Lacrosse Travels to Marquette Friday

// THE OPENING DRAW
The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team will travel to Milwaukee, Wis., Friday as the Bearcats are set to take on Marquette in a 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET) game at the Golden Eagles' Valley Fields facility. The Bearcats (0-1) are coming off an opening weekend that saw their first game of the year at Kent State postponed by snow in Kent and then a 16-11 loss at home to visiting Louisville. The Golden Eagles (0-1) are coming off an opening weekend 18-3 loss at #7 Notre Dame.

// QUICK SHOTS
• Cincinnati is 0-1 on the year after a home loss to Louisville (16-11) last time out
• Freshman Peyton Mottice led the way in the opener with three points on one goal and two assists
• Gianna Napoletano, Amanda Fess and Taylor Gysin each tallied two goals in the Louisville game
• Freshman Dani MIkvy tallied six ground balls, five caused turnovers and four draw controls in her debut, which earned a place on the AAC's weekly Honor Roll
• Eight rookies saw their first collegiate action against Louisville with four in the starting lineup
• Sister Act III: three sets of sisters are on the 2020 roster this year, including the Fess Triplets (all playing their senior year); the Finotti's (Jennie, a junior, and Sophia, a freshman); and the Mlkvy's (Sam, a senior, and Dani, a freshman)

// FIRST ON THE ROAD
In the previous 12 seasons, the Bearcats are 4-8 in their first road game of the year. UC lost last year in a 19-8 decision at #23 Virginia Tech. Prior to that, a 20-9 win at Gardner-Webb in 2018 snapped a four-game losing skid in the team's first road contest of a season.

// SCOUTING: MARQUETTE
The Golden Eagles are 0-1 on the year after an 18-3 loss at #7 Notre Dame last weekend. Runners-up in the Big East last year, Marquette lost four of its Top 5 scorers from last year and six starters in total. So far this year, Shea Garcia leads the way with two goals while Caroline Steller added the third.

// SERIES HISTORY: BEARCATS vs. GOLDEN EAGLES
Cincinnati trails Marquette, 5-2, in the all-time series that has been played every year since the 2013 season. After the Bearcats took a 14-5 win in 2013 at home, the Golden Eagles would go on to win the next five, all of which were conference games when both were members of the Big East. Last year, however, the Bearcats turned the tables and grabbed a 22-18 victory in Cincinnati to snap the skid.

// MLKVY HONORED
In her debut game, Dani Mlkvy recorded five caused turnovers, six ground balls and four draw controls as she marked one of the top scorers for the Louisville throughout. She led or tied for the team lead in all three categories with her five caused turnovers also ranking her tied for third on the program's single-game record ledger, one off the record of six recorded three times. For her efforts, the freshman was named to this week's AAC Honor Roll.

// MAKING DEBUTS
Mlkvy was one of eight freshmen that saw their first collegiate minutes against Louisville and one of four that earned a place in the starting lineup. The three other starters included Gianna Pope, Kenna Hancock and Peyton Mottice while the other rookies to see minutes included Tori Accardo, Sophia Finotti, Morgan Bates and Anna Green.

// MOTTICE'S STRONG START
Mottice tallied one goal and assisted on two others in her debut and currently leads the team in both points and assists. She also led the team with three shots and four draw controls.

// THAT'S A FIRST
Late in the first half, the Bearcats cut the deficit to three goals (6-3) with Haley Brady scoring the goal. That goal, which Hancock assisted, was the first of Brady's career and came on her only shot of the day. Last year, as a freshman, Brady fired just three shots.

// ​​​​​​​DOUBLE FOR A TRIPLE
Late in the game, Amanda Fess scored back-to-back goals to bring UC to within six once again. Those two scores marked the first time in the senior's career that she has scored multiple goals in the same game.

LOOKING BACK AT 2019
// HISTORIC HAUL
The postseason awards for the American were announced with the Bearcats earning two major awards and seven all-conference honors. The two major awards mark the first time in program history UC has earned any while the seven all-conference selections more than double the previous all-time total of six earned in the last four years playing in the Big East Conference.

// ​​​​​​​TOP HONOR: FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
One of the first major awards earned is AAC Freshman of the Year and that went to Kylie Nause. The top scoring rookie in the league, Nause tallied 41 goals and four assists for 45 points. She has totaled 10 hat tricks on the year, including seven in a row at one point. 

// TOP HONOR: COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR
The second major award saw the UC coaches earn the AAC Coaching Staff of the Year. Heading into the year, the Bearcats were picked to finish fifth in the AAC and miss the tournament. However, the team improved its overall win total for the fourth year in a row, doubled is all-time conference wins haul and challenged for the league crown, going 4-1 overall to earn the second seed in the tournament. The Bearcats broke numerous records throughout the year, including overall wins (12), conference wins (4), home wins (10), overall wins in a row (8), home wins in a row (10) and will post the first over .500 winning percentage in program history.

// FOUR ON FIRST TEAM
Four Bearcats earned AAC All-Conference First Team honors, including Monica Borzillo, Morgan Dukes, Sam Mlkvy and Nause. Borzillo, the first UC player to earn three awards in a career, earned her first on the first-team as she was also a unanimous selection. Mlkvy is the first midfield player to earn first-team honors at UC while Nause is the first freshman to earn first-team accolade (Borzillo was second team in 2017). Dukes is the second defender to earn a spot on the first team after Kyara Byner (2016).

// THREE ON SECOND TEAM
The Bearcats also had three women appearing on the second team including Amanda Donovan, Giuliana Durso and Adrianna Fess. Donovan is making her second appearance on a second team after earning the distinction in 2017 in the Big East. She also joins Borzillo as the only two Bearcats to earn multiple all-conference selections. Durso and Fess both earned their first accolades with Durso becoming the first UC goalie to receive an honor.

// 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. Coach Gina Thomas (@GinaOliverUC) also can be followed on Twitter.

// ​​​​​​​NEXT TIME
The Bearcats will return to action Wednesday, February 16, when they head north to Columbus for a meeting with Ohio State. The game between the Bearcats and Buckeyes is slated for a 4 p.m. start.