#21 Women’s Lacrosse Returns Home for Busy Week against Southern New Hampshire Tuesday

Date	Tuesday, March 20, 2018 (4 p.m.)
Matchup	#21 Merrimack (3-3, 1-2 NE10) Southern New Hampshire (1-5, 0-2 NE10)
Venue	Merrimack Stadium // North Andover, Mass.
Multimedia	Live Stats // Video
Social Media	@MerrimackWLAX // Instagram

 
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – After back-to-back battles with two of the nation's top teams, the No. 21 Merrimack College women's lacrosse team will look to get back in the win column when it returns home to face Southern New Hampshire in a Tuesday (March 20) afternoon Northeast-10 Conference matchup. Game time from Merrimack Stadium is set for 4 p.m.

Inside the Series:

• Merrimack owns an 8-6 record against SNHU, but the Penmen have won each of the last three meetings.
• Merrimack's last win came at home on March 25, 2014, in an 11-8 victory.
• Last year, the Penmen came away with a back-and-forth 17-14 win in Manchester.

Last Time Out:

• Merrimack put together another admirable effort on the road against one of the country's top teams in what eventually was a 16-10 setback at No. 14 Pace on Saturday afternoon at Pace Stadium.
• Saturday's seesaw affair saw both teams exchange goals early and often. Junior Amber Feminella answered each of Pace's first two goals of the game to keep the score level a 2-2 past the five-mintue mark, and freshman Haley Bartlett netted her first after the Setters went up by two for the first time.
• Bartlett would score two more in succession to post her fourth hat trick of the season at the 15:08 mark of the half, getting the Warriors to within a goal, but Pace would have the last three scores of the half to take a four-goal edge (9-5) into halftime.
• Sophomore Olivia Colletti, Bartlett and Feminella all found the back of the net in the first seven minutes of the second half, which helped bring the Warriors to within two goals (10-8).
• After both sides traded goals again to keep the deficit at two with just under 19 minutes to play, Pace closed out the game by scoring five of the final six goals.

Poll Watch:

• Merrimack's schedule features seven opponents that are ranked in the most recent Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) national rankings.
• The Warriors already faced Adelphi (ranked second when they played), Mercy (ranked 12^th), Pace (14^th) and Stonehill (20), and upcoming ranked opponents include Le Moyne (4), New Haven (8) and Assumption (25).

'Mack Facts:

• Merrimack's 3-3 start is its best six-game record since the 2011 season; that year, the Warriors finished 12-7 overall.
• The NE10's third-ranked offense enters Tuesday averaging 15.50 goals per game, as the Warriors have posted double-digit goal totals in each of their first four games, doing so for the first time since the 2011 season when they did so in their first eight games of the year.
• Junior Amber Feminella leads Merrimack – and the NE10 – with 25 goals and ranks second overall with 30 points on the season.
• She is one of five Warriors with double-digit scoring figures, closely followed by freshman sensation Haley Bartlett, who has 22 points (19g, 3a).
• Eleven different Warriors have found the back of the net at least once this season with all of them having at least one goal.
• Sophomore Olivia Colletti leads the team with 21 draw controls, while freshman Kelsey Daly has caused a team-most seven turnovers.
• Sophomore Tammy Nguyen has started every game in net for Merrimack and owns a .437 save percentage and a 11.83 goals against average.

Scouting SNHU:

• SNHU enters Tuesday at 1-5 overall with an 0-2 mark in league play. The Penmen's only win has come at home, as they are winless in four road games. They have lost their last three games overall.
• SNHU ranks 14^th in the NE10 averaging 9.83 goals per game while defensively yielding 15.50 (12^th/NE10).
• Alexa Bedell paces the Penmen offense with 19 points on eight goals and 11 helpers. Alexis Felt is close behind with 14 goals (17 points), while Kristin Wilder has 14 points (11g, 3a).
• Bedell's 24 draw controls are most on the squad, as well.
• Leah Olansky has started all six games and owns a 16.33 goals against average and a .436 save percentage.

Inside the Matchup:

Merrimack (3-3, 1-2 NE10)	Category	SNHU (1-5, 0-0 NE10)
3/10 vs. #2 Adelphi (L, 16-10) 3/17 at #14 Pace (L, 16-10)	Recent Games	3/15 at Stonehill (L, 16-14) 3/17 at #2 Adelphi (L, 17-4)
15.50	Scoring Offense	9.83
11.83	Scoring Defense	15.50
93-191 (.487)	Goals-Shot Attempts (Pct.)	59-142 (.415)
23-50 (46.0)	Free Positions Made-Att.	14-31 (.452)
20.17	Ground Balls	16.33
13.00	Draw Controls	11.33
15.83	Turnovers	18.00
8.50	Caused Turnovers	4.33
83-102 (.814)	Clears	84-112 (.750)

 
Up Next
Merrimack will stay home to take on eighth-ranked New Haven on Saturday, with game time at Merrimack Stadium set for 1 p.m.