WOMEN'S LACROSSE NOTEBOOK
Vermont (4-4, 4-2 AE) hosts conference foe UMBC (4-4, 3-3 AE) on Saturday (Apr. 17) at Virtue Field. The opening draw is scheduled for 11 a.m. and can be seen on
ESPN3. Saturday's game will be the "Vanessa Cox #23 Memorial Game" in honor of Catamount alumnae Vanessa Cox '05.
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VANESSA COX #23 GAME
UVM will host its "Vanessa Cox #23 Memorial Game" on Saturday to honor the late Vanessa Cox '05. Head coach
Sarah Dalton Graddock will select one player to wear Cox's No. 23 jersey.
"I am looking forward to being able to have our annual 'Vanessa Cox #23 Memorial Game' against UMBC after having to miss it last year when our season was cut short," Dalton Graddock said. "While this year is different because we cannot welcome alums and Vanessa's family back to Virtue Field, I feel it is important that our program and current student-athletes continue to remember all Vanessa accomplished and the individual she was on and off the field. Whenever we connect with alums, they always acknowledge Vanessa, speaking very highly of her character and the impact she had on all of them. We hope next spring we are able to share this day with alums while we honor and remember Vanessa Cox."
A UVM Athletic Hall of Fame inductee in 2015 and the program's all-time leader in points (173) and goals (133), Cox was tragically killed in a car crash in February of 2015 at the age of 31.
SCOUTING THE RETRIEVERS
UMBC enters Saturday's game fourth in the America East standings, one spot behind the Catamounts in third. The Retrievers boast a 12.75 goals per game average, which ranks fourth in the conference. UMBC averages the second-highest shots on goal per game (23.25) in America East. Claire Bockstie paces the UMBC offense with 25 goals on the season and a 3.13 goals per game average that ranks fourth in the conference. Dymin Gerow (2.80 goals per game) is also in the league's top 10 in scoring average. Lexi Roberts has seen the majority of the action in goal for the Retrievers with a 12.55 goals against average and .454 save percentage. Roberts averages 9.88 saves per game, which is second in the league behind only
Sophie McLaughlin (10.00).
INSIDE THE SERIES
Vermont is 6-10 all-time against UMBC with a 4-4 mark in Burlington. The Catamounts were edged out 14-13 by the Retrievers in their last meeting on Virtue Field. Vermont nearly erased a three-goal deficit with a pair of goals in the final four minutes from
Jenna Janes and
Taylor Mullen.
Grace Giancola,
Maris Large, and
Dani Paterno also registered goals for the Catamounts.
LAST TIME OUT
The Catamounts exploded for a 12-goal first half on Saturday (Apr. 10) en route to a 17-11 victory at UMass Lowell.
Ava Vasile and
Dani Paterno led Vermont with four goals each.
Maris Large,
McKenzie Ballard, and
Meghan O'Connor also posted multi-goal performances for the Catamounts.
29 FOR VASILE
Ava Vasile's four-goal outing last weekend brings her 2021-point total up to 29 in eight games played. The sophomore ranks sixth in the conference in points per game (3.63) and goals per game (2.88). Netting 23 goals on the season, Vasile has four-plus goals in three games, including a season-high five goals against Hartford (Mar. 4) and Binghamton (Mar. 20).
MCLAUGHLIN AMONG THE LEAGUE'S BEST
Sophie McLaughlin ranks among the top America East goalkeepers this season. The junior leads the league in saves per game (10.00), is second in saves (70), and has the third-highest save percentage (.452). Fellow Catamount
Jackie Shipp ranks third in the conference in goals against average (9.29). Vermont's team save percentage of .443 is the third-highest in America East. Earlier this season, McLaughlin posted a 16-save performance against New Hampshire, which is the second-highest total in conference play.
