MOUNT ST. MARY'S (5-9, 4-1 NEC) at CENTRAL CONNECTICUT (4-10, 1-4 NEC)
Friday, April 24, 2015 | 4 p.m.
Arute Field | New Britain, Conn.
VIDEO: NECFrontRow.com | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
MOUNT ST. MARY'S (5-9, 4-1 NEC) at BRYANT (11-3, 5-0 NEC)
Sunday, April 26, 2015 | 1 p.m.
Bryant Turf Complex | Smithfield, R.I.
VIDEO: NECFrontRow.com | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
MOUNT UPDATE: With a berth in the Northeast Conference Tournament already wrapped up, the Mount St. Mary's University women's lacrosse team can finish anywhere from No. 1 to No. 3 in the regular season standings depending on the outcome of the two upcoming games. The Mountaineers conclude the regular season with road tests at Central Connecticut on Friday and Bryant on Sunday.
LAST TIME OUT: Playing the final home regular season game of their careers, all four of the Mount's seniors scored goals to carry the Mountaineers to their fourth-consecutive win, beating LIU Brooklyn by an 18-6 final score at Waldron Family Stadium on April 19. Freshman Marley Heller tallied a career-high six points on five goals and one assist, while sophomore Kelly Maloney and senior Erin Seipp scored three goals apiece for the Mount.
NEC TOURNAMENT: Since joining the NEC prior to the 1998 season, the Mount has qualified for the conference tournament in 16 of 18 seasons, including this year. The four-team tournament consists of the semifinals on May 1 and the championship game on May 3. The regular season champion, which will be crowned this weekend, will host the entire tournament.
ABOUT CCSU: The Blue Devils, currently tied for sixth in the NEC with a 1-4 conference record, are coming off a 9-8 road loss at Robert Morris on April 19. Goalkeeper Morgan Tuller leads the NEC with 9.00 saves per game, while Dana Davis is tied for third in the league with 2.57 ground balls per game. CCSU has gone 1-4 at home this season with the lone win coming against former NEC foe Quinnipiac on March 25.
LAST SEASON VS. CCSU: A late rally featuring three Mount St. Mary's goals in the final 6:03 of the game in last year's matchup with Central Connecticut fell one goal short in an 8-7 loss for the Mountaineers at Waldron Family Stadium. Then-seniors Bridget McGann and Hannah Gutcher netted two goals apiece for the Mount.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Mount St. Mary's has dominated the all-time series with CCSU, carrying a 14-1 record versus the Blue Devils dating back to the first meeting in 2000.
ABOUT BRYANT: The reigning NEC Champion Bulldogs are tied with Wagner for first place in this year's regular season standings at 5-0. The high-scoring Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by a 175-124 margin on the year led by 46 goals from Lauren Descalza and 26 assists from Nicole Britton.
LAST SEASON VS. BRYANT: The Mount was handed a 14-6 loss by Bryant in last year's meeting at Waldron Family Stadium. Five different Mount players scored on the day, including Erin Seipp, who netted two in defeat.
The Mount trailed Bryant by just one at 6-5 with 2:45 remaining in the first half, but the Bulldogs answered with eight of the next nine goals to pull away. Lauren Descalzo led the Bryant attack with five goals, three of which were scored in the second half.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. BRYANT: The Mountaineers earned victories in the first two meetings with Bryant in 2010 and 2011, winning by scores of 13-3 and 9-5. Since then, the Bulldogs have won three in a row in the series. In games played in Smithfield, R.I., the Mount is 1-1.
WINS IN A ROW: The Mount is riding its first four-game winning streak since the 2011 season. If the Mount beats Central Connecticut on Friday, it will mark the longest winning streak for the program since winning six in a row in 2007.
MORE NEC AWARDS: Nicole Lantuh was named NEC Rookie of the Week for the second week in a row, it was announced on April 20. Lantuh, who also won the award on April 13, is the first Mount St. Mary's women's lacrosse player to earn multiple NEC Rookie of the Week awards since Jordan Certeza accomplished the feat in 2010. Earlier in the season on March 9, Kelly Maloney took home NEC Offensive Player of the Week accolades.
5+ POINTS: Mount St. Mary's players have posted five games with five or more points this season. Erin Seipp has three five-plus point games, while Marley Heller and Nicole Lantuh have done it once.
* Erin Seipp: 3 (5g, 3/4 vs. St. Bonaventure); (4g, 2a, 4/10 vs. Saint Francis U); (3g, 2a, 4/19 vs. LIU Brooklyn)
* Kelly Maloney: 1 (6g, 1a, 3/4 vs. St. Bonaventure)
* Marley Heller: 1 (5g, 1a, 4/19 vs. LIU Brooklyn)
* Nicole Lantuh: 1 (5g, 4/12 vs. Robert Morris)
UP NEXT: The Mountaineers head to the Northeast Conference Semifinals on Friday, May 1. The location and opponent will be determined this weekend.
-- Mount St. Mary's University Athletics --
