Tickets// THE OPENING DRAW
The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team is set to return to the road this weekend and open its final season of play in the BIG EAST Conference as the Bearcats will face Marquette in Milwaukee, Wis., Sunday at noon CT (1 p.m. ET) in both team's conference opener. The Bearcats enter the game with a 6-1 overall record and have won six in a row while the Eagles stand 4-4 overall with a perfect 4-0 mark at home.
// FOLLOW US
GoBearcats.com is your one-stop destination for all things UC Athletics. Socially, the team can also be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with all using the handle GoBearcatsLAX. Head Coach Gina Oliver (@GinaOliverUC) also can be followed on Twitter.
// QUICK SHOTS
• McKenna Rushford scored five goals for the third time this season and earned weekly BIG EAST honors
• The Bearcats have won a program-record six games in a row following a 4-0 home stand
• UC has won 6 games already this year, leaving it one shy of tying the season record for wins
• Borzillo and Rushford rank in the Top 10 in all three offensive categories among BIG EAST players
• The team currently leads the league in several categories, including ground balls, GAA and save percent
// WEEKLY HARDWARE
For the second time this year, McKenna Rushford was selected for a weekly honor from the BIG EAST Conference as the sophomore was named the Midfielder of the Week last week. Rushford scored a game-high five goals to lead the Bearcats to a 17-11 defeat of Campbell, marking the third time she has scored five or more in a single game so far this season. She earned the same honor back in February after scoring six goals in back-to-back contests.
// GOING STREAKING
The Bearcats are currently on a six-game winning streak after a season-opening loss to Louisville. The streak is the longest in program history, surpassing the five-game streak the Bearcats put together in 2014 when they handed defeats to Winthrop, Presbyterian, Coastal Carolina, Iona and Detroit Mercy.
// CLOSING IN
Through seven games, UC has already tied for the third-best win total in program history. Over 10 years, UC has won six games three times (2014, 2017, 2018) and seven games twice (2009, 2013).
// GETTING THEIR POINTS ACROSS
Monica Borzillo and McKenna Rushford rank among the Top 10 in the BIG EAST in the three top offensive categories, including goals per game, assists per game and points per game. Borzillo, a two-time BIG EAST Attacker of the Week honoree in 2018, is currently tied for fourth in goals per game (3.29) while also sitting second in both assists per game (2.14) and points per game (5.43). Rushford is currently eighth in goals per game (3.14), 10th in assists per game (1.43) and tied for fifth in points per game (4.57).
// TEAM HIGHS
The Bearcats are currently holding high rankings in the BIG EAST Conference statistics, including leading the league in four categories. Right now, the Bearcats are ranked first in ground balls (195), ground balls per game average (27.86), goals against average (10.44) and save percentage (48.6) while also ranking second in caused turnovers per game (11.29).
// RECAP: BEARCATS DEFEAT CAMPBELL
The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team knocked off Campbell by a 17-11 margin Thursday on a cloudy and brisk day at Gettler Stadium to continue the best start to a season in program history. Behind five goals from McKenna Rushford and hat tricks by Sam Mlkvy and Gianna Napoletano, UC (6-1) won its sixth-consecutive game, notching the longest winning streak in the program's 11-year history. The Bearcats completed a sweep of their four-game homestand and dropped Campbell to 2-5 on the season. With UC up 8-4 at halftime, the Camels scored five of the first seven goals in the second half and pulled things to within one at 10-9 with 19:03 remaining. The Bearcats ran off two scores from Rushford in a span of 12 seconds and never looked back, turning up the defense and holding Campbell to one goal in the final 13 minutes of the game. Giuliana Durso made eight saves and picked up her sixth win of the season.
// SCOUTING: MARQUETTE
The Eagles enter the game with a 4-4 record on the year after winning all four of their home games in 2018 while dropping all four of their road contests. Marquette has played a pair of opponents that Cincinnati has already played this year with both teams falling to Louisville and both defeating Central Michigan. Marquette is led by Grace Gabriel, who has tallied 34 points on 30 goals and four assists.
// SERIES HISTORY
The Bearcats and Eagles have met five times with Marquette holding a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 2-0 record when the Eagles are the hosts. The last time the teams played was last year in Cincinnati with the Eagles claiming a 16-10 victory. The last time the two teams met in Milwaukee was during the 2016 season with MU taking an 8-7 win for the second year in a row.
// GOING TO EUROPE
This summer, the Bearcats will be going international as they will travel to both the Netherlands and Greece where they will play against some top international competition. The team is currently accepting gifts that will go toward the UC Athletics Women's Excellence Fund in support of the lacrosse program and their June trip across the pond. For more information and to give your gift, visit: http://bit.ly/CinLAXGreece.
// NEXT TIME
Cincinnati's two-game road trip to open BIG EAST play will continue next Sunday as the Bearcats will travel to Philadelphia for a noon ET game at Temple on March 24.
The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team is set to return to the road this weekend and open its final season of play in the BIG EAST Conference as the Bearcats will face Marquette in Milwaukee, Wis., Sunday at noon CT (1 p.m. ET) in both team's conference opener. The Bearcats enter the game with a 6-1 overall record and have won six in a row while the Eagles stand 4-4 overall with a perfect 4-0 mark at home.
// FOLLOW US
GoBearcats.com is your one-stop destination for all things UC Athletics. Socially, the team can also be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with all using the handle GoBearcatsLAX. Head Coach Gina Oliver (@GinaOliverUC) also can be followed on Twitter.
// QUICK SHOTS
• McKenna Rushford scored five goals for the third time this season and earned weekly BIG EAST honors
• The Bearcats have won a program-record six games in a row following a 4-0 home stand
• UC has won 6 games already this year, leaving it one shy of tying the season record for wins
• Borzillo and Rushford rank in the Top 10 in all three offensive categories among BIG EAST players
• The team currently leads the league in several categories, including ground balls, GAA and save percent
// WEEKLY HARDWARE
For the second time this year, McKenna Rushford was selected for a weekly honor from the BIG EAST Conference as the sophomore was named the Midfielder of the Week last week. Rushford scored a game-high five goals to lead the Bearcats to a 17-11 defeat of Campbell, marking the third time she has scored five or more in a single game so far this season. She earned the same honor back in February after scoring six goals in back-to-back contests.
// GOING STREAKING
The Bearcats are currently on a six-game winning streak after a season-opening loss to Louisville. The streak is the longest in program history, surpassing the five-game streak the Bearcats put together in 2014 when they handed defeats to Winthrop, Presbyterian, Coastal Carolina, Iona and Detroit Mercy.
// CLOSING IN
Through seven games, UC has already tied for the third-best win total in program history. Over 10 years, UC has won six games three times (2014, 2017, 2018) and seven games twice (2009, 2013).
// GETTING THEIR POINTS ACROSS
Monica Borzillo and McKenna Rushford rank among the Top 10 in the BIG EAST in the three top offensive categories, including goals per game, assists per game and points per game. Borzillo, a two-time BIG EAST Attacker of the Week honoree in 2018, is currently tied for fourth in goals per game (3.29) while also sitting second in both assists per game (2.14) and points per game (5.43). Rushford is currently eighth in goals per game (3.14), 10th in assists per game (1.43) and tied for fifth in points per game (4.57).
// TEAM HIGHS
The Bearcats are currently holding high rankings in the BIG EAST Conference statistics, including leading the league in four categories. Right now, the Bearcats are ranked first in ground balls (195), ground balls per game average (27.86), goals against average (10.44) and save percentage (48.6) while also ranking second in caused turnovers per game (11.29).
// RECAP: BEARCATS DEFEAT CAMPBELL
The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team knocked off Campbell by a 17-11 margin Thursday on a cloudy and brisk day at Gettler Stadium to continue the best start to a season in program history. Behind five goals from McKenna Rushford and hat tricks by Sam Mlkvy and Gianna Napoletano, UC (6-1) won its sixth-consecutive game, notching the longest winning streak in the program's 11-year history. The Bearcats completed a sweep of their four-game homestand and dropped Campbell to 2-5 on the season. With UC up 8-4 at halftime, the Camels scored five of the first seven goals in the second half and pulled things to within one at 10-9 with 19:03 remaining. The Bearcats ran off two scores from Rushford in a span of 12 seconds and never looked back, turning up the defense and holding Campbell to one goal in the final 13 minutes of the game. Giuliana Durso made eight saves and picked up her sixth win of the season.
// SCOUTING: MARQUETTE
The Eagles enter the game with a 4-4 record on the year after winning all four of their home games in 2018 while dropping all four of their road contests. Marquette has played a pair of opponents that Cincinnati has already played this year with both teams falling to Louisville and both defeating Central Michigan. Marquette is led by Grace Gabriel, who has tallied 34 points on 30 goals and four assists.
// SERIES HISTORY
The Bearcats and Eagles have met five times with Marquette holding a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 2-0 record when the Eagles are the hosts. The last time the teams played was last year in Cincinnati with the Eagles claiming a 16-10 victory. The last time the two teams met in Milwaukee was during the 2016 season with MU taking an 8-7 win for the second year in a row.
// GOING TO EUROPE
This summer, the Bearcats will be going international as they will travel to both the Netherlands and Greece where they will play against some top international competition. The team is currently accepting gifts that will go toward the UC Athletics Women's Excellence Fund in support of the lacrosse program and their June trip across the pond. For more information and to give your gift, visit: http://bit.ly/CinLAXGreece.
// NEXT TIME
Cincinnati's two-game road trip to open BIG EAST play will continue next Sunday as the Bearcats will travel to Philadelphia for a noon ET game at Temple on March 24.