WLAX Hosts No. 24 UConn Saturday

MILWAUKEE — The Marquette women's lacrosse team (12-1, 1-0 BIG EAST) looks to build on a nine-game winning streak and its best win total in program history as it hosts No. 24 UConn (8-4, 1-1) in an important BIG EAST matchup on Saturday, April 15, at 11 p.m. CT inside of the Valley Fields Dome in Milwaukee. The game will be streamed on FloSports, with live stat and stream links available at GoMarquette.com.

The nation's top scoring offense was on full display in Marquette's most recent matchup, the Golden Eagles defeating first-year program Xavier 22-7 last Saturday afternoon. Shea Garcia had another incredible performance, going for a program-record eight goals in the contest including seven in the first quarter alone. After leading by just one through 10 minutes, MU then scored nine-straight goals to break things open and secure a comfortable win.

The Huskies enter the weekend ranked No. 24 in the IWLCA Poll, holding an 8-4 overall record and getting off to a 1-1 start to BIG EAST play. Three of UConn's four losses are to current Top-25 teams, including a 14-9 home loss to No. 3 Denver in its most recent contest on Saturday.

The Huskies have been led on the field this season by attacker Kate Shaffer, a senior who has 52 points on 33 goals and 19 assists, team-highs in each category. Graduate Landyn White has been one of the top goalkeepers in the country this year, totaling 136 saves with a .509 save percentage.

Saturday's game will be a matchup between the two top scoring offenses in the BIG EAST. UConn averages 15.2 goals per game while allowing 11.8.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES

• UConn enters the weekend ranked No. 24 in the IWLCA Poll, currently with an 8-4 overall record and a 1-1 start to BIG EAST play.

• Three of UConn's four losses are to current Top-25 teams, including a 14-9 home loss to No. 3 Denver in its most recent contest on Saturday. Prior to that, it posted a 19-12 win at Villanova.

• The Huskies are 3-2 away from home this season.

• The squad is led on the field this season by attacker Kate Shaffer, a senior who has 52 points on 33 goals and 19 assists, team-highs in each category. Graduate attacker Lia LaPrise has 39 points on 20 goals and 19 assists.

• In net, Graduate Landyn White has been one of the top goalkeepers in the country this year, totaling 136 saves with a .509 save percentage, ranking in the top-10 in both categories.

• UConn averages 14.2 goals per game while allowing 11.8. It ranks second in the BIG EAST in draws per game (15.2), points per game (20.3) and shots per game (31.6).

SERIES HISTORY VS XAVIER

• Saturday's game will be the 10th meeting between Marquette and UConn, a series which began in 2013.

• The Huskies lead the all-time series 9-1, with MU's lone win coming in 2018.

• UConn won last year's meeting in Storrs, 18-15.

Last 5 Meetings

DATE LOCATION RESULT SCORE

4/2/22 A L 15-18

3/21/21 H L 13-18

3/19/21 H L 13-14

4/28/18 H W 15-14

4/12/17 A L 14-17

LAST TIME OUT

• Marquette picked up a controlling win in its BIG EAST home opener last Saturday, defeating Xavier 22-7 at Valley Fields.

• A record-setting day from Shea Garcia set the pace for the Golden Eagles, as the senior went off for a program-record eight goals including seven in the first quarter alone to help MU go up by 10 and force a running clock early in the second quarter.

• Marquette led by just one through 10 minutes, then scored the game's next nine goals to break things open. 11 different MU players got into the scoring column.

• The Golden Eagles tied a program record with 14 assists, led by Mary Schumar's six. Schumar also had a pair of goals to total eight points in the contest.

GARCIA AND SCHUMAR EARN WEEKLY HONORS

• After helping MU to a 2-0 showing last week with wins over Ohio State and Xavier, the senior attacker duo of Shea Garcia and Mary Schumar were each honored by the BIG EAST.

• Garcia was named BIG EAST Attacker of the Week after making history in Saturday's game against Xavier, scoring a program-record eight goals on just eight shots, including seven goals in the first quarter alone. She also had a pair of goals in the win over Ohio State.

• Schumar earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after another stellar week, totaling 11 points on two goals and nine assists. Against the Musketeers, she finished with two goals, six assists, two ground balls and a caused turnover.

A NEW POINTS LEADER

• In Marquette's win over Xavier on Saturday, Shea Garcia moved into the top spot as the program's all-time points leader and the first Golden Eagle player to ever hit 200 career points.

• The fifth-year senior, who recently moved into the top spot in games played in a Marquette uniform, has tallied up 201 total points on 152 goals and 49 assists.

• Garcia ranks second all-time in goals with 152, only behind Grace Gabriel's 175. She's also second in free position goals with 32, two shy of the record.

RECEIVING VOTES

• Marquette saw its name appear at the bottom of this week's IWLCA Top 25 Poll, receiving votes in the poll for the first time in the program's 11-year history.

• MU ranks as the fourth team out of the Top 25, with a big opportunity for movement this weekend against nationally-ranked UConn.

• The Golden Eagles are one of just seven teams nationally with one or fewer losses this year, and they rank 19th in RPI. Every other undefeated or one-loss team is ranked in the top-15.

SCHUMAR CONTINUES TO MAKE HISTORY

• Mary Schumar continues to prove that she's not just one of the top facilitators in program history, but also in the nation this season.

• It took just 12 games for the senior attacker to break her own program record of 43 assists in a season. She's now up to 50 on the year, leading the NCAA in assists per game.

• Schumar is just one point shy of her own single-season high-mark of 67, also set last year. She ranks ninth nationally in points per game.

• She is also approaching the program's career record of 100 set by Claire Costanza (2013-17). She currently has 96.

DOME, SWEET DOME

• While Marquette is undefeated on the road this season, its performance at home in recent years has been consistently stellar.

• Since the start of last season, the Golden Eagles have lost just twice in 14 games at Valley Fields, both to nationally ranked opponents. MU's last home loss to a non-ranked opponent was March 21, 2021 vs UConn.

• Since 2018, Marquette is a combined 30-13 (.698) in home games.

UP NEXT FOR MU

• Marquette heads out for its final two road games of the regular season, facing Butler on Wednesday, April 19, at 11 a.m. CT, then taking on Villanova on Saturday, April 23, at noon CT.

• Links to live stream and stats will be available on GoMarquette.com.