UMBC

Junior Lauren Mundell

BALTIMORE—The UMBC women’s lacrosse team (6-2) hosts cross-town rival Loyola (6-0) Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at UMBC Stadium. The Retrievers will put their three-game winning streak on the line against the Greyhounds, who are ranked sixth nationally. The game can be seen live at UMBCRetrievers.tv.

Last Time Out: Senior midfielder Amanda Pappas (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) and junior attack Emily Coady (Westminster, Md./Westminster) tallied six points apiece to lead the Retrievers to a 15-8 victory at in-state rival Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday. Pappas scored four goals and added two assists, while Coady recorded three goals and three helpers.

On the Greyhounds: Loyola is undefeated in six games this season, including an 11-7 win over 10th-ranked James Madison on Saturday. Midfielder Abby Rehfus and attack Grace Gavin each posted hat tricks in the game. Gavin leads the Greyhounds with 21 goals and 25 points this season. Midfielder Meg Decker, the reigning Big East Offensive Player of the Week, has recorded a team-best 18 draw controls, while defender Kellye Gallagher is tops with 20 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers. Goalie Kerry Stoothoff has posted a 7.51 goals-against average and a .506 save percentage with 43 saves in 335 minutes between the pipes. One of seven unbeaten teams in the nation, Loyola leads the NCAA in caused turnovers (12.83 per game) and ranks sixth in scoring defense, allowing just 7.5 goals per game. The Greyhounds have outscored their opponents, 76-45.

Inside the Series: UMBC has faced cross-town rival Loyola 29 times, more than any opponent except Towson, but the Greyhounds hold a commanding 24-4-1 series advantage. The teams have faced off in each of the last 11 years, but the Retrievers’ only victory in that span occurred in 2008. Last season, 11th-ranked Loyola handed UMBC a 7-4 loss at UMBC Stadium. Coady scored three goals for the Retrievers, while Gavin led the Greyhounds with three points on two goals and an assist. Stoothoff made a career-high 16 saves in goal for Loyola, while UMBC keeper Kate Quick stopped nine shots.

For Starters: At 6-2, UMBC is off to its best start since 1994, when the Retrievers were also 6-2 after the first eight games of the season.

Helping Hand: With one assist against Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday, senior attack Erika Braerman (Fallston, Md./Fallston) moved into a tie for sixth place all-time at UMBC with 52 career helpers.

UMBC Career Assists

1. Jen Dragoni, 2001-04                       63

2. Laurie Linnell, 1984-87                     58

3. Laura Robinson, 1984-87                 57

4. Jamie Gerhart, 1999-2002                54

5. Jenny Held, 1990-93                        53

6. Kelly Fahey, 2004-07                        52

    Erika Braerman, 2008-                     52

8. Jackie Abendschoen, 1985-88          50

9. Kelly Fiorani, 2003-06                       49

10. Meghan Keelan, 2005-08                 46

Century Mark: Braerman became the 30th Retriever ever to record 100 career points on March 2 against Towson, and Pappas became the 31st on March 5 at Duquesne. Braerman now has 116 points in her career, while Pappas has 114. They are the ninth set of teammates in UMBC history with 100 points apiece and the seventh in the last 11 seasons.

UMBC Teammates with 100 Career Points

1983: Robi Tamargo (125) and Wendy Heald (118)

1987: Laura Robinson (248), Laurie Linnell (187), Jackie Abendschoen (160) and Dolly Ginter (148)

2001: Renee Tirocchi (146), Jamie Gerhart (115) and Ashley Staines (109)

2002: Jamie Gerhart (173), Loree Miller (132) and Ashley Staines (121)

2003: Jen Dragoni (137) and Lauren Traber (105)

2006: Kelly Fiorani (189) and Kelly Fahey (110)

2007: Kelly Fahey (152), Jen Kasper (130) and Ali Levendusky (116)

2009: Kara Dorr (123) and Abbey Swift (101)

2011: Erika Braerman (116) and Amanda Pappas (114)

*Point totals through the end of that season

Home Sweet Home: The Retrievers are 4-0 at home this season, averaging 14.25 goals per game and allowing just 6.75 at UMBC Stadium.

First Time for Everything: Several Retrievers have tallied their first career goals this season. Freshman midfielder Kristen Bilney (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) scored her first career goal at Florida on Feb. 23, while midfielders Jennie Ballenger (Mount Airy, Md./St. John’s Catholic Prep) and Taelar Errington (Valley Lee, Md./Leonardtown) each scored the first goals of their career against Manhattan on March 13.

Streaking: Senior midfielder Ashley Stodter’s (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel) 11-game goal streak was snapped last Sunday against Manhattan, but she has tallied a point in 13 straight games dating to April 10, 2010. In addition, Braerman and junior midfielder Alicia Krause (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron/Duquesne) have each found the back of the net at least once in all eight contests so far this season.

20/20: The 20 goals scored against Manhattan last Sunday were the most UMBC has scored since March 29, 2010, a 20-7 win against the same Jaspers squad in Riverdale, N.Y.

Taking on the Best: UMBC will face three teams that were ranked in the top 20 in the most recent IWLCA poll, including No. 6 Loyola (March 23), No. 9 Florida (Feb. 23) and No. 14 Albany (April 30). So far, the Retrievers are 1-1 against ranked opponents this season, falling to the Gators, 16-6, but upsetting then-No. 17 Towson, 10-9. UMBC is 7-85 against ranked teams since 1988 and has never beaten more than one ranked foe in the same season. The highest-ranked opponent the Retrievers have knocked off was 11th, accomplished three times (Boston University in 2006, George Mason in 2000 and Old Dominion in 1999).

Beasts in America East: Senior goalie Natalie Rau (Forest Hill, Md./Fallston) ranks second in the America East with a .488 save percentage, and she is third with an 8.00 goals-against average… Braerman ranks fourth in the conference with 1.62 assists per game, while Coady and Krause are tied for eighth (0.88 apg)… Braerman also ranks third in the league with 3.75 points per game, while Krause is eighth (2.88 ppg)… In addition, Braerman and Pappas are tied for eighth with 2.12 goals per game, while Stodter and Krause are tied for 10th (2.0 gpg)… Finally, sophomore midfielder Lindsay Cox (High Bridge, N.J./Voorhees) is tied for the league lead with two game-winning goals… As a team, UMBC is the third-best defense in the America East, allowing 8.62 goals per game… The Retrievers rank second in the league in shot percentage (.488) and have committed the second-fewest turnovers, just 12.38 per contest.

Among the Best: Rau ranks 16th in the NCAA in save percentage and 17th in goals-against average, while Braerman is 17th in the nation in assists and 25th in points.

Dawg Bites: Braerman took home the season’s first America East Player of the Week award on Feb. 21, the second such award of her career… Sophomore defender Jamie Fahey (Baldwin, Md./Loch Raven) earned the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week award on Feb. 21 and March 7… UMBC was a perfect 3-0 against Colonial Athletic Association opponents this season, defeating George Mason (19-7, Feb. 11), Towson (10-9, March 2) and Delaware (8-5, March 9)… Braerman leads the Retrievers with 30 points on 17 goals and 13 assists… She is tied with Pappas for the team lead in goals… Fahey has picked up a team-high 18 ground balls and caused a team-best 11 turnovers, and she is tied with junior midfielder Madi Bell (Baltimore, Md./Eastern Tech/Navy) for the team lead with 11 draw controls… UMBC was picked to finish third in the America East preseason poll.

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