TicketsCINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team traveled to Butler Saturday afternoon in search of halting a run of seven losses in a row and, on the strength of a career day from Sam Mlkvy, the Bearcats were able to do just that as they handed the hosts a 14-8 defeat to collect their first BIG EAST Conference win of 2018. UC moved to 7-8 on the year and 1-7 in league play while the Bulldogs fell to 1-15 overall and 0-8 in the league.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bearcats got things started first with Monica Borzillo scoring the first goal of the game to stake the visitors to a 1-0 lead at the 27:11 mark before the hosts would equalize at 23:52. Less than one minute later, the Bearcats were back on top as Julia Byrne set up Mlkvy for her first goal of the team, giving UC a 2-1 lead at 22:12. Despite the lead, the Bulldogs would go on to score the next three goals, pulling ahead, 4-2, at the 12:42 mark. But, just as the hosts did, the Bearcats would answer with three goals of their own as McKenna Rushford, who was assisted by Mlkvy, and Borzillo would score, tying the game at 4-4 with 11 minutes remaining. Neither team was able to score again until there was 2:18 remaining before halftime and Borzillo netted her third of the contest.
The second half opened with BU scoring 40 seconds into the period to tie the game at 5-5 before Amanda Donovan and Mlkvy each added goals for a 7-5 lead. After BU pulled one back to make it 7-6 at 23:29, UC received goals from Bridget Cleary and Borzillo - her fourth - to build a 9-6 lead. But, the hosts would not go quietly as BU scored twice and, with 15:15 remaining in the game, closed to without one goal at 9-8.
Then, it was Mlkvy Time. Starting at the 12:21 mark, Mlkvy went off, scoring the final five goals of the game to stretch a one-goal advantage into a six-goal victory. Mlkvy scored at the 10:54 mark for an 11-8 lead before scoring just nine seconds later to make it 12-8. Her final two goals came at 7:37 and 3:56 to close the scoring for the game.
Defensively, Giuliana Durso started in goal and made seven saves while allowing four goals in 30 minutes of play before making way for Madison Foery, who collected four saves while allowing four goals as well. The Bearcats held a 15-8 advantage in draw controls while causing 12 turnovers and collecting 33 ground balls.
// MIGHTY MLKVY
Mlkvy's day included eight points on seven goals and one assist with 12 shots, seven ground balls, one caused turnover and 10 draw controls to her credit. Of those seven categories, she set career highs in five, bettering her previous showings of four points (three times with the most recent coming at Marquette on March 18); four goals (at Marquette); eight shots (at Gardner-Webb, 2/16/18), five ground balls (vs. Detroit Mercy, 3/5/18) and nine draw controls (at Vanderbilt, 4/4/18). While all of those totals were impressive, some were more than others:
• Her 7 goals ties for the second-most in a single game with Laura Simanski (4/30/10), a mark that was the single-game record before Borzillo netted eight earlier this year against Central Michigan (3/21/18)
• Her 8 points ties for the fifth-most in a single game
• The 12 shots she fired are the third-highest total in a game
• Her 7 ground balls ties for the eighth-most in a single game
• The 10 draw controls she collected ties for the third-most in a game and marks just the fourth time in UC history 10 or more have been collected in a game. She also is just the second player to do so as Meg Bell holds the Top 3 totals.
// TEAM TIES THE MARK
Today's victory not only snapped the team's seven-game losing skid, it also gave the Bearcats seven wins on the year to tie for the program record for most wins in a campaign with two games to play. This year's team (7-8 overall) has tied the 2009 (7-10) and 2013 (7-9) squads for wins in a year and will have two more games to take the record all alone. In fact, the Bearcats' win today placed the team in a position to add even more history over the final two games. Should UC defeat visiting ECU Monday afternoon, the team would have the most wins in program history while also setting up a showdown with Villanova next Sunday. If UC heads into the VU game at 8-8, a win against the Wildcats would then give UC its first winning season in program history (.500 win percentage or better).
// HIGH TOTALS
Mlkvy's numbers, along with the play of her teammates, allowed for the Bearcats to add this game to the Top 10 ledgers in a pair of statistical categories. The team fired 46 shots on the game, which broke the single-game program record of 42, while UC also collected 33 ground balls, the seventh-best total in a single game. In the shots category, the previous record of 42 was set at Campbell on February 26, 2017, before this year's squad equalled the mark at Gardener-Webb on February 16.
// NEXT UP
The Bearcats return to action at home Monday with a noon game against visiting ECU. The Pirates, playing as an independent in their first varsity campaign, will visit the Bearcats at Gettler Stadium in a meeting between two of the teams that will play in the newly formed American Athletic Conference next year.
// EXPERIENCE UC
Once again in 2018, all home games will be part of the Experience UC initiative, which is geared toward inviting the community to campus to see firsthand the great things about and surrounding the university. Experience UC includes complimentary admission for patrons attending women's basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, women's tennis, men's and women's soccer, swimming and diving and track and field home events.
// 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.
// HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bearcats got things started first with Monica Borzillo scoring the first goal of the game to stake the visitors to a 1-0 lead at the 27:11 mark before the hosts would equalize at 23:52. Less than one minute later, the Bearcats were back on top as Julia Byrne set up Mlkvy for her first goal of the team, giving UC a 2-1 lead at 22:12. Despite the lead, the Bulldogs would go on to score the next three goals, pulling ahead, 4-2, at the 12:42 mark. But, just as the hosts did, the Bearcats would answer with three goals of their own as McKenna Rushford, who was assisted by Mlkvy, and Borzillo would score, tying the game at 4-4 with 11 minutes remaining. Neither team was able to score again until there was 2:18 remaining before halftime and Borzillo netted her third of the contest.
The second half opened with BU scoring 40 seconds into the period to tie the game at 5-5 before Amanda Donovan and Mlkvy each added goals for a 7-5 lead. After BU pulled one back to make it 7-6 at 23:29, UC received goals from Bridget Cleary and Borzillo - her fourth - to build a 9-6 lead. But, the hosts would not go quietly as BU scored twice and, with 15:15 remaining in the game, closed to without one goal at 9-8.
Then, it was Mlkvy Time. Starting at the 12:21 mark, Mlkvy went off, scoring the final five goals of the game to stretch a one-goal advantage into a six-goal victory. Mlkvy scored at the 10:54 mark for an 11-8 lead before scoring just nine seconds later to make it 12-8. Her final two goals came at 7:37 and 3:56 to close the scoring for the game.
Defensively, Giuliana Durso started in goal and made seven saves while allowing four goals in 30 minutes of play before making way for Madison Foery, who collected four saves while allowing four goals as well. The Bearcats held a 15-8 advantage in draw controls while causing 12 turnovers and collecting 33 ground balls.
// MIGHTY MLKVY
Mlkvy's day included eight points on seven goals and one assist with 12 shots, seven ground balls, one caused turnover and 10 draw controls to her credit. Of those seven categories, she set career highs in five, bettering her previous showings of four points (three times with the most recent coming at Marquette on March 18); four goals (at Marquette); eight shots (at Gardner-Webb, 2/16/18), five ground balls (vs. Detroit Mercy, 3/5/18) and nine draw controls (at Vanderbilt, 4/4/18). While all of those totals were impressive, some were more than others:
• Her 7 goals ties for the second-most in a single game with Laura Simanski (4/30/10), a mark that was the single-game record before Borzillo netted eight earlier this year against Central Michigan (3/21/18)
• Her 8 points ties for the fifth-most in a single game
• The 12 shots she fired are the third-highest total in a game
• Her 7 ground balls ties for the eighth-most in a single game
• The 10 draw controls she collected ties for the third-most in a game and marks just the fourth time in UC history 10 or more have been collected in a game. She also is just the second player to do so as Meg Bell holds the Top 3 totals.
// TEAM TIES THE MARK
Today's victory not only snapped the team's seven-game losing skid, it also gave the Bearcats seven wins on the year to tie for the program record for most wins in a campaign with two games to play. This year's team (7-8 overall) has tied the 2009 (7-10) and 2013 (7-9) squads for wins in a year and will have two more games to take the record all alone. In fact, the Bearcats' win today placed the team in a position to add even more history over the final two games. Should UC defeat visiting ECU Monday afternoon, the team would have the most wins in program history while also setting up a showdown with Villanova next Sunday. If UC heads into the VU game at 8-8, a win against the Wildcats would then give UC its first winning season in program history (.500 win percentage or better).
// HIGH TOTALS
Mlkvy's numbers, along with the play of her teammates, allowed for the Bearcats to add this game to the Top 10 ledgers in a pair of statistical categories. The team fired 46 shots on the game, which broke the single-game program record of 42, while UC also collected 33 ground balls, the seventh-best total in a single game. In the shots category, the previous record of 42 was set at Campbell on February 26, 2017, before this year's squad equalled the mark at Gardener-Webb on February 16.
// NEXT UP
The Bearcats return to action at home Monday with a noon game against visiting ECU. The Pirates, playing as an independent in their first varsity campaign, will visit the Bearcats at Gettler Stadium in a meeting between two of the teams that will play in the newly formed American Athletic Conference next year.
// EXPERIENCE UC
Once again in 2018, all home games will be part of the Experience UC initiative, which is geared toward inviting the community to campus to see firsthand the great things about and surrounding the university. Experience UC includes complimentary admission for patrons attending women's basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, women's tennis, men's and women's soccer, swimming and diving and track and field home events.
// 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.