Women's Lacrosse 3/9/2021 10:06:00 AM

Game Preview: No. 14 Women's Lacrosse Hosts St. Thomas Aquinas in Season Opener on Wednesday

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Mar. 9, 2021) – The No. 14 Mercy College women's lacrosse team opens their 2021 season on Wednesday, March 10th when they host St. Thomas Aquinas College at 3 p.m.

Who, When and Where
Date/Time: Wednesday, March 10th 3 p.m.
Records: Mercy (0-0), St. Thomas Aquinas (0-0)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
No spectators permitted due to COVID-19

Scouting the Mavericks

Wednesday's game marks the first game for the Mavericks in 364 days due to COVID-19.
Mercy was picked to finish 1st in the ECC Preseason Poll and junior Micayla Brady was tabbed Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The Mavericks went 4-1 during the 2020 COVID-19 shortened season. Mercy went 15-5 during their last full season in 2019 and won their first ECC Championship, making the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance.
Mercy is currently ranked No. 14 in the IWLCA Coaches Poll and No. 13 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Magazine Poll.
Mercy looks to win their 9th straight season opener.
Mercy will try to win their fourth straight ECC opener.
Mercy has had five straight winning seasons and have made the ECC Tournament in each of the last four seasons the tournament was held.
The Mavericks are 6-4 all-time against the Spartans but have won the last three meetings all by double digits.
Mercy is 10-1 all-time in season openers.
The Mavericks return nine student-athletes who recorded a point during the 2020 shortened season. Junior Taylor Bishop is Mercy's top returning scorer, recording nine goals and three assists in five games. She scored the game-winning goal in Mercy's win at Bentley. Also returning is senior Briana Corace who posted seven goals and one assist a year ago. She was named to the ECC Honor Roll once in 2020 and was named Second Team All-ECC in 2019 after netting 37 goals and 15 assists.
Also returning is junior Juliana Keenan who recorded two goals, one assist, 10 ground balls, three caused turnovers and a team-high 17 draw controls. Keenan was named Third Team All-American by Inside Lacrosse a year ago. Juniors Erin Chalich and Kaitlyn Grzelaczyk return after combining for six goals and four assists in 2020.
Brady leads the defense for the Mavericks after leading the team with 15 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers in 2020. She led the ECC in caused turnovers and was named Second Team All-Region and First Team All-ECC as a freshman in 2019.
Returning in goal for the Mavericks is junior Madeline Garvalosa who went 4-0 in goal in 2020 with 39 saves and a .557 save percentage. She was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week once after making 18 saves against Southern N.H. in her first career start. Senior Emma Jacobsen also returns going 29-8 in goal during her freshman and sophomore seasons with over 200 saves.
Head Coach Dawn Sachs will also rely on a strong seven-member recruiting class to help get the Mavericks back to the NCAA Tournament.

Scouting the Spartans

St. Thomas Aquinas was picked fourth in the ECC Preseason Poll after going 5-2 last year. The Spartans started 4-0 before dropping two of their final three games.
During their last full season in 2019, the Spartans went 8-9.
St. Thomas Aquinas last made the ECC Tournament in 2018.
In the teams' last meeting on April 20, 2019, the Mavericks came away with a 21-3 win in Dobbs Ferry.
The Spartans last won their ECC opener in 2017 when they defeated Roberts Wesleyan.
The Spartans look to win their second straight season opener.
St. Thomas Aquinas last defeated Mercy in Dobbs Ferry on March 25, 2015 by a score of 15-9.
Leading the returners for the Spartans is graduate student Jennifer Farrell who had 23 goals and 13 assists in seven games last year. She was a one-time ECC Offensive Player of the Week. Also returning is sophomore Leanna Iobbi who posted 24 goals and six assists with a team-high 37 draw controls. Senior Arielle Rodriguez recorded 21 points on 18 goals and three assists in 2020 and had 20 ground balls.
Graduate student Laura Delorenzo returns in goal for the Spartans after going 5-2 with 75 saves and a .532 save percentage in seven starts.