Posted: Mar 26, 2015

Women's Lacrosse Preview: Fitchburg State & Wheelock

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The Elms College women's lacrosse team will look to continue their winning ways with a pair of road contests to close out the week of action. The Blazers will travel to Fitchburg State Thursday evening for a 7:00 p.m. game, followed by a road trip to Wheelock Saturday at 3:00 p.m. to open their New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) schedule.

The Blazers sit at 2-3 on the season after rattling off back-to-back wins over Sage College (12-7) and Albertus Magnus (9-3). Through five games, Elms is generating 6.80 goals per game on 22 shots. Junior attacker Jillian Pirog (Ludlow, Mass.) is the Blazers leading point scorer with 10 points on a team-high nine goals with one assist. Senior attacker Kayla Narey (South Hadley, Mass.) is tied with Pirog at nine goals on the season with a team-high 14 ground balls and a league-high 11 caused turnovers. Pirog and Narey rank fifth in the NECC in goals. Senior attacker Nora McDonough (South Hadley, Mass.) has dished out a team-high five assists with three goals, while junior attacker Ashley Cava (Wilbraham, Mass.) has chipped in five goals with an assist. Freshman midfielder Victoria-Lynn Smith (Somers, Conn.) has grabbed 11 ground balls with two goals, and freshman midfielder Jackie Soucia (Belchertown, Mass.) has recorded a team-high 11 draw controls. Sophomore goalkeeper Meeghan O'Connor (Fall River, Mass.) owns a 12.40 goals against average, third-best in the conference, and a 46.6 save percentage with a NECC-high 54 saves on the season.

Fitchburg State is 3-1 overall and is currently riding a three-game win streak after posting victories over Colby-Sawyer (10-9), Rivier (12-6), and Becker (18-6). Through four games, the Falcons are averaging 12.25 goals on 27.8 shots per game. Three players have amassed double-digit point totals led by sophomore midfielder Corinne DeSimone (Dennis, Mass.) with a team-high 15 points on a tied team-high 12 goals with three assists. Sophomore attacker Ali Laferriere (Tyngsboro, Mass.) has 13 points with nine goals, a team-high four assists and a team-high 26 draw controls, while sophomore midfielder Andrea Comeau (Watertown, Mass.) has 12 goals on 25 shots. Freshman midfielder Jamie Lutz (Foxborough, Mass.) has a team-high 13 ground balls with four goals, while freshman midfielder Carrie Long (Foxborough, Mass.) has 13 draw controls, 10 ground balls, a team-high eight caused turnovers, and five goals. Junior goalie Elizabeth Darrigo (Billerica, Mass.) holds a 9.00 goals against average and a 49.2 save percentage with 30 saves.

The Wheelock Wildcats are winless at 0-3 to start the season, suffering losses to Wentworth (14-13), Salem State (14-6), and Mass Maritime (11-4). Through three games, the Wildcats are producing 7.67 goals per game on 20.7 shots. Freshman midfielder Molly Koon (Londonberry, N.H.) leads the Wheelock attack with a team-high 10 points on a team-high nine goals, tied for fifth-most in the NECC. Senior attacker Emma Marrs (Old Lyme, Conn.) has collected a team-high 13 ground balls with five goals and a team-high four assists, and senior midfielder Molly Centore (Kennebunk, Maine) has added seven goals with a team-high 15 draw controls, ranking fourth in the conference. Sophomore goalie Meghan Lewis (South Berwick, Maine) has a 13.37 goals against average and a 52.6 save percentage with 41 saves.

All-time, the Blazers are winless against Fitchburg State in seven career meetings dating back to 2008. Against Wheelock, Elms is 1-3 in four career meetings since 2011 with Wheelock riding a three-game win streak over the Blazers.

ELMS LACROSSE