCA preseason rankings. The Wildcats had an undefeated regular season in 2021, making a run to the NCAA Tournament semifinal round before falling to No. 3 Syracuse. They finished the year 15-1 overall en route to a Big Ten championship.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS

• Cincinnati went 7-10 in 2021 with a 3-7 conference mark to finish fourth in the AAC.

• Saturday's game will be the season opener for the Bearcats as well.

• The top returning scorer for Cincinnati is graduate attacker/midfielder Alyssa Adams. In 2021, Adams ranked second on the team in both goals (35) and points (38).

• Senior guard Kate Brocato made 13 starts in goal last season, posting a 6-8 record with a 13.54 goals allowed average and 88 saves.

• Cincinnati ranked 13th nationally in ground balls per game (20.29) and 19th in caused turnovers per game (9.59).

SERIES HISTORY VS CINCINNATI

• Cincinnati and Marquette have faced off every year since the launch of MU's program.

• The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series 6-3, though the Bearcats posted a 20-19 win over Marquette in Cincinnati in last year's season opener.

• Marquette is 4-0 all-time against Cincinnati at Valley Fields.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

• Northwestern has established itself as one of the nation's top programs, and is coming off a stellar 15-1 season which saw it reach the NCAA Tournament Semifinals.

• After an undefeated regular season, Northwestern won both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles.

• The Wildcats' Izzy Scane was the nation's top goal-scorer last season with 6.12 per game, but she will miss the 2022 season with a torn ACL. Graduate attacker Lauren Gilbert returns after a 66-goal, 75-point season in 2021.

• Northwestern led the nation last year in scoring offense (20.12) as well as points (28.75), shots (39.81), shots on goal (14.75) and draw controls (19.19) per game.

• The Wildcats will face Boston College on Saturday before meeting Marquette.

SERIES HISTORY VS NORTHWESTERN

• Monday's game will mark the seventh all-time meeting between MU and Northwestern.

• Northwestern is 6-0 in the series, with four of those games being played in Evanston.

• The last meeting between the two squads came on March 23, 2019, a 24-4 win for Northwestern at Valley Fields.

2022 CAPTAINS NAMED

• Coach Meredith Black announced the team's captains for the 2022 campaign, a group which includes Lydia Foust, Ellie Henry, Emma Soccodato and Leigh Steiner.

• Foust, a midfielder, is the only senior among the four captains. She is coming off a season which saw her earn All-BIG EAST First Team honors in 2021.

• The lone returning captain from last season, Henry started all but one game in 2021. The junior ranks eighth all-time in draw controls with 69 in her career.

• A junior midfielder, Soccodato was one of just seven player to start in all 16 games last season. She recorded nine goals and three assists in 2021.

• Steiner is the youngest of the group. Just a sophomore this year, the midfielder is coming off a stellar freshman campaign in which she had 17 goals and 10 assists.

GOLDEN EAGLES WELCOME 10 NEWCOMERS

• Joining Marquette's six returning starters and 12 returning letterwinners are 10 new faces, including eight freshmen and two transfers.

• MU's incoming freshman class includes Meg Bireley (Glenview, Ill. / Glenbrook South HS), Hanna Bodner (Haverford, Pa. / Academy of Notre Dame De Namur), Campbell Brown (Annandale, Va. / W.T. Woodson HS), Lily Dietrich (Kennett Square, Pa. / Unionville HS), Jasmine Murray (Arlington, Va. / West Genesee HS), Brynna Nixon (Bonney Lake, Wash. / Fife HS), Elise Smigiel (Flourtown, Pa. / Germantown Academy) and Lorelai VanGuilder (St. Paul, Minn. / Hill-Murray HS).

• A pair of graduate transfers will also join the Golden Eagles in Kyra LaMotte, an attacker from Furman, and Amanda Rumsey, a goalie from Butler.

• Additionally, the team has a new face on the bench as former Ohio State goalie Jill Rizzo joins the coaching staff as an assistant coach.

FOUST EARNS PRESEASON HONORS

• Marquette senior midfielder Lydia Foust was recognized as one of the league's top players, being named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

• The Redwood City, California, is coming off a First Team All-BIG EAST campaign in 2021, in which she totaled 28 goals, the most of any returning MU player.

• The Golden Eagles were picked fifth as a team in the BIG EAST preseason coaches' poll. Denver was unanimously picked as favorites atop the poll.

2021 SEASON IN REVIEW

• The Golden Eagles are coming off of a 2021 campaign which was highlighted by a program-record six players earning All-BIG EAST recognition.

• After starting conference play with three close losses, MU won four of its final seven games while dropping a 2OT heart breaker to eventual conference champion Denver.

• The team finished 7-9 on the year and 4-6 in conference play, tying for fourth-place in the league standings but missing out on the BIG EAST Tournament on a tiebreaker.

• Marquette led the league and ranked 16th nationally in shots per game (33.12), and was second among BIG EAST teams in saves percentage (.438), clearing percentage (.874), shots on goal per game (23.69) and turnovers per game (15.44).