Women's Lacrosse Set To Take On No. 11 York In NCAA Opening Round On Saturday - GAME NOTES - St. John Fisher University Athletics (2024)

Women's Lacrosse | 5/13/2022 12:00:00 PM

PITTSFORD, N.Y. –For the 10th straight season, the St. John Fisher College women's lacrosse team is heading to the NCAA Tournament following an Empire 8 Championship victory. After a second-half comeback to defeat Nazareth College in the conference championship, 12-7, the Cardinals secured their spot in the big dance. Fisher will make its way down to York, Pa. for an opening-round matchup against No. 11 York College at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The winner of Saturday's meeting will advance to take on nationally-ranked Wesleyan University at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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FAMILIAR TERRITORY:Head coachLinda Michele, who has been to the NCAA Tournament every year since her hiring in 2012, is one of the most experienced coaches in the field of play. Michele, who along with assistant coachesMadison CorcoranandMark Micheleearned the Empire 8's Coaching Staff of the Year, is coming off the most successful season in program history a year ago as the Cardinals made it all the way to the Final Four before being outlasted against runner-up Tufts University. This will be the fourth time the Cardinals will be traveling to York to take on the Spartans in the NCAA tournament, the last of which came in 2019 when the Spartans eliminated the Cardinals, 14-11.

UNSTEADY ROAD:Fisher, who was ranked third in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association preseason national poll, had hopes of dominating the competition back in January, but that did not play out. The Cardinals opened their season with back-to-back losses against Stevenson and No. 1 Salisbury, before falling to three of the next four opponents to sit at 1-5 before entering conference play.

"We had a very tough schedule against plenty of talented teams. We learned from those losses and made adjustments heading into conference play," Michele stated about her team's mentality heading into Empire 8 competition.

The Cardinals turned things around and won seven of the next nine games including a flawless 6-0 in the Empire 8 conference. The Cardinals continued their momentum into the Empire 8 tournament where they would ultimately hoist the championship trophy and celebrate a 10th-straight year. The road has not been easy this year, but this is not the same team as it was in March, and the Cardinals are ready to prove that on Saturday.

FRESHMAN PHENOMS:The young and talented Cardinals roster is headlined by freshmanSydney Carpenterwho was named the Empire 8's Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Tournament MVP. Over 18 games, Carpenter has been unbelievable in her first season in Cardinal and Gold as the Hilton native led the Empire 8 in assists per game (1.65), ranked second in draw controls (118), and third in points per game after producing a team-high 63 points in all. She was a key factor in the team's conference tournament outcome as she scored 10 total points to be named the Championship's Most Valuable Player. Pairing with Carpenter is fellow midfieldersFarrah Zallah andElla Stewartwho added depth on both sides of the field in their first seasons. Zallah was a scoring machine on the field as she put the ball in the back of the net a total of 26 times including six free-position goals. Stewart, who is a highly gifted defender, forced 12 turnovers on the season to go along with 19 ground balls. Another skilled newcomer isMary Fiorentinowho ranked third on the team in points with 37 including 29 goals and eight assists. Fiorentino and her fellow rookies will be heavily relied upon in the upcoming tournament.

NEXT WOMAN UP:Coming into this season behind two All-Americans inSydney DeGirolamoandBrittany Halpin, Fisher's offense was regarded as one of the best in the country. However, due to injuries that sidelined the duo for the rest of the season, Michele put her trust in the hands of several players to step up and do the job. SeniorAlexandra Strollo, who was named First-Team by the Empire 8, was fantastic in her first season of seeing solid playing time.

"She really surprised me, we put her on the draw circle and she has made a tremendous impact on our team, and is one of the best defenders in the conference," Michele stated on the impact of Strollo this season.

After making her first collegiate start in the season-opener, Strollo headlined a defensive unit that allowed the fewest goals in the conference. The Big Flats native led all Cardinals in ground balls (36) and caused turnovers (29) and was second on the team in draws (71). Another athlete that caught Michele's attention this season was last season's Rookie of the Year,Shannon Foster. Following a tremendous first year in the program, the Syracuse native earned second-team honors after a season that saw her force 23 turnovers and gather 30 ground balls. Foster became one of the team's most important players during her sophom*ore season as her leadership and skill on the field were a key reason for the Cardinals' success.

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE:The Cardinals undoubtedly had the best defense in the Empire 8, forcing a conference-best 189 caused turnovers, 284 draw controls, and an incredible 7.94 goals-against average, while allowing just 21 goals to conference opponents this year. The defensive duo of Foster and Strollo headline a strong defensive team. Another pair of lockdown defenders are seniorsEliza RuneareandHannah King, who have been frustrating opposing offenses all spring en route to Empire 8 All-Conference Third-Team nods. Both have set new single-season career highs in ground balls and caused turnovers while starting all 18 games. Runeare is fourth on the team in ground balls (32) and caused turnovers (14). King's 16-caused turnovers are third among her teammates. In her first year as Fisher's starting goalie, sophom*oreLilly Goodsellearned a spot on the E8 All-Conference Third Team. Goodsell sits atop the Empire 8 and is 20th in the nation in goals-against average (7.94). She's made 112 saves, including four games with double-digit stops, and held three different conference opponents to just one goal.

SCOUTING YORK:The Spartans have the Cardinal's number when it comes to the NCAA Tournament as York owns a flawless 3-0 record over Fisher during Michele's tenure as the head coach. The No. 11 Spartans are led by the MAC Commonwealth Coach of the Year, Jen Muston, who led the program to a 14-5 season with an 8-0 conference record. Kierste Blanchard, who is one of the most dangerous players in the country, leads the charge for the Spartans after being named Player of the Year in her conference. Blanchard scored a team-high 64 points including 49 goals on the season. Her ability to create free position opportunities is like no other, as the junior scored an incredible 17 free position goals. Chloe MacDonald and Emmy Bryden are also players to watch as they each earned first-team nods after impressive seasons. MacDonald scored 48 points on the season with 19 ground balls and 86 draw controls while Bryden led the defense with 20 caused turnovers and 36 ground balls. York is a very balanced team so expect a competitive game between two decorated programs.

SCOUTING WESLEYAN:The winner of the York and Fisher game will play No. 12 Wesleyan University, which received a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament. Following a 13-4 season that included four nationally-ranked victories, the Wesleyan Cardinals' tough NESCAC schedule has primed the team for a successful postseason. Led by head coach Kim Williams, Wesleyan has now made the dance in four of the past five seasons most recently in 2019 where it made it to the Final Four before falling to Middlebury. Wesleyan boasted three First-Team selections with freshman Olivia Lai leading the way as the NESCAC Rookie of the Year. In her first season, Lai amassed 53 goals and eight assists to go along with 18 caused turnovers and 12 draw controls. Kate Balicki and Indigo Pellegrini de Paur were also nominated after impressive seasons. Balicki had a breakout junior year as she scored 47 points while Pellegrini de Paur is the team's best defender after causing 30 turnovers and corralling 34 ground balls.

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