MLAX begins 10th season at Bellarmine on Saturday

Saturday, February 12

Louisville, Ky.

11 a.m. CT

Marquette University

Bellarmine University

Photo by: Kylie Bridenhagen

2/7/2022 4:31:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Watch Live (ESPN+)Live Stats Game Notes (PDF)

The Golden Eagles begin their third season under head coach Andrew Stimmel

By: Communications

Game Notes (PDF)

MILWAUKEE – The Marquette University men's lacrosse team begins its 10th season of competition on Saturday against Bellarmine at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.

Opening face-off is slated for 11 a.m. Central time and the game will air live on ESPN+. Live statistics will be available on GoMarquette.com, courtesy of Bellarmine Athletics.

The Golden Eagles, picked fourth in the BIG EAST Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, are set to begin their third campaign under head coach Andrew Stimmel with their first two games on the road. Marquette will also face Jacksonville on Saturday, Feb. 19 before its home opener on Feb. 26 against Utah on National Marquette Day.

MU is 6-3 all-time in season lid-lifters (3-2 when those are on the road) and 7-2 in road openers with wins in its last seven such contests.

THE MATCHUP: Marquette leads the all-time series with BU, 4-3, and has won each of the last two meetings. The Golden Eagles are 1-1 all-time at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium against the Knights, and defeated both then-No. 17/16 Ohio State and Detroit Mercy at the venue during the 2015 season.

The last meeting against BU came in the home opener for MU in the 2020 season, its first under Stimmel. MU led by as many as eight goals and held on for Stimmel's first home victory as head coach. Four of MU's six goal scorers from that game are still on the Golden Eagles roster, including Chris Kirschner and Holden Patterson, who each scored twice in the victory.

MU defeated BU in both 2016 and 2019 to kick off its regular season.

Last five meetings:
3/30/15 (A)         L, 9-3
2/20/16 (H)         W, 9-7
3/4/18 (N)           L, 7-6 (OT)
2/9/19 (H)           W, 15-9
2/8/20 (H)           W, 11-10

MARQUETTE (0-0): MU played a lone exhibition matchup at Ohio State on Jan. 29 and has a trio of returning all-conference players in attackman Devon Cowan and close defensemen Mason Woodward and Zach Granger. Cowan and Woodward each garnered recognition on the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team with Woodward earning unanimous selection after a USILA All-America season in 2021.

The Golden Eagles return two starters on attack in Cowan and sophomore Russell Melendez, along with both Granger and Woodward on defense. Out of the 13 players projected as starters and in the top faceoff unit, all but two have at least two years of eligibility remaining following this season. With that youth does not come inexperience, however, as Cowan and Woodward have already etched their name in MU's record book, and the first midfield of Chris Kirschner, Griffin Fries and Jake Stegman all saw significant playing time in 2020 as true freshmen.

Woodward led all non-faceoff specialists in the league with 54 ground balls last spring and caused a league-high 18 turnovers. The Towson, Maryland native ended his first full season of competition seventh in Marquette history in both ground balls (82) and caused turnovers (31). Woodward is one of three unanimous preseason all-league picks at close defense.

Cowan turned in the top offensive season ever for a Marquette underclassman, posting 30 goals and 38 points in 2021 while extending his goal-scoring streak to 17 games. The Mount Laurel, New Jersey native posted five hat tricks during the 2021 campaign, including a career-high six goals against No. 10 Georgetown on April 10. His 30 goals tie him for fourth in program history on the single-season ledger, while his 38 points tie him for seventh all-time at MU.

BELLARMINE (0-2): The Knights, under third-year head coach Andrew Whitley, began the season with road losses at Mercer (9-4) on Jan. 29 and Michigan (22-13) last Saturday. Attackman Brayden Brown leads BU with six goals on the season and posted five against the Wolverines. Goalie JC Higginbotham has faced 80 shots in the two games and turned away 21 of them while allowing 30 goals in 110:26 in net.

Keep up with the Marquette men's lacrosse program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteMLax) and Instagram (@MarquetteMLax) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteMLax).