Tickets// THE OPENING DRAW
The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team is set to lift the lid on its 2019 campaign this week with a pair of home games as both Ohio State and Kent State will pay a visit to Gettler Stadium Friday and Sunday, respectively. The Bearcats, who are coming off their best season in program history, will open with a visit from the Buckeyes Friday at 3 p.m. before playing host to the Golden Flashes at 1 p.m. Sunday. Both games will be carried live on BearcatsTV and admission is complimentary as part of the Experience UC initiative.
// 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.
// GOING LIVE
All 10 home games on the schedule this season will be streamed live by BearcatsTV will all airing free of charge. Visit the lacrosse schedule page on GoBearcats.com and click WATCH next to the game you want to view. A link for live stats can be found on the schedule as well.
// EXPERIENCE UC
Once again in 2019, 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.
// QUICK SHOTS
• Cincinnati is coming off its best season in program history in which it went 8-9 overall and broke 10 team records, including goals, assists and points offensively and ground balls and caused turnovers defensively
• 2019 will mark the first year the American Athletic Conference will sponsor women's lacrosse with the Bearcats joining ECU, Temple, UConn, Florida and Vanderbilt in the new league
• UC will play host to the 2019 AAC Tournament (May 2 & 4) at the Sheakley Athletics Center with the Top 4 teams in the final regular season standings playing in the event
• Cincinnati will play 17 regular season games with 10 coming on its home turf at Gettler Stadium
• Three Bearcats were selected to the inaugural AAC Preseason All-Conference Team, including Monica Borzillo, Amanda Donovan and Sam Mlkvy
• UC returns just over 80 percent of its goal scoring from 2018 with 11 players returning this year from the 16 individuals that tallied at least one point last year
• Head Coach Gina Thomas, formerly Gina Oliver, returns for her seventh season leading UC with Shannon Witzel back for her seventh year as an assistant and Caitlin Prince joining the staff for her first season
• With Ohio State (Friday) and Kent State (Sunday) coming to town, all three of Ohio's NCAA Division I teams will be in action in the Queen City this weekend
// NEW LEAGUE
This year, the Bearcats will play as members of the American Athletic Conference after playing in the BIG EAST the past 10 seasons (UC was an independent in 2008). UC will be joined by fellow full members ECU, Temple and UConn with Florida and Vanderbilt also joining to give the AAC six teams. With lacrosse moving to the AAC, every sport at UC is now a member of the same conference.
// PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
Ahead of the inaugural season, the AAC announced the results of the coaches' poll with the Bearcats selected to finish fifth. According to the coaches, the predicted finish is Florida (25 points), Vanderbilt (18), UConn (17), Temple (16), UC (9) and ECU (5). In the IWLCA Division I Preseason Poll (January 28), Florida enters the season ranked #6 nationally, the only member of the AAC in the Top 25.
// FEELING HONORED
Ahead of the season, the league coaches also voted for individual honors with three Bearcats being selected to the 2019 Preseason AAC All-Conference Team. That trio includes Monica Borzillo, who was unanimously selected to the list, Amanda Donovan and Sam Mlkvy. The honors are the first preseason awards in each players career with Borzillo (twice) and Donovan (once) previously being selected as BIG EAST All-Conference Second Team with Borzillo's honors coming in 2017 and 2018 and Donovan being selected in 2017.
// FIRST TIME AWARDS
Not only were the selections for those three players the first preseason awards of their careers, they also marked the first preseason awards earned by any Bearcats player in program history. Previously, no UC player had been named to a preseason list in the BIG EAST with Borzillo and Donovan standing as two of just five players to earn postseason accolades.
// CROWNING A CHAMP IN THE QUEEN CITY
The 2019 American Athletic Conference Lacrosse Tournament will be coming to Cincinnati in May with three games being played at the Sheakley Athletics Center on the UC campus. The Top 4 teams in the final regular season standings will play for the postseason crown and a spot in the NCAA Tournament with the AAC semifinals taking place Thursday, May 2, and the final Saturday, May 4. Game times and ticket pricing will be made available closer to the start of the tournament.
// PLAYING HOST
While the Bearcats will playing host to their first lacrosse conference tournament in 2019, the University of Cincinnati is no stranger to welcoming the American to town for a conference event as this year's event will mark the third-consecutive academic year UC has held an AAC championship event. It began in the 2016-17 academic year with the 2016 AAC Cross Country Championships being contested at Voice of America MetroPark in West Chester. One academic year later, Gettler Stadium served as the site of the 2018 AAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
// SCOUTING: OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes posted a 5-10 record last year with a 1-5 mark in the Big Ten. Offensively, Ohio State's Top 4 scorers and six of the Top 7 return in 2019, including Sara Dickinson, who led the way with 40 points on 20 goals and 20 assists. OSU's top goal scorer in 2018, Baley Parrott, also returns after netting 35 goals last year. Defensively, Jill Rizzo, who played all but 34 minutes last year, returns in goal after stopped 187 shots and allowing 186 goals in 2018 for a 12.78 goals against average.
// SERIES HISTORY: BEARCATS vs. BUCKEYES
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series, 6-1, but the Bearcats secured their first win over their intrastate foe last year in Cincinnati with a 17-12 decision (2/26) to snap the OSU streak. OSU leads the series, 3-1, in Cincinnati with a 3-0 record in Columbus.
// SCOUTING: KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes are embarking on their first collegiate season in 2019 and will do so with a roster of 26 players, 25 of which are freshmen. Head Coach Brianne Tierney will lead Kent State in their inaugural campaign, which will be the second time she has helped start a program after getting NCAA Division III's Lebanon Valley College off the ground in 2010.
// SERIES HISTORY: BEARCATS vs. GOLDEN FLASHES
Sunday's game will be the first in the series.
// STATE OF OHIO
With Kent State starting their program this year, it becomes the third NCAA Division I program in the state and 31st overall as Ohio also has teams in NCAA Division II (6) and III (20) and two in NAIA.
// THAT'S NEW
The game with Kent State will be the first of three on the year that will see Cincinnati face a foe for the first time in program history. The other two include #14 Virginia Tech on the road in Blacksburg, Va. (Feb. 20) and Michigan on the road in Ann Arbor (Mar. 3).
// CLOSING IN
Heading into her junior season, Monica Borzillo is in position to take over some of the top spots in the program's all-time statistical categories, starting with assists as her 61 in two years have her second overall behind Katie Kiriazoglou (2010-13), who posted 64. One of only two players in UC history with over 60 goals and 60 assists in a career at UC (Kiriazoglou, 66 & 64), Borzillo's career points total stands at 142 on 81 goals and 61 assists, leaving her 20 points shy of the record total 162 Laura Simanski (2009-12) accumulated with 146 goals and 16 assists. While both of those marks could fall in 2019, it would take a monumental effort to break Simanski's career goal scoring mark as Borzillo is 65 behind Simanski as her 81 ranks her fourth all-time. With 19 goals this year, however, Borzillo would become just the fourth Bearcats player to reach the century mark.
// THE AD STAT SPREE
In her first three seasons with the Bearcats, Amanda Donovan has certainly made her mark on the program. Not only is she one of only six players to rank in the program's all-time Top 10 in the three scoring categories (goals, assists & points) and one of four in the Top 10 of the three defensive categories (ground balls, draw controls & caused turnovers), but she is the only player in UC history to be ranked in the Top 10 of all six categories. Heading into her senior campaign, Donovan currently ranks ninth in goals (55), tied for ninth in assists (21), seventh in points (76), ninth in ground balls (84), ninth in draw controls (71) and fourth in caused turnovers (59).
// GETTING DEFENSIVE
Another reason the Bearcats fared well in 2018 was the play of Giuliana Durso in goal. The then junior posted 161 saves, averaging 9.47 per contest to not only lead the BIG EAST, but also rank first in UC's single season history, tying her with Katherine Russo (2009 and 2010 seasons). Durso, who took the season victories record from Russo (7) with eight in 2018, finished the year with 12.95 goals against average and a 44.7 save percentage, the #5 and #4 marks, respectively, in single season history at UC.
// RECORD SEASON
Offensively in 2018, the team snapped eight program records and added two more on defense as well. Here is how the Bearcats fared:
• 201 Goals: The team bettered the previous record by 13 goals (188) they set one year prior and scored 200+ goals in a season for the first time in program history
• 86 Assists: UC recorded 80+ helpers for the first time ever and surpassed the previous record of 78 that was set in 2010 (the 2017 team had 70, good enough for third)
• 287 Points: The 287 points broke the previous record of 258 points (2017) by 29
• 504 Shots: Like its goal total, UC recorded 500+ shots for the first time in program history and beat out the previous mark by 37 attempts (467 in 2017)
• 371 Shots on Goal: Of those record shots, a record 371 were on frame, an improvement of 26 from last year's record total of 345
• 12 Man-Up Goals: Not only did UC reach double-digits for the first time in this category, it also doubled the previous record of 6 that was shared by the 2017, 2013 and 2012 teams
• 43 Free-Position Goals: The 43 FPG edged the 2009 team's record of 42, marking just the second time UC has converted 40+ free-position shots in a season
• 8 Game-winning Goals: The 2009 and 2013 teams held the record with seven before the 2018 team won a record eight games on the season
• 501 Ground Balls: The total also led the NCAA last year
• 187 Caused Turnovers: Not only did the 187 surpass 2017's 169 turnovers by 18, it also marked the fourth year in a row the Bearcats have bettered the previous single season record
// HELLO! MY NAME IS...
The team added nine newcomers to the roster prior to this season with eight freshmen and one sophomore transfer. The rookies include Zoe Antona (Roswell, Ga.), Kate Brocato (Baltimore, Md.), Brooke Holmstrom (Canton, Ga.), Camille Johnston (West Chester, Ohio), Isabelle LeJeune (Williamsburg, Va.), Kylie Nause (Phoenix, Md.) and Anna Platou (Naperville, Ill.). The final newcomer to the group is Lauren Harrison, who will be a sophomore this season after playing her freshman season with Mount St. Mary's before transferring to UC this fall.
// NEW TO THE CREW
The players are not the only newcomers to the program this year as Caitlin Prince has joined the Bearcats as an assistant coach. Prince, who played collegiately at Duquesne, including her first two years under then assistant coach Gina Thomas, comes to Cincinnati after serving as an assistant at her Alma Mater from 2017 to 2018. Prior to that, she served as an assistant at Robert Morris (2015-16).
// LAST GO AROUND
As with every season, several Bearcats will be suiting up for the final time in 2019 as four players are entering their senior seasons. The Class of 2019 includes Maria Collacchi (Parkton, Md.), Amanda Donovan (Ellicott City, Md.), Giuliana Durso (Mendham, N.J.) and Jayde Sains (East Islip, N.Y.). The group will be honored at Senior Day April 20 when the Bearcats play host to Vanderbilt.
// MAKING THE GRADE
Following the fall semester, the grades were tabulated and the Bearcats recorded a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.466 as 23 of the players posted at least a 3.0 GPA. To top that off, 15 players held GPAs of 3.4 or better in the semester to be named to the Dean's List while five of those players - Alyssa Adams, Monica Borzillo, Kate Brocato, Maria Collacchi and Alexandra Fess - each were named TopCats as they all posted perfect 4.0 GPAs.
// NEXT TIME
The Bearcats will continue their three-game season-opening home stand next week with Marquette coming to town for a noon start on Friday, February 15, at Gettler Stadium.
The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team is set to lift the lid on its 2019 campaign this week with a pair of home games as both Ohio State and Kent State will pay a visit to Gettler Stadium Friday and Sunday, respectively. The Bearcats, who are coming off their best season in program history, will open with a visit from the Buckeyes Friday at 3 p.m. before playing host to the Golden Flashes at 1 p.m. Sunday. Both games will be carried live on BearcatsTV and admission is complimentary as part of the Experience UC initiative.
// 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.
// GOING LIVE
All 10 home games on the schedule this season will be streamed live by BearcatsTV will all airing free of charge. Visit the lacrosse schedule page on GoBearcats.com and click WATCH next to the game you want to view. A link for live stats can be found on the schedule as well.
// EXPERIENCE UC
Once again in 2019, 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.
// QUICK SHOTS
• Cincinnati is coming off its best season in program history in which it went 8-9 overall and broke 10 team records, including goals, assists and points offensively and ground balls and caused turnovers defensively
• 2019 will mark the first year the American Athletic Conference will sponsor women's lacrosse with the Bearcats joining ECU, Temple, UConn, Florida and Vanderbilt in the new league
• UC will play host to the 2019 AAC Tournament (May 2 & 4) at the Sheakley Athletics Center with the Top 4 teams in the final regular season standings playing in the event
• Cincinnati will play 17 regular season games with 10 coming on its home turf at Gettler Stadium
• Three Bearcats were selected to the inaugural AAC Preseason All-Conference Team, including Monica Borzillo, Amanda Donovan and Sam Mlkvy
• UC returns just over 80 percent of its goal scoring from 2018 with 11 players returning this year from the 16 individuals that tallied at least one point last year
• Head Coach Gina Thomas, formerly Gina Oliver, returns for her seventh season leading UC with Shannon Witzel back for her seventh year as an assistant and Caitlin Prince joining the staff for her first season
• With Ohio State (Friday) and Kent State (Sunday) coming to town, all three of Ohio's NCAA Division I teams will be in action in the Queen City this weekend
// NEW LEAGUE
This year, the Bearcats will play as members of the American Athletic Conference after playing in the BIG EAST the past 10 seasons (UC was an independent in 2008). UC will be joined by fellow full members ECU, Temple and UConn with Florida and Vanderbilt also joining to give the AAC six teams. With lacrosse moving to the AAC, every sport at UC is now a member of the same conference.
// PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
Ahead of the inaugural season, the AAC announced the results of the coaches' poll with the Bearcats selected to finish fifth. According to the coaches, the predicted finish is Florida (25 points), Vanderbilt (18), UConn (17), Temple (16), UC (9) and ECU (5). In the IWLCA Division I Preseason Poll (January 28), Florida enters the season ranked #6 nationally, the only member of the AAC in the Top 25.
// FEELING HONORED
Ahead of the season, the league coaches also voted for individual honors with three Bearcats being selected to the 2019 Preseason AAC All-Conference Team. That trio includes Monica Borzillo, who was unanimously selected to the list, Amanda Donovan and Sam Mlkvy. The honors are the first preseason awards in each players career with Borzillo (twice) and Donovan (once) previously being selected as BIG EAST All-Conference Second Team with Borzillo's honors coming in 2017 and 2018 and Donovan being selected in 2017.
// FIRST TIME AWARDS
Not only were the selections for those three players the first preseason awards of their careers, they also marked the first preseason awards earned by any Bearcats player in program history. Previously, no UC player had been named to a preseason list in the BIG EAST with Borzillo and Donovan standing as two of just five players to earn postseason accolades.
// CROWNING A CHAMP IN THE QUEEN CITY
The 2019 American Athletic Conference Lacrosse Tournament will be coming to Cincinnati in May with three games being played at the Sheakley Athletics Center on the UC campus. The Top 4 teams in the final regular season standings will play for the postseason crown and a spot in the NCAA Tournament with the AAC semifinals taking place Thursday, May 2, and the final Saturday, May 4. Game times and ticket pricing will be made available closer to the start of the tournament.
// PLAYING HOST
While the Bearcats will playing host to their first lacrosse conference tournament in 2019, the University of Cincinnati is no stranger to welcoming the American to town for a conference event as this year's event will mark the third-consecutive academic year UC has held an AAC championship event. It began in the 2016-17 academic year with the 2016 AAC Cross Country Championships being contested at Voice of America MetroPark in West Chester. One academic year later, Gettler Stadium served as the site of the 2018 AAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
// SCOUTING: OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes posted a 5-10 record last year with a 1-5 mark in the Big Ten. Offensively, Ohio State's Top 4 scorers and six of the Top 7 return in 2019, including Sara Dickinson, who led the way with 40 points on 20 goals and 20 assists. OSU's top goal scorer in 2018, Baley Parrott, also returns after netting 35 goals last year. Defensively, Jill Rizzo, who played all but 34 minutes last year, returns in goal after stopped 187 shots and allowing 186 goals in 2018 for a 12.78 goals against average.
// SERIES HISTORY: BEARCATS vs. BUCKEYES
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series, 6-1, but the Bearcats secured their first win over their intrastate foe last year in Cincinnati with a 17-12 decision (2/26) to snap the OSU streak. OSU leads the series, 3-1, in Cincinnati with a 3-0 record in Columbus.
// SCOUTING: KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes are embarking on their first collegiate season in 2019 and will do so with a roster of 26 players, 25 of which are freshmen. Head Coach Brianne Tierney will lead Kent State in their inaugural campaign, which will be the second time she has helped start a program after getting NCAA Division III's Lebanon Valley College off the ground in 2010.
// SERIES HISTORY: BEARCATS vs. GOLDEN FLASHES
Sunday's game will be the first in the series.
// STATE OF OHIO
With Kent State starting their program this year, it becomes the third NCAA Division I program in the state and 31st overall as Ohio also has teams in NCAA Division II (6) and III (20) and two in NAIA.
// THAT'S NEW
The game with Kent State will be the first of three on the year that will see Cincinnati face a foe for the first time in program history. The other two include #14 Virginia Tech on the road in Blacksburg, Va. (Feb. 20) and Michigan on the road in Ann Arbor (Mar. 3).
// CLOSING IN
Heading into her junior season, Monica Borzillo is in position to take over some of the top spots in the program's all-time statistical categories, starting with assists as her 61 in two years have her second overall behind Katie Kiriazoglou (2010-13), who posted 64. One of only two players in UC history with over 60 goals and 60 assists in a career at UC (Kiriazoglou, 66 & 64), Borzillo's career points total stands at 142 on 81 goals and 61 assists, leaving her 20 points shy of the record total 162 Laura Simanski (2009-12) accumulated with 146 goals and 16 assists. While both of those marks could fall in 2019, it would take a monumental effort to break Simanski's career goal scoring mark as Borzillo is 65 behind Simanski as her 81 ranks her fourth all-time. With 19 goals this year, however, Borzillo would become just the fourth Bearcats player to reach the century mark.
// THE AD STAT SPREE
In her first three seasons with the Bearcats, Amanda Donovan has certainly made her mark on the program. Not only is she one of only six players to rank in the program's all-time Top 10 in the three scoring categories (goals, assists & points) and one of four in the Top 10 of the three defensive categories (ground balls, draw controls & caused turnovers), but she is the only player in UC history to be ranked in the Top 10 of all six categories. Heading into her senior campaign, Donovan currently ranks ninth in goals (55), tied for ninth in assists (21), seventh in points (76), ninth in ground balls (84), ninth in draw controls (71) and fourth in caused turnovers (59).
// GETTING DEFENSIVE
Another reason the Bearcats fared well in 2018 was the play of Giuliana Durso in goal. The then junior posted 161 saves, averaging 9.47 per contest to not only lead the BIG EAST, but also rank first in UC's single season history, tying her with Katherine Russo (2009 and 2010 seasons). Durso, who took the season victories record from Russo (7) with eight in 2018, finished the year with 12.95 goals against average and a 44.7 save percentage, the #5 and #4 marks, respectively, in single season history at UC.
// RECORD SEASON
Offensively in 2018, the team snapped eight program records and added two more on defense as well. Here is how the Bearcats fared:
• 201 Goals: The team bettered the previous record by 13 goals (188) they set one year prior and scored 200+ goals in a season for the first time in program history
• 86 Assists: UC recorded 80+ helpers for the first time ever and surpassed the previous record of 78 that was set in 2010 (the 2017 team had 70, good enough for third)
• 287 Points: The 287 points broke the previous record of 258 points (2017) by 29
• 504 Shots: Like its goal total, UC recorded 500+ shots for the first time in program history and beat out the previous mark by 37 attempts (467 in 2017)
• 371 Shots on Goal: Of those record shots, a record 371 were on frame, an improvement of 26 from last year's record total of 345
• 12 Man-Up Goals: Not only did UC reach double-digits for the first time in this category, it also doubled the previous record of 6 that was shared by the 2017, 2013 and 2012 teams
• 43 Free-Position Goals: The 43 FPG edged the 2009 team's record of 42, marking just the second time UC has converted 40+ free-position shots in a season
• 8 Game-winning Goals: The 2009 and 2013 teams held the record with seven before the 2018 team won a record eight games on the season
• 501 Ground Balls: The total also led the NCAA last year
• 187 Caused Turnovers: Not only did the 187 surpass 2017's 169 turnovers by 18, it also marked the fourth year in a row the Bearcats have bettered the previous single season record
// HELLO! MY NAME IS...
The team added nine newcomers to the roster prior to this season with eight freshmen and one sophomore transfer. The rookies include Zoe Antona (Roswell, Ga.), Kate Brocato (Baltimore, Md.), Brooke Holmstrom (Canton, Ga.), Camille Johnston (West Chester, Ohio), Isabelle LeJeune (Williamsburg, Va.), Kylie Nause (Phoenix, Md.) and Anna Platou (Naperville, Ill.). The final newcomer to the group is Lauren Harrison, who will be a sophomore this season after playing her freshman season with Mount St. Mary's before transferring to UC this fall.
// NEW TO THE CREW
The players are not the only newcomers to the program this year as Caitlin Prince has joined the Bearcats as an assistant coach. Prince, who played collegiately at Duquesne, including her first two years under then assistant coach Gina Thomas, comes to Cincinnati after serving as an assistant at her Alma Mater from 2017 to 2018. Prior to that, she served as an assistant at Robert Morris (2015-16).
// LAST GO AROUND
As with every season, several Bearcats will be suiting up for the final time in 2019 as four players are entering their senior seasons. The Class of 2019 includes Maria Collacchi (Parkton, Md.), Amanda Donovan (Ellicott City, Md.), Giuliana Durso (Mendham, N.J.) and Jayde Sains (East Islip, N.Y.). The group will be honored at Senior Day April 20 when the Bearcats play host to Vanderbilt.
// MAKING THE GRADE
Following the fall semester, the grades were tabulated and the Bearcats recorded a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.466 as 23 of the players posted at least a 3.0 GPA. To top that off, 15 players held GPAs of 3.4 or better in the semester to be named to the Dean's List while five of those players - Alyssa Adams, Monica Borzillo, Kate Brocato, Maria Collacchi and Alexandra Fess - each were named TopCats as they all posted perfect 4.0 GPAs.
// NEXT TIME
The Bearcats will continue their three-game season-opening home stand next week with Marquette coming to town for a noon start on Friday, February 15, at Gettler Stadium.