Lacrosse Lifts Lid on 2020 this Weekend with Two Games

// THE OPENING DRAW
The University of Cincinnati lacrosse team, coming off its best season in program history, will look to build upon the successes of 2019 starting this weekend as the Bearcats will open their 2020 season with a pair of games. First, UC will travel to Kent State Friday for a 3 p.m. season-opener before capping the weekend Sunday at Gettler Stadium with a visit from Louisville at 1 p.m.

// GOING LIVE
Both games this week will be streamed live online with live stats also being provided. BoxCast.tv will carry the UC at KSU game Friday with KentStateSports.com providing live stats. Sunday, GoBearcats.com will have both on its site, including the free web stream via BearcatsTV.

// EXPERIENCE UC
Once again in 2020, 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 finished the 2019 season with a 12-7 record and was second in the AAC with a 4-1 mark
• The Bearcats advanced to their first postseason appearance and went 1-1 as they downed Temple in the AAC Tournament semifinal before falling to #18 Florida in the championship game
• Three Bearcats earned preseason AAC All-Conference honors ahead of the season, including Morgan Dukes, who was a unanimous decision, along with Monica Borzillo and Kylie Nause
• Borzillo is back for her senior season after an impressive junior campaign saw her rank second nationally in points per game (5.68), seventh in points (108), 10th in assists (47) and 12th in assists per game (2.47)
• Kylie Nause was named the AAC Freshman of the Year last year
• 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)

// LID LIFTING: SEASON
The Bearcats are 3-9 all-time in their first game of the season and have fallen in their last six in a row, including a 16-6 set back at home to Ohio State year. The last time the Bearcats won their first game of the year came in 2013 when they scored a 13-8 win at Coastal Carolina in head coach Gina Thomas' UC debut. The game at Kent State will mark the 10th time in 13 years that the Bearcats have opened their season on the road (3-6) with the last instance coming in 2017, a 17-8 loss at Ohio State.

// 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.

// LID LIFTING: HOME OPENERS
Sunday's game with Louisville will also be the home opener for the Bearcats. UC enters the game with a 5-7 record in home openers all-time and will look to snap a two-game skid that includes a 16-6 setback last year to Ohio State and 15-9 loss to visiting Louisville in 2018. UC also is 4-3 in home openers under Thomas.

// SCOUTING: KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes are entering their second varsity season. Their inaugural season saw them post a 2-15 overall record and a 1-5 mark in Atlantic Sun play. Kent State lost its first 10 games of the year before grabbing a 21-6 defeat of Delaware State at home for the program's first win. Five games later, a 17-1 win at home over Howard gave them their first league victory. Two of the team's top scorers return this year, including Abby Jones, who tallied 52 points on 32 goals and 20 assists, and Megan Kozar, who recorded 35 points on 26 goals and nine assists. Defensively, Grace Merrill, who saw most of the action in goal last year, is back this year after recorded 165 saves and allowing 257 goals.

// SERIES HISTORY: BEARCATS vs. FLASHES
Cincinnati leads the all-time series, 1-0, after downing the visiting Golden Flashes last year, 19-8, in Kent State's inaugural varsity contest. The meeting in Kent Friday will mark UC's first visit to KSU.

// SCOUTING: LOUISVILLE
The Cardinals have two of their Top 3 scorers back from last year's team that went 5-13 overall and 0-7 in ACC play. Ally Hall is the top returning scorer as she was second with 40 points on 28 goals and 12 assists. Joining her is Shayla Scanlan, the #3 scorer, who tallied 33 points on 26 goals and seven assists. Rachel Florek is back after seeing most of the minutes in goal when she recorded 113 saves and 176 goals allowed in her 17 starts and 18 appearances.

// SERIES HISTORY: BEARCATS vs. CARDINALS
Louisville leads the all-time series, 12-0, and holds a 6-0 advantage when the games are played in Cincinnati. The last meeting saw the host Cardinals score an 18-12 win in Louisville (3/14/19) with UC falling, 15-9, in the last game played in Cincinnati (2/9/18).

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
One game awaits the Bearcats next week as they will travel north to Milwaukee on Friday, February 14, for a 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET) game at Marquette.