March 17, 2017
Nova Nation All Access (Paid Subscription)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt lacrosse team hits the road this weekend to begin BIG EAST Conference play. They travel east to Philadelphia, Pa. to take on Villanova this Saturday at 11 am CT.
The Commodores are 3-2 on the season heading into conference play. Head coach Cathy Swezey discussed that you can always get better as the season goes on when asked about where the team is heading into conference play.
“We have to keep getting better,” said Swezey. “As a coach, if you feel that you are already good at this point in the season, then that is not a good place to be. I want to be climbing and continuing to get better. As coaches, we want there to be things to work on so we can prepare them for not only Big East play but the Big East Tournament as well.”
Last time out, the ‘Dores had to take on not only the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, but they had to battle the elements as well. The temperature was in the low 40s and most of the game was played in a driving rainstorm but that did not deter the ‘Dores from toughing out an 11-7 win.
Defense was a strong point for the ‘Dores that afternoon as they held Coastal scoreless for two stretches of over 15 minutes of game time. The first half was a back-and-forth affair as the teams tried to get used to the conditions. Going into the half, the ‘Dores held a 6-4 margin.
In the second half, the ‘Dores held the Chanticleers without a goal until the 17:25 minute of the half. After they finally found the back of the net, the ‘Dores would put the game out of reach with four-straight goals to extend their lead to the largest of the game.
Villanova enters conference play with a 1-5 record and coming off a tough 8-7 loss to Drexel this past Saturday. The Wildcats were schedule to play Lafayette on Wednesday but the game was postponed due to Winter Storm Stella.
Freshman Katie Comerford leads the Wildcats in goals with 14 and is tied with three other players with a team-high five assists. On defense, Sam Scarfogliero leads Villanova in draw ground balls with 22 and caused turnovers with 16. In the cage, Julia Michaels has started all six games for the Wildcats but Olivia Gonsalves and Khaia Baranowski have seen significant minutes this season.
Saturday’s game will begin at 11 am CT and will be broadcast live on Nova Nation All Access (Paid Subscription). Fans can follow the action by clicking the here and selecting the game from the menu below. Fans can also follow along via the Game Tracker link . Stay up to date with all things Vanderbilt Lacrosse by following @VanderbiltLax on Twitter and Vanderbilt Women’s Lacrosse on Facebook.