Feb. 10, 2012
NASHVILLE — The 19th-ranked Vanderbilt women’s lacrosse team opens the 2012 regular season on Sunday, Feb. 12, when fifth-ranked Duke visits the VU Lacrosse Complex for a 1 p.m. CT start.
Admission to the game is free. For fans that are unable to attend the game, a live web cast will be provided on vucommodores.com along with stats.
Below are notes on this weekend’s matchup.
SENIOR SAVVY
Vanderbilt boasts an impressive senior class that will be expected to lead a squad that missed the NCAA Tournamnet last year for the first time in five seasons. A strong one-two punch in the midfield, All-American Ally Carey and fellow captain Kendall Pittinger headline the group. Taylor Lange and tri-captain Catherine Carr help anchor a line defense that will play in front of another fourth-year standout in goalkeeper Natalie Wills.
RIVALRY WEEK
ESPN has been celebrating “Rivalry Week” with a week of top college basketball matchups, and Vanderbilt and Duke renew their rivalry on the heels of College Gameday coming to Memorial Gymnasium. The women’s lacrosse rivalry between the Commodores and Blue Devils dates back to 1996, the first season of varsity status for the Vanderbilt lacrosse team. The schools have met every season since then and–including a pair of NCAA Tournament games in 2002 and 2010–Sunday’s meeting marks the 19th matchup between the two schools.
This year’s game returns to Nashville after two narrow victories in Durham for the Blue Devils. Last season, a VU rally fell just short as Duke held on for a 14-12 win. In the 2010 NCAA First Round, the Commodores led 15-13 with seven minutes to play before Duke was able to squeeze out three goals, including a game-winner with one second remaining.
FUELED BY FRANKLIN
VU Head Football Coach James Franklin was a surprise guest at a lacrosse team meeting on Friday afternoon. The gridiron mentor, who led the Commodore football team to an AutoZone Liberty Bowl berth in his first season, gave a 20-minute presentation to the lacrosse team before Friday’s practice.
THIRD SEASON OPENER
While Sunday marks the first game of the season for the Commodores, Duke is already 2-0 in the young season. The Blue Devils have spoiled season-openers for Bucknell and William & Mary already this month. Following Sunday’s matchup, Duke will be the season-opening opponent for another foe when it travels to Richmond, Va., to face the Spiders on Feb. 17.
Vanderbilt, on the other hand, will not play its second game of the season until Feb. 26–facing another Atlantic Coast Conference foe when traveling to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face UNC. The Commodores next home game is Wednesday, March 7 against Boston College.