WLAX To Play BIG EAST Home Opener Saturday vs Villanova

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The Marquette women's lacrosse team (5-7, 0-1 BIG EAST) will host its first home contest of BIG EAST play this weekend as it returns home to face Villanova. The Golden Eagles will face the Wildcats (4-8, 0-1 BIG EAST) on Saturday, April 9, at Valley Fields at 12 p.m. (CT). The game will be streamed on FloSports, with links for live video and stats available at GoMarquette.com.

Marquette kicks off a four-game homestand as it enters the weekend with a 5-7 record on the year, but a perfect 3-0 record at home. The Golden Eagles opened conference play last Saturday in Storrs, Connecticut, as they fell to No. 21 UConn in an 18-15 thriller. Both teams enter the contest in search of their first BIG EAST victory.

After playing nine of its first 12 games on the road, MU will now have five of its remaining six regular-season contests at home. The Golden Eagles were picked fifth in this year's BIG EAST preseason coaches' poll after going 7-9 overall and 4-6 in conference play a season ago.

All-time, Marquette and Villanova have faced off nine times in a competitive series, with the Wildcats holding a 5-4 edge. The teams met twice in Villanova in 2021, the Wildcats winning the first contest 19-15, the Golden Eagles winning the second 8-7.

The Wildcats hold a 4-8 overall record on the year, and an 0-1 league mark after dropping their conference opener on Saturday, a 13-11 loss at home to Georgetown. Senior attacker Caroline Curnal leads the squad with 33 points on 28 goals and five assists. She also ranks ninth nationally with 7.64 draw controls per game. The Huskies are coached by Jill Batcheller, in her first season at the head of the program.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

• Villanova owns a 4-8 overall record entering Saturday's contest, including an 0-1 mark in conference play.

• The Wildcats opened BIG EAST play on April 2, falling at home to Georgetown 13-11.

• Villanova finished 2021 with a 6-11 record, going 4-6 in league play. It fell to Denver in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament as the 4-seed.

• VU has a 2-4 mark in road contests this season.

• Caroline Curnal headlines Villanova's offense with 33 points this season on 28 goals and five assists. The senior attacker has also won 7.64 draw controls per contests, second in the conference and ninth nationally.

• Freshman Sydney Pappas has added 20 goals, while seniors Libby McKenna and Alexa Tsahalis have each posted 16.

• Senior Alexa Moro ranks among the top goalkeepers in the BIG EAST, ranking second in the league in saves per game (9.17) and fourth in save percentage (.438).

• As a team, Villanova ranks 11th in the NCAA in draw control percentage (.579).

SERIES HISTORY VS VILLANOVA

• Saturday's matchup will be the 10th all-time between MU and Villanova.

• The Wildcats narrowly lead a competitive all-time series, holding a 5-4 edge.

• The squads met twice last season in Villanova, splitting the series. The Wildcats won the first meeting 19-15 on March 26, while the Golden Eagles won the second 8-7 on March 28.

• Marquette has won four of the past six meetings vs VU.

Last 5 Meetings

DATE LOCATION RESULT SCORE

3/28/21 A W 8-7

3/26/21 A L 15-19

3/30/19 H L 13-15

3/24/18 A W 16-12

4/1/17 H W 20-6

LAST TIME OUT

• Marquette traveled to Storrs, Connecticut on Saturday, April 2 to face No. 21 UConn, falling in an 18-15 decision.

• The Golden Eagles made a strong second-half push after getting down 11-1 early and trailing by 10 at the half, but their comeback attempt fell just short.

• Following the half, MU scored five unanswered goals, then after a two-score answer from the Huskies, rattled off another four-straight in a four-minute span. The Golden Eagles eventually cut the lead down to as few as two goals, but time expired before they were able to complete the comeback.

• In total, Marquette outscored Connecticut 13-6 in the second half.

• Junior attacker Mary Schumar was the team's top facilitator as she finished with a career-high six assists in the contest, while senior attacker Shea Garcia led the squad's scoring efforts with four goals.

• Amanda Rumsey and Brynna Nixon each spent time in net for Marquette, Rumsey playing 38:58 and recording five saves, Nixon playing the remaining 21:02.

SCHUMAR HAVING A HISTORIC YEAR

• This season in her junior campaign, attacker Mary Schumar has not only been one of the most improved players in the BIG EAST, but one of the best overall.

• Marquette's top facilitator this year, Schumar averages 2.17 assists per contest, second in the league and 14th in the NCAA.

• She is one of just two players nationally with three 5-plus assist outings this season, including her six-assist performance last week at UConn.

• With still at least five games to play, Schumar's 26 assists this year rank sixth for a single season in program history.

• Before this season, she had just three assists through her first two years at MU. She now ranks ninth all-time with 29 career helpers.

FEELING *GOAL*DEN

• Despite losing five all-BIG EAST players and seven starters form last year's squad, Marquette is having one of its top offensive seasons ever.

• Averaging just over 14 goals per contest (14.08), the team is on pace to rank second-best scoring season ever, ranking only behind the 2020 team's 14.80.

• MU is also on pace for its second-best averages in both shots per game with 32.25, and shots on goal per game with 23.42.

FOUST NAMED MIDFIELDER OF THE WEEK

• Following her performance last week in Marquette's game at No. 21 UConn on Sunday, Mary Schumar was recognized by the conference as she was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.

• Schumar, a junior, set a new career mark with a game-high six assists in the contest, while also recording a goal and two ground balls.

• Her six assists are tied for third-most in the NCAA in a single game this season, and are the most by any BIG EAST player in 2022.

• This was the first weekly honor of Schumar's career, and she was the fifth different Golden Eagle to earn weekly accolades this season.

MILESTONES TO WATCH FOR

• With 78 goals and 21 assists in her MU career, Lydia Foust is just one point shy of hitting the 100-point career plateau.

• Shea Garcia continues to climb up Marquette's career scoring leaderboard. She currently has 103 career goals, sixth all-time. She sits just one goal from tying Allison Lane for fifth and two goals from tying Charlotte McGuire for fourth.

• Garcia is also one spot from top-five in career points with 139. She needs three points to catch Cate Soccodato for fifth.

• Ellie Henry ranks fifth all-time in draw controls with 125. She is just one shy of tying Erin Dowdle for fourth.

JOINING THE 100 CLUB

• With her first goal late in the first quarter against UConn last week, Shea Garcia found the net for the 100th time of her college career.

• She is just the sixth player in program history to hit the 100-goal plateau.

• With a career-best 32 goals already this season and still at least five games to play, Garcia is just four goals from entering MU's top-10 all-time for goals in a single season.