| Date |
Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019 (3 p.m.) NEW TIME! |
| Matchup |
#16 Merrimack (0-0, 0-0 NE10)
#12 Mercy (0-0, 0-0 ECC) |
| Venue |
Duane Stadium // North Andover, Mass. |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Video |
| Social Media |
@MerrimackWLAX // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – On the heels of arguably the greatest season in school history in 2018 that featured a new school record for total victories, a trip to the conference tournament semifinals and a plethora of individual accolades, the No. 16 Merrimack College women's lacrosse program turns the page to what promises to be an exciting 2019 campaign when the Warriors play host to No. 12 Mercy College in both sides' season opener on Tuesday night at Duane Stadium. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
Five Things To Know:
- Merrimack finished 2018 with a school-record 14 victories, most of them coming in emphatic fashion with five of them recorded against ranked foes. Their 10-win improvement from the prior season was among the best improvements in the country. Their five losses, meanwhile, were all against nationally ranked opponents, including the eventual league and national champions.
- Merrimack finished with 10 victories in league play for the first time ever, earning a fourth-place finish in the league standings to qualify for the NE10 Championship for the first time since the 2012 season. The Warriors would ultimately reach the semifinal round of the league tournament for the first time since 2011, and were nationally ranked for nearly the entirety of the year to put a bow on an incredible campaign. Merrimack was also dominant at home last year, finishing with seven wins in eight tries with the lone loss coming against defending national champion Adelphi.
- One of the lead factors in Merrimack's breakthrough season a year ago was the potency of its offense, which ranked not only among the NE10's elite, but was one of the best attacks nationwide. Leading the charge is the return of senior captain Amber Feminella, who finished 2018 with a record-breaking season for the ages. She concluded the year with a program single-season record of 91 points, snapping a record that stood for 17 years. She also broke the single-season goals record and finished the year with 74 markers. Those numbers were good enough to earn IWLCA All-Region First Team honors, the program's first such selection in six years. She was also an all-conference first team selection, the first for the team since 2010.
- While Merrimack's offense was busy enjoying one of its best years in recent memory, it was easy to forget just how solid the Warriors were in the defensive third of the turf. When the year ended, Merrimack finished with eight games in which it allowed a single-digit goal total. The end result was a scoring defense that ranked fourth in the conference, allowing just under 11 goals per game. The Warriors finished the year with 185 caused turnovers as a team, ranking fifth in the conference.
- Mercy enters the season ranked No. 14 nationally in the Nike/US Lacrosse Top 20 Poll. The Mavericks finished last spring with a 14-4 record en route to a third straight appearance in the ECC Tournament. Mercy finished last season with six ECC All-Conference selections led by seniors Hunter Isnardi and Talia Stagnitta who were named Midfielder of the Year and Defender of the Year.
Inside the Matchup:
| #16 Merrimack (0-0, 0-0 NE10) |
Category |
#12 Mercy (0-0, 0-0 ECC) |
| -- |
Recent Games |
-- |
| 15.64 |
Scoring Offense |
16.94 |
| 10.85 |
Scoring Defense |
9.72 |
| 297-621 (.478) |
Goals-Shot Attempts (Pct.) |
305-614 (.497) |
| 61-137 (.445) |
Free Positions Made-Att. |
53-104 (.510) |
| 19.05 |
Ground Balls |
18.83 |
| 13.42 |
Draw Controls |
19.11 |
| 16.1 |
Turnovers |
17.77 |
| 9.74 |
Caused Turnovers |
9.55 |
| .826 |
Clearing (Pct.) |
.832 |
Up Next
Merrimack will take no another nationally ranked foe from the East Coast Conference (ECC) in its next outing, as the Warriors travel to Long Island to take on the No. 7 LIU Post Pioneers, an NCAA Tournament qualifier from a year ago, on Saturday (Feb. 23) at 11 a.m.
