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VU Lacrosse hosts Oregon Wednesday afternoon

VU Lacrosse hosts Oregon Wednesday afternoonVU Lacrosse hosts Oregon Wednesday afternoon

March 27, 2018

The Game: Vanderbilt Lacrosse vs. Oregon
The Time: Wednesday, March 28 at 3:00 p.m.
The Place: VU Soccer/Lacrosse Complex – Nashville, Tenn.
The Broadcast: Facebook Live broadcast at Facebook.com/VanderbiltAthletics

Vanderbilt lacrosse plays its first of three straight home games on Wednesday afternoon against Oregon.

The Commodores (6-3, 1-1 BIG EAST) host the Ducks (4-5, 2-3 PAC-12) in the Dores’ final non-conference game of the season after earning their first conference win on Sunday, a 17-8 road win over Butler.

Senior attacker Kayla Peterson notched five goals and an assist in the win, earning a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll. Peterson surpassed the career 100-point plateau in the game, and is 13 goals away from the century mark. She is also 10th in program-history with 86 draw controls.

Attacker Emily Mathewson posted a season-high seven points against the Bulldogs with four goals and three assists. The sophomore is just two goals away from her 50th career goal.

Vanderbilt’s defense has allowed 12 goals or fewer in five consecutive games, while the Commodore offense leads the BIG EAST and ranks fifth nationally with 15.67 goals per game, and is first in all of Division I with 36.11 shots per game and 27.33 shots on goal per game.

Opening draw between the Commodores and Ducks is at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the VU Soccer/Lacrosse Complex, with a live stream available at Facebook.com/VanderbiltAthletics. The first 200 fans will receive a voucher for one dollar off any concession item.

Series History
This is the first meeting in lacrosse between Vanderbilt and Oregon. Vanderbilt associate head coach Beth Hewitt was an assistant coach for the Ducks from 2005-08, during the program’s first four years of Division I play.

Swimming with the Ducks
Oregon arrives in Nashville with a 4-5 overall record and a 2-3 mark in PAC-12 Conference play. The Ducks are coming off a 15-10 loss at Towson on Monday, in a game originally scheduled for March 3. Shannon Williams and Jill Zubillaga lead Oregon with 25 goals each, while Cambi Cukar leads the Ducks and is fifth nationally with 24 assists.

Perfect Attendance
Vanderbilt has been represented on the BIG EAST Weekly Awards in all seven editions of this season’s conference honors. Detailed recaps of each honoree’s performances can be found in the notes below.

Vanderbilt’s 2018 BIG EAST Weekly Award Winners:

Peterson Hits the Century Mark

Senior attacker Kayla Peterson was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for Week 7 on Tuesday after collecting six points on five goals and an assist in Vandy’s 17-8 win over Butler on Sunday. Peterson’s second goal of the game was her 100th collegiate point, and also established a new career-high as her 31st goal of the season. Peterson’s lone assist of the game came on a pass to her twin sister, Leah, for her first goal of the season and first score since both twins were freshmen in 2015.

Milestones All Around
Vanderbilt senior attacker Kayla Peterson scored her 100th career point in Sunday’s win over Butler. The senior from Hagerstown, Md. has scored 87 goals along with 17 assists in her Commodore career for a total of 104 points, and is 13 goals away from joining the 100-goal club. Peterson is now 10th in program history with 86 draw controls, and is two draw controls away from holding sole possession of 8th place. Sophomore attacker Emily Mathewson is two goals away from reaching the 50-goal plateau, and junior midfielder Melanie Becker scored her 50th career point at Butler on Sunday.

Leading the Nation
Vanderbilt’s offense is first nationally with 36.11 shots per game and 27.33 shots on goal per game, and sits fifth in Division I with 15.67 goals per game. The Dores are also third nationally with 24.33 ground balls per game.

Beasts of the BIG EAST
Vanderbilt leads the BIG EAST Conference in five major team categories (NCAA rankings in parentheses):

  • Scoring Offense: 15.67 Goals per Game (fifth nationally)
  • Shots per Game: 36.11 (first nationally)
  • Shots on Goal per Game: 27.33 (first nationally)
  • Scoring Margin: +4.89 Goals per Game (ninth nationally)
  • Fewest Turnovers per Game: 14.33 (19th nationally)

Hawk on Lock
Vanderbilt defender Melissa Hawkins was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for Week 6 on March 20 for her efforts in the 11-10 loss to No. 6 Florida on March 18. Hawkins, who started VU’s first seven games as a defensive midfielder, lined up as a defender for the first time as a collegiate player, and held All-BIG EAST Midfielder and Tewaaraton Award finalist Sydney Pirreca to one goal and no assists in the game. With the award, Hawkins and freshman attacker Gabrielle Fornia become the first Commodore duo to win conference freshman of the week honors in the same season since 2011, when Alyssa Dunlap and Brandi Byner each received an American Lacrosse Conference Freshman of the Week nod.

Philly, Philly!
Sophomore attacker Emily Mathewson was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for Week 5 on March 13 after scoring eight goals in two games last week in her hometown of Philadelphia. The Garnet Valley High School product posted a pair of four-goal games against La Salle and St. Joseph’s, including the game-winning goal in overtime vs. the Explorers on March 8. In three collegiate games in Philadelphia, Mathewson has now scored 13 goals and 16 points, dating back to her five-goal, three-assist performance in a 14-12 win over Villanova on March 18, 2017, which earned her BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors.

Chilly Comeback
Despite leading for just five out of 65 minutes in the game, Vanderbilt topped La Salle 11-10 in overtime, on March 8 in Philadelphia. The Dores held the Explorers scoreless for the final 17 minutes and 38 seconds of play after Rachel Ceplo’s goal put La Salle ahead 10-8 with 13:11 left in regulation. VU scored the last three goals to earn the walk-off win in overtime.

Bucking the Trend
Vanderbilt’s 11-10 overtime win at La Salle on March 8 ended a six-game losing streak in one-goal games, dating back to the 2016 season. Vanderbilt’s last one-goal win was against Elon on February 28, 2016, and the 2017 Commodores were 0-3 in one-goal games. The win was also VU’s first overtime game since April 8, 2015, and the Dores’ first overtime win since March 29, 2014, a 12-11 win over Johns Hopkins.

Rewriting the Record Book
Senior attacker Kayla Peterson tied the Vanderbilt record for goals in a game on February 27, when she scored eight times in a 17-15 loss to Louisville, and was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Tuesday. Peterson matched Sue Napolitano’s record, set on March 25, 1996, against Virginia Tech in Vanderbilt’s first year of Division I lacrosse. Peterson was born 182 days later, on September 23, 1996. Peterson’s performance is the first eight-goal game in Cathy Swezey’s 21 years as Vanderbilt’s head coach, dating back to the 1998 season.

Blaze Earns Another BIG EAST Honor
Junior midfielder Julie Blaze was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for Week 3 of the 2018 season on February 27 after her five-point game against Furman on February 24. The award marks Blaze’s second career appearance on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll and her third conference honor of the season. Blaze was named BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week for Week 1 on February 13 and was Vanderbilt’s lone representative on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, as named by the league’s coaches in January. Vanderbilt has had a player named on all three editions of the BIG EAST Weekly Awards this season.

Back on the Ballot
Vanderbilt was one of eight teams receiving votes in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll that debuted on Monday, February 26 (Week 3). This was Vanderbilt’s first inclusion in the poll since April 2012, when the Commodores were ranked 19th in the final week of the regular season.

Fornia Earns BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Honor
Vanderbilt freshman attacker Gabrielle Fornia became the team’s second player in as many weeks to be honored by the BIG EAST on February 20. Fornia was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for Week 2 of the season after her two-goal, two-assist performance in the Dores’ 22-12 win over Fresno State on February 19. Fornia’s two goals were her first as a collegiate player.

Mathewson’s Career Day
Sophomore attacker Emily Mathewson led the Commodore charge in Vandy’s 22-12 win at Fresno State on February 19, scoring a career-high six goals in the win and surpassing her previous mark of five, set against Villanova on March 17, 2017. The sophomore led the way in a very on-target game for Vanderbilt’s shooters, as 37 of the team’s 39 shots were on goal.

Blaze Named BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week
On February 13, junior midfielder Julie Blaze was named the BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week for her Week 1 performance. Blaze scored six points (four goals, two assists) in Vanderbilt’s 18-14 win over Kennesaw State on February 18. She filled up the stat sheet by claiming four draw controls and three ground balls in the tight road win. This was Blaze’s first career Midfielder of the Week award, adding to her honors of 2018 Preseason All-BIG EAST, 2017 first-team All-BIG EAST and one BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll in Week 1 of the 2017 season.

Preseason Pick
The Big East coaches picked Vanderbilt to finish sixth in the conference’s preseason poll, tied with Marquette for the sixth spot in the 10-team league. Midfielder Julie Blaze was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team.
BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches’ Poll:
1. Florida (9 first place votes)
2. Denver (1)
3. Georgetown
4. Temple
5. Connecticut
t-6. Vanderbilt
t-6. Marquette
8. Villanova
9. Cincinnati
10. Butler

Vanderbilt Lacrosse Joining American Athletic Conference in 2019
The Vanderbilt lacrosse program announced in October that it will join the American Athletic Conference as an affiliate member for the league’s inaugural season of women’s lacrosse in 2019. Current BIG EAST members Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida and Temple will make the move with Vanderbilt, joining East Carolina–currently a D-1 independent–to comprise the six-team league.
Vanderbilt Lacrosse historic conference affiliation:
2019-: American Athletic Conference
2015-2018 (4 seasons): Big East Conference
2002-2014 (13 seasons): American Lacrosse Conference (founding member)
1996-2001 (6 seasons): No conference affiliation

Coach Cathy Swezey
Head coach Cathy Swezey is in her 21st season leading the Commodores. Swezey was hired as Vanderbilt’s second-ever head women’s lacrosse coach before the 1998 season. Her overall record as Vanderbilt’s head coach is 161-174, including six NCAA Tournament appearances and a Final Four berth in 2004. Swezey was named the InsideLacrosse.com National Coach of the Year in 2002.

Set the Field A-Blaze
Junior Julie Blaze led Vanderbilt with 33 goals as a sophomore in 2017, becoming the first sophomore to lead the Commodores in goals since April Tellam, who scored 42 goals in 1999. Blaze also finished the year second on the team in points (38), fourth in caused turnovers (12) and draw controls (22) and fifth in ground balls (18), earning first-team All-BIG EAST honors.

Back in Black (And Gold)
The 2018 Commodores return 65% of the team’s goal scoring from last season, with just 62 out of 177 goals graduating from the program.
2017 Vanderbilt Goal Leaders (BOLD = Returning)
1. Julie Blaze, 33 goals
2. Jill Doherty, 31 goals
3. Kayla Peterson, 30 goals
4. Emily Mathewson, 17 goals
T-5. Caroline Peters, 16 goals
T-5. Melanie Becker, 16 goals
6. MacKenzie Lange, 13 goals

The 90-Second Effect
In the first season of play using the NCAA-mandated 90-second possession clock, Vanderbilt attempted 30.5 shots per game while holding opponents to just 27.4 shots per game. That total gave the Commodores their highest shots per game total since the 2010 season and marked the first time Vanderbilt outshot its opponents since 2013.