TicketsCINCINNATI - It was a tale of two halves as the University of Cincinnati lacrosse team, who built a 5-4 lead at the break, fell on the road at #20 Michigan, 19-9, in a game played at the Legacy Center in Brighton, Mich., Monday morning. Pushed back one day and moved indoors because of frigid temperatures in Michigan, the Bearcats (3-4) got off to a strong start that saw Kylie Nause score half of her career-high four goals on the day and eventually held a two-goal lead early in the second half before the Wolverines (7-0) went on two large scoring runs to pull away from the visitors.
// QUICK NOTES
• Cincinnati fell to 3-4 on the year and have lost two in a row while Michigan stayed undefeated at 7-0
• Today's game was the first in the series between the two programs
• UC is 0-2 against nationally-ranked opponents in 2019 having previously lost to at #23 Virginia Tech, 18-9
• Nause led the scoring for the Bearcats with four goals while Alyssa Adams added two scores as well
• Nause, who entered the weekend with just two goals to her credit, has now scored back-to-back hat tricks and seven goals in total on the team's swing through Michigan with her four goals today coming in her first career start
• Monica Borzillo recorded six of the team's seven assists in the game, tying her own single-game record set twice in 2017
• Along with tying the single-game record, Borzillo's six dishes are the most in a single game on the road in program history
• Alexandra Fess caused a team-high five turnovers on defense, bettering her previous single-game best of three while also posting the fourth-highest single-game total
• Along with Nause, two others made their first starts for UC including senior Jayde Sains and freshman Kate Brocato
• Sains, who made nine starts as a freshman at LIU Brooklyn, recorded four draw controls, tying her career high set Friday at CMU
• Brocato opened her first career start strong as she saved four shots before allowing a goal to be scored, finishing with six stops on the day to better her previous career high of three
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Cincinnati wasted no time jumping into the scoring as Nause scored 40 seconds into the game for a quick 1-0 lead before the hosts tied the game just over six minutes later. But, 29 seconds after the UM goal, Taylor Gysin took a pass from Borzillo and scored to put UC back in front, 2-1. After UM scored to tied it again, neither team was able to score until the 12:05 mark (7:54 after the last goal) with Nause bagging her second of the day as Amanda Donovan set her up. The Wolverines, however, responded with back-to-back goals in a 35-second span to grab their first lead of the day at 4-3. But, the Bearcats would respond once again as Adams scored her first just 32 seconds later to tie things at 4-4 before she scored her second with 2:20 remaining in the half to give UC a 5-4 lead at the break.
In the second half, it looked as if the game was going to remain a back-and-forth affair as Donovan scored 23 seconds into the half for a 6-4 lead before UM tallied just over one minute later. Gianna Napoletano answered back with a goal (assisted by Borzillo, her fourth of the day) to make it 7-5 before the Wolverines answered back 31 seconds later to make it 7-6. That goal, as it turned out, would be the start of a six-goal run by the hosts that saw a 7-6 UC lead at 26:27 remaining turn into an 11-7 deficit with 18:33 remaining.
Nause stepped in and scored the next two goals to halt the UM run as Borzillo assisted on both goals, which came 22 seconds apart, and pushed UC back to within two goals with 17:37 remaining. But that was the closest the Bearcats would get as the Wolverines closed out the game with a run of eight goals in a row to build the final margin in a 19-9 decision.
// A ROLLING NAUSE GATHERS NO MOSS
Entering the weekend, Nause had scored two goals in her first five collegiate games. She had a breakout game at Central Michigan Friday afternoon as she recorded three goals for her first collegiate hat trick and her first multiple-goal game. Today, she bettered that as she scored a team-high four goals to break her single-game record for the second time in as many games while also posting back-to-back hat tricks. Nause, who earned her first career start today, scored the first and last goals of the day for UC while moving into fifth in goal scoring this year for the Bearcats with nine.
// HAPPY HELPER
Borzillo is no stranger to assists as the program's all-time leader now has 80 in her two-plus years in Clifton. One of only two UC players to record 40, 50 and 60 career assists (Katie Kiriazoglou posted 64), she is now the only Bearcats player to have reached the 70 and 80-assist marks and was able to climb to those heights with efforts like today's in which she tied her own single-game record. Previously, she recorded six assists at home against Gardner-Webb (3/17/17) and Butler (4/1/17) before today. Those six assists also give her the single-game record for assists in a road game, bettering the five she recorded at Detroit Mercy last year and the five Kiriazoglou tallied in 2010 at Fresno State.
// X SPOTS HER MARKS
Alexandra Fess finished the game with a pair of career-highs on defense as the junior tallied five caused turnovers and five ground balls. Entering the game, she had recorded three of each for her season highs, bettering both of those categories by two today. On a career scale, her five caused turnovers bettered the three she recorded earlier this year against Marquette while her five ground balls ties her career best she recorded last year against ECU.
// NEXT UP
The Bearcats, after having played seven games in the first month of the season, will take a small break from competition as they will not return to action until Wednesday, March 13, with a road game at Louisville. The meeting with the Cardinals will be the lone game between today's contest with the Wolverines and UC's next home game on Friday, March 22, against San Diego State, a span of 18 days.
// 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 Thomas (Oliver)(@GinaOliverUC) also can be followed on Twitter.
// QUICK NOTES
• Cincinnati fell to 3-4 on the year and have lost two in a row while Michigan stayed undefeated at 7-0
• Today's game was the first in the series between the two programs
• UC is 0-2 against nationally-ranked opponents in 2019 having previously lost to at #23 Virginia Tech, 18-9
• Nause led the scoring for the Bearcats with four goals while Alyssa Adams added two scores as well
• Nause, who entered the weekend with just two goals to her credit, has now scored back-to-back hat tricks and seven goals in total on the team's swing through Michigan with her four goals today coming in her first career start
• Monica Borzillo recorded six of the team's seven assists in the game, tying her own single-game record set twice in 2017
• Along with tying the single-game record, Borzillo's six dishes are the most in a single game on the road in program history
• Alexandra Fess caused a team-high five turnovers on defense, bettering her previous single-game best of three while also posting the fourth-highest single-game total
• Along with Nause, two others made their first starts for UC including senior Jayde Sains and freshman Kate Brocato
• Sains, who made nine starts as a freshman at LIU Brooklyn, recorded four draw controls, tying her career high set Friday at CMU
• Brocato opened her first career start strong as she saved four shots before allowing a goal to be scored, finishing with six stops on the day to better her previous career high of three
// HOW IT HAPPENED
Cincinnati wasted no time jumping into the scoring as Nause scored 40 seconds into the game for a quick 1-0 lead before the hosts tied the game just over six minutes later. But, 29 seconds after the UM goal, Taylor Gysin took a pass from Borzillo and scored to put UC back in front, 2-1. After UM scored to tied it again, neither team was able to score until the 12:05 mark (7:54 after the last goal) with Nause bagging her second of the day as Amanda Donovan set her up. The Wolverines, however, responded with back-to-back goals in a 35-second span to grab their first lead of the day at 4-3. But, the Bearcats would respond once again as Adams scored her first just 32 seconds later to tie things at 4-4 before she scored her second with 2:20 remaining in the half to give UC a 5-4 lead at the break.
In the second half, it looked as if the game was going to remain a back-and-forth affair as Donovan scored 23 seconds into the half for a 6-4 lead before UM tallied just over one minute later. Gianna Napoletano answered back with a goal (assisted by Borzillo, her fourth of the day) to make it 7-5 before the Wolverines answered back 31 seconds later to make it 7-6. That goal, as it turned out, would be the start of a six-goal run by the hosts that saw a 7-6 UC lead at 26:27 remaining turn into an 11-7 deficit with 18:33 remaining.
Nause stepped in and scored the next two goals to halt the UM run as Borzillo assisted on both goals, which came 22 seconds apart, and pushed UC back to within two goals with 17:37 remaining. But that was the closest the Bearcats would get as the Wolverines closed out the game with a run of eight goals in a row to build the final margin in a 19-9 decision.
// A ROLLING NAUSE GATHERS NO MOSS
Entering the weekend, Nause had scored two goals in her first five collegiate games. She had a breakout game at Central Michigan Friday afternoon as she recorded three goals for her first collegiate hat trick and her first multiple-goal game. Today, she bettered that as she scored a team-high four goals to break her single-game record for the second time in as many games while also posting back-to-back hat tricks. Nause, who earned her first career start today, scored the first and last goals of the day for UC while moving into fifth in goal scoring this year for the Bearcats with nine.
// HAPPY HELPER
Borzillo is no stranger to assists as the program's all-time leader now has 80 in her two-plus years in Clifton. One of only two UC players to record 40, 50 and 60 career assists (Katie Kiriazoglou posted 64), she is now the only Bearcats player to have reached the 70 and 80-assist marks and was able to climb to those heights with efforts like today's in which she tied her own single-game record. Previously, she recorded six assists at home against Gardner-Webb (3/17/17) and Butler (4/1/17) before today. Those six assists also give her the single-game record for assists in a road game, bettering the five she recorded at Detroit Mercy last year and the five Kiriazoglou tallied in 2010 at Fresno State.
// X SPOTS HER MARKS
Alexandra Fess finished the game with a pair of career-highs on defense as the junior tallied five caused turnovers and five ground balls. Entering the game, she had recorded three of each for her season highs, bettering both of those categories by two today. On a career scale, her five caused turnovers bettered the three she recorded earlier this year against Marquette while her five ground balls ties her career best she recorded last year against ECU.
// NEXT UP
The Bearcats, after having played seven games in the first month of the season, will take a small break from competition as they will not return to action until Wednesday, March 13, with a road game at Louisville. The meeting with the Cardinals will be the lone game between today's contest with the Wolverines and UC's next home game on Friday, March 22, against San Diego State, a span of 18 days.
// 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 Thomas (Oliver)(@GinaOliverUC) also can be followed on Twitter.