April 6, 2018
The Game: Vanderbilt Lacrosse at Marquette
The Time: Sunday, April 8 at noon CT
The Place: Valley Dome, Milwaukee, Wisc.
The Broadcast: Free online broadcast available on Marquette’s website
Vanderbilt lacrosse is tied for third place in the BIG EAST Conference after four league games, and the Commodores have a chance to move up even further in the standings on Sunday.
The Commodores (8-4, 3-1 BIG EAST) head north to battle Marquette (8-4, 4-0 BIG EAST), one of the conference’s two remaining undefeated teams.
The Dores have won their last three BIG EAST games, earning wins over Butler, Villanova and Cincinnati. In Wednesday’s 17-6 home win over the Bearcats, the Commodore defense matched its lowest goals against total for the season while causing a season-high 20 turnovers.
Sunday’s game features the top two goal scorers in the BIG EAST. Marquette’s Grace Gabriel leads the league with 4.08 goals per game and Vanderbilt senior attacker Kayla Peterson is second with 3.75 goals per game after scoring five goals vs. Cincinnati.
Peterson is two goals away from becoming the 13th player in program-history to score 100 career goals. The Hagerstown, Md. native is already Vanderbilt’s first 40-goal scorer in a single season since Carly Linthicum in 2013, and is five goals away from becoming the fourth 50-goal scorer in team history, and the first since Sarah Downing scored a program-record 55 goals in 2009. Peterson scored her 100th collegiate point at Butler on March 25.
Sophomore midfielder Gwyn Devin has exploded as a major scoring threat for VU over the past two games. The Westfield, N.J. product notched four goals and two assists in Vandy’s 15-11 win over Villanova on Saturday and added three more goals and an assist against Cincinnati. Devin’s 10 points in the past two games exceeds her scoring output over her first 24 collegiate games combined, when she scored nine points on eight goals and an assist.
The Dores have already matched last season’s BIG EAST win total from their 3-6 season, and a fourth conference win would be the program’s most since 2015, when the Dores finished 4-3 in their inaugural year in the BIG EAST.
Opening draw between the Commodores and Golden Eagles is at noon CT Sunday afternoon from Milwaukee. Follow @VanderbiltLax on Twitter for live updates.
Series History
Marquette leads the all-time series, 2-1, with the teams meeting in each of the past three seasons as BIG EAST foes. Vanderbilt won the first-ever meeting in 2015 in Nashville before Marquette claimed the next two, including the only meeting in Milwaukee in 2016. The Golden Eagles won last season’s meeting, 14-12, in the regular season finale in Nashville.
On your Marq’
Marquette is tied with Florida atop the BIG EAST standings, as the only two remaining undefeated teams in league play. The Golden Eagles and Vanderbilt share common victories over Cincinnati, Villanova and Butler in conference action and both hold a win over Kennesaw State and a loss to Louisville in non-conference play. Marquette is a perfect 6-0 in home games this season.
Top Cheese
Sunday’s game features the top two goal scorers in the BIG EAST. Marquette’s Grace Gabriel leads the league with 4.08 goals per game and Vanderbilt senior attacker Kayla Peterson is second with 3.75 goals per game after scoring five goals vs. Cincinnati.
Approaching the Century Mark
Senior attacker Kayla Peterson is two goals away from becoming the 13th player in program-history to score 100 career goals. Peterson is already Vanderbilt’s first 40-goal scorer in a single season since Carly Linthicum in 2013, and is five goals away from becoming the fourth 50-goal scorer in team history and the first since Sarah Downing scored a program-record 55 goals in 2009. Peterson scored her 100th collegiate point at Butler on March 25.
Vanderbilt’s all-time leading goal scorers (began Division 1 play in 1996):
- Sue Napolitano 167
- Margie Curran 163
- Sarah Downing 146
- Kristin Ehst 136
- Kate Hickman 133
- Ally Carey 132
- Katherine Denkler 128
- Carter Foote 118
- Jess Roguski 117
- April Tellam 110
- Mallory Schonk 110
- Cara Giordano 101
- Kayla Peterson 98
- Kelly Chandler 93
A True Career Week
Vanderbilt sophomore midfielder Gwyn Devin has scored more points in the past two games than in her first 24 collegiate games combined. The sophomore from Westfield, N.J. has scored 10 points in the past two games after scoring just nine points in her first 24 collegiate games. Before posting four goals and two assists vs. Villanova last Saturday and three goals and an assist vs. Cincinnati Wednesday, Devin had never scored more than one point in a collegiate game.
Defense Leads the Way
Vanderbilt tied a season-low for goals against in the Dores’ 17-6 win over Cincinnati on Wednesday. The six-goal output was the Bearcats’ lowest of the season, and just their third time being held under 10 goals through 11 games. Vanderbilt caused a season-high 20 turnovers in the game, moving into fourth place in Division I with 12.25 caused turnovers per game. The Commodores also won the ground ball battle between the top teams in the country in ground balls per game, 30-25.
Shooters Shoot
Vanderbilt’s offense is seventh nationally with 35.0 shots per game and fifth nationally with 26.42 shots on goal per game. The Dores are within two shots per game of the national leader in both categories. Maryland leads the nation with 36.75 shots per game and UMass leads Division I with 26.42 shots on goal per game. Vanderbilt is also 13th nationally and second in the BIG EAST with 15.42 goals per game.
Beasts of the BIG EAST
Vanderbilt leads the BIG EAST Conference in five major team categories (NCAA rankings in parentheses):
- Shots per Game: 35.0 (seventh nationally)
- Shots on Goal per Game: 26.42 (fifth nationally)
- Scoring Margin: +4.50 Goals per Game (16th nationally)
- Caused Turnovers per Game: 12.25(fourth nationally)
- Fewest Turnovers per Game: 14.58 (23rd nationally)
Perfect Attendance
Vanderbilt has been represented on all eight editions of the BIG EAST Weekly Awards this season. Detailed recaps of each honorees’ accomplishments can be found in the notes below.
Vanderbilt’s 2018 BIG EAST Weekly Award Winners:
- Week 8: Emily Mathewson, BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
- Week 7: Kayla Peterson, BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
- Week 6: Melissa Hawkins, BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
- Week 5: Emily Mathewson, BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
- Week 4: Kayla Peterson, BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
- Week 3: Julie Blaze, BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
- Week 2: Gabrielle Fornia, BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
- Week 1: Julie Blaze, BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week
Mathewson Back on BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Sophomore attacker Emily Mathewson made the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the second time this season for Week 8 on Tuesday. Mathewson scored 11 points in Vanderbilt’s two-game week, posting two goals and a career-high four assists in a 17-12 loss to Oregon on March 28 before scoring four goals and an assist in the Dores’ 15-11 win over Villanova on March 31. Mathewson also earned eight draw controls, four ground balls and two caused turnovers on the week, and leads the Commodores in both assists and points while setting new career-highs in goals, assists and points.
Individual Milestones
Vanderbilt senior attacker Kayla Peterson scored her 100th career point in the win over Butler on March 25. The senior from Hagerstown, Md. has scored 98 goals along with 17 assists in her career for a total of 115 points, and is two goals away from joining the 100-goal club. Peterson is now eighth in program history with 93 draw controls, and is 12 draws away from tying former teammate Kelly Chandler for seventh place. Sophomore attacker Emily Mathewson scored her 50th career goal vs. Oregon on March 28, and junior midfielder Melanie Becker scored her 50th career point at Butler on March 25.
