WLAX Travels to Ohio for Pair of Games This Week

The Marquette women's lacrosse team (1-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) hits the road for its first trip of the 2023 campaign this week as travels to Ohio for a pair of games against Youngstown State (1-0) and Cincinnati (2-0). The Golden Eagles will face the Penguins on Friday, Feb. 17, at 12 p.m. (CT) at YSU's Watson & Tressel Training Site before going up against the Bearcats on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 11 a.m. (CT) at Nippert Stadium. Video and stat links for both games are available at GoMarquette.com.

Marquette opened its season on a high note Sunday afternoon as it posted a 20-13 home win over San Diego State. Marquette set single game program records in shots (49), shots on goal (38) and draw controls (25) in the contest, while senior midfielder Lydia Foust tied a program record with seven goals. The Golden Eagles used a 10-3 second quarter to gain separation and stayed in front the rest of the way.

Youngstown State finished 2022 with a 10-8 overall record and an 8-2 league mark to finish tied for first in the MAC. It returns nine starters, including attacker Natalie Calandra-Ryan who recorded a team-high 90 points (68G-22A) as a true freshman. The Penguins opened the year with a 19-18 win over BIG EAST foe Butler on Sunday.

Cincinnati posted a 7-10 overall record last year with a 1-4 mark in AAC play. It returns eight starters from a season ago, but lost leading scorer Kylie Nause, who ranked 13th in the NCAA with 3.71 goals per game. The Bearcats are off to a 2-0 start to the year with wins over Kent State and at Gardner-Webb.

Friday's meeting will be the first ever between Marquette and Youngstown State. MU has faced Cincinnati 10 times and is 7-3 in the series, including a 16-13 win in last year's season opener in Milwaukee.

SCOUTING THE PENGUINS

• In 2022, Youngstown State posted a 10-8 overall record and an 8-2 mark in league play to finish tied atop the MAC standings in what was just its second year of competition.

• The Penguins return nine starters, including attacker Natalie Calandra-Ryan who recorded a team-high 90 points (68G-22A) as a true freshman.

• YSU went 5-4 at home last season.

• In the net, Youngstown State looks to replace goalkeeper Savannah Clarke, who started all 18 games in 2022.

• Last season, the Penguins ranked 20th nationally in draw control percentage (.492), and scored 13.67 goals per game while allowing 14.0.

• YSU is 1-0 this year, with a 19-18 win over BIG EAST foe Butler on Sunday.

• The squad is coached by Kendyl Clarkson, who makes her head coaching debut this season after joining the program at its start in 2019.

SERIES HISTORY VS YOUNGSTOWN STATE

• Friday's matchup will be the first ever between MU and Youngstown State.

• Marquette is 15-2 all-time against current MAC programs.

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS

• In 2022, Cincinnati went 7-10 overall with a 1-4 record in league play to finish fifth in the AAC standings.

• The Bearcats return eight starters while losing four from last year's squad, including leading scorer Kylie Nause, who ranked 13th in the NCAA with 3.71 goals per game, and goalkeeper Sophie O'Brien, who started all 17 games.

• UC went 1-4 at home last season.

• Midfielder Ava Goeller is the team's top returning scoring threat, after totaling 59 points on 44 goals and 15 assists last year.

• The squad is 2-0 this year, with a 14-7 home win over Kent State and a 20-9 win at Gardner-Webb on Sunday.

• Cincinnati is coached by Gina Thomas, in her 11th season with the program.

SERIES HISTORY VS CINCINNATI

• Sunday's matchup will be the 11th all-time between MU and Cincinnati, the teams having played every year of Marquette's history.

• Marquette is 7-3 all-time against CU, but 2-3 against the Bearcats on the road.

• Last season, the Golden Eagles earned a 16-13 win in Milwaukee with hat trick performances from Leigh Steiner, Shea Garcia and Emma Soccodato.

Last 5 Meetings

DATE LOCATION RESULT SCORE

2/12/22 H W 16-13

2/14/21 A L 19-20

2/14/20 H W 17-6

2/15/19 A L 18-22

3/18/18 H W 19-15

OFF TO A STRONG START

• Marquette opened the season on a high note on Sunday, picking up a 20-13 win over San Diego State at Valley Fields.

• After a low-scoring first quarter that ended 2-1 in MU's favor, the Golden Eagles scored 10 goals in the second quarter to pull away and never look back.

• MU set program records in shots (49), shots on goal (38) and draw controls (25), while midfielder Lydia Foust tied a program record with seven goals.

• Ellie Henry helped the team out-draw SDSU 25-12, recording 12 draw controls her self, a mark which ranks third in Marquette history.

• Shea Garcia finished with six points on four goals and two assists.

FOUST, GARCIA EARN BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

• After having strong performances in Marquette's win over San Diego State last week, Lydia Foust and Shea Garcia earned weekly honors from the league.

• Foust tied a school record with seven goals in the contest to go along with an assist and two ground balls as she earned the third BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week honor of her career.

• Shea Garcia was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after posting a stellar stat line of four goals, two assists, three caused turnovers and two ground balls. This was the fourth weekly honor roll appearance of her career.

FOUST REACHES 100

• With the third of her seven goals last week against San Diego State, Lydia Foust became just the seventh player in MU history to reach 100 career goals.

• She is currently tied for fifth all-time with 104, and sits just one goal from moving into the top-5.

• Foust also ranks in Marquette's top-10 in points (8th - 136), assists (9th - 32), shots (4th - 267), shots on goal (4th - 182) and free position goals (3rd - 24).

BIG EAST HONORS

• Along with last year's team success, Marquette also placed a program record-tying six players on all-conference teams. All six return to the field this season.

• A pair of Golden Eagles earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team in midfielder Lydia Foust and attacker Mary Schumar.

• Draw control specialist Mary Blee, attacker Shea Garcia, defender Ellie Henry and midfielder Emma Soccodato each earned second team honors.

• Foust and Schumar were each also selected to this year's Preseason All-BIG EAST team.

2023 TEAM CAPTAINS

• Marquette head coach Meredith Black recently announced the players who will represent the squad as team captains in 2023.

• The group includes three seniors — defender Ellie Henry, midfielder Emma Soccodato and attacker Mary Schumar, along with junior defender Faith Chmielweski.

• This is Henry's third-straight year being nominated a team captain, and Soccodato's second.

UP NEXT FOR MU

• Marquette returns home next week to host No. 5 Northwestern on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 5 p.m. inside of the Valley Fields Dome.

• The game will be broadcast on FloSports, with live stat and stream links available on GoMarquette.com.