Women’s lacrosse is returning to Storrs, just a little bit earlier than expected.
UConn will play its women’s lacrosse home opener on Thursday at Shankman Training Center at 6 p.m in front of a limited crowd.
UConn has moved the game a day ahead due to inclement weather expected in Storrs. The Huskies are also moving the game from their usual home location of Morrone Stadium to Shankman Training Center.
The Huskies, sitting at 1-1, are at an even .500 winning percentage and looking to avenge their loss to No. 13 James Madison University from last weekend. That loss dropped UConn women’s lacrosse to No. 25 in the country, giving the team a chip on its shoulder. This game, along with Sunday’s game against the University of New Hampshire, are must win games for UConn head coach Katie Woods.
UConn is looking for a big game out of Sydney Watson. The midfielder did not play one of her best games against JMU, netting just one late game goal in the loss. The team will be looking for a game more like the team’s season opener, where she grabbed four goals in a close win over Fairfield.
Grace Coon has been one of UConn’s biggest weapons in the team’s past two games. The senior led the team in goals against JMU with two early scoring opportunities and netted three goals against Fairfield. Coon is another great player for the competitive Huskies.
UMass Lowell has not had the start to the season it was hoping for. The team sits at 1-2 with its lone win coming against Marist College at 11-10. UMass Lowell suffered back to back losses against No. 24 UMass Amherst and Holy Cross. The team is looking to get back on track and get a confidence boost with a road win against the Huskies.
The River Hawks have plenty of ways to score across the team. Junior Molly Shaw has made an incredible impact on the scoring end. The midfielder has looked to set a tone early for UMass Lowell with seven goals, including a four goal game against Marist.
Redshirt freshman Emily Stratton has been another effective scoring route for the River Hawks. Her six goals on the season make UMass Lowell even more dangerous on offense and puts elevated pressure on UConn goalkeeper Landyn White.
Then there’s Megan Brockbank, who’s helped set her teammates up for easy opportunities on offense. Her six assists and three goals make her the leading point scorer for UMass Lowell.
UMass Lowell’s big three players will put immense pressure on White to be on her A-game. With the wealth of offensive options for UMass Lowell, she is the key to a UConn win on Thursday.
