The UConn women’s lacrosse team is set to return to Storrs to take on Manhattan at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22. The Huskies head into this match ranked at No. 24, according to Inside Lacrosse. However, the team occupies the No. 22 spot in the rankings, per IWLCA, after taking their first loss to James Madison.
Both teams hardly know each other, as they only faced off once back in 2022, with Connecticut taking an impressive 16-6 win. The Huskies’ top scorer, Sydney Watson, put up three goals, but the senior graduated following the 2022 season. To add on, the team took advantage of 21 groundballs. On the other hand, the Jaspers struggled defensively, allowing UConn to take 27 shots on goal with 33 attempts. If the same story is told on Saturday, the Huskies have a solid shot at coming up with the victory.
Looking at Connecticut’s roster, getting the ball to Rayea Davis is a must, as she leads the team with 11 goals within three matchups. To add on, the redshirt junior consistently pressures the opponent’s keeper with accurate snipes. The attacker targeted the net 27 times, with 25 on the money. Besides Davis, Ava Plata, Eliza Bowman and Eve McGrogan, are all integral towards their teams’ offense and score at least once a game. Against James Madison, Plata stepped up and punched two of her own in. Seeing her momentum continue into Saturday could happen.
Defensively, Riley Daly and Abby Beran dominate the backfield for UConn. The defensive duo combined for a total of 34 controlled draws and snatched 17 ground balls so far. However, the Jaspers caused 41 turnovers against their opponents, while the Huskies disrupted 25 plays this season. Despite allowing 11 balls to go past her, Tori Cini saved nine attempts. If the Huskies can force more turnovers, then an easy victory for the program is on the horizon.
Turning the page, if the Jaspers want to take a dub, more attackers need to step up. Restricting Olivia Cruthers is a must for UConn, as she leads the team with eight netters and 23 attempts. In addition, the senior is the only player with double-digit targets. With that being said, problems can arise quickly for Manhattan if their star performer gets less possession time. To add on, the team struggles with holding onto the rock, as they botched 60 plays. Defensively, the program finds difficulty defending the net, as Danielle Serbinski allowed 30 balls to get by her.
The Huskies look to get back on track after falling to James Madison, while the Jaspers want to get back to a .500 record. Husky fans can tune into this matchup on UConn+.