THE FIRST LOOK
The women's lacrosse team will open its 2020 campaign on Saturday, hosting Holy Family for the first of three-straight home games to start out the new season. Ranked No. 13 nationally in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association (IWLCA) Top 25 Poll, the Chargers have been picked to finish third in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
SERIES HISTORY
New Haven and Holy Family will meet for just the second time in the history of the two programs when they take the field on Saturday, with both of those meetings happening at the Chargers home field. The only previous match-up between the two programs came as the season opener in 2009 when the Chargers breezed past the Tigers 18-2.
SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
The Chargers return five of their top seven goal scorers from last season highlighted by senior transfer Kendra Nolan (Oak Ridge, N.J./Jefferson Township) who racked up 40 goals and was named Third Team All-Conference. The draw specialist for New Haven, Nolan finished with 114 draw controls which was second in the NE10 and third most in a single season in program history.
Following Nolan among the leading returners is senior Caroline Maher (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) and sophomore Marina Skelly (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Connequot) who finished with 28 and 17 goals, respectively. Maher also added 29 assists, second most on the team, for a total of 57 points. Skelly capped off her rookie campaign by earning NE10 All-Rookie Team accolades.
Rounding out the leading returners is senior Julia Jette (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) (21 goals) and junior Emily Holand (18 goals). Jette also led the Chargers with 42 assists which combined with her 21 goals placed her second on the team in total points with 63. Additionally, her 42 assists ranked fourth in the NE10 and was third-most in a single season in program history.
Between the pipes, New Haven returns starter Gianna Guerra (Stony Point, N.Y./North Rockland), a two-time NE10 Goalkeeper of the Week who was named to the NE10 Second Team All-Conference. The senior racked up a career-high 184 saves, which was second most in the NE10 while she finished with a .508 save percentage and a 10.39 goals against average.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Holy Family enters the weekend with a pair of games under their belts already in 2020, dropping a 19-15 decision to Saint Thomas Aquinas and a 19-6 decision to Molloy. In addition to those two games, the Tigers will play their first four games away from Tiger Field, following the match-up in West Haven on Saturday with a March 15 game at Bridgeport.
Through its first two games, a pair of Tigers lead the scoring efforts with five goals each from Tatceyana Pulley and Courtney Wolf. Pulley was among the leaders last season as a rookie finishing with 15 goals and two assists. Also among the leading returners from 2019 to watch for was Casey Brown who finished with 35 goals a year ago, second on the team, and so far in 2020 has a pair of goals and an assist to her credit.
Holy Family has relied on a single goalkeeper through its first two games with Caitlyn Musick compiling all 120 minutes between the pipes. She has allowed 38 goals while making 15 saves.
UP NEXT
New Haven will continue a three-game season-opening home stand in one week when they welcome the New York Tech Bears to Kathy Zolad Stadium on Saturday, March 7. Opening draw against the currently 1-0 Bears is slated for 1:00 p.m. with all the action available live on the Chargers Sports Network part of NE10Now.TV.
PRESEASON TOP 20
After a No. 15 ranking in the preseason IWLCA poll, the Chargers will enter the season opener against Holy Family as the No.13 team in the nation according to the coaches association. Overall, New Haven is one of six NE10 teams represented in the Top 25poll, the most of any conference in the nation. Le Moyne, who also opens its season this weekend, sits at No. 2, followed by reigning DII National Champion Adelphi at No. 3.
PRESEASON NE10 POLL
In a preseason poll of NE10 head coaches, the New Haven women's lacrosse team was selected to finish third among the 14-team conference. The Chargers earned 132 points in the poll, finishing behind only defending national champion Adelphi and Le Moyne who finished No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Adelphi received 12 of the 14 potential first place votes, with the Dolphins receiving the remaining two.
