The UConn women’s lacrosse team (9-5, 2-2) will look to get back in the win column when they host Xavier this Saturday.
The Huskies are coming off a disappointing road loss to Marquette. UConn trailed by as many as six goals but cut the deficit to one with a little over two minutes to go. The Huskies were unable to find the back of the net in the final minutes and fell to Marquette by a score of 16-15. Emma Dacey and Megan O’Brien each notched hat tricks, with Dacey notching two assists. Rayea Davis scored twice and reached the 40-goal mark for the second straight season. Jenna Giardina also tallied two goals.
Davis, along with captains Eliza Bowman and Riley Daly, are the players to watch for the Huskies. Davis has scored a team-leading 41 goals this season, but Bowman is not far behind with 33. In addition, Bowman has also had past success against the Musketeers, scoring four goals in last year’s matchup. On the defensive side, Daly has been a steady presence for the Huskies. She leads the team with 83 draw controls on the season and will look to create more chances for the UConn attack on Saturday.
It has been another tough season for Xavier. Since the team’s inception in 2023, they have failed to win a single Big East game. This season, the Musketeers sit at 1-11, with a current losing streak of six games. Xavier lost their most recent game to Villanova by a score of 18-9. Sophomore Megan Droney netted two goals and was the only Musketeer to score more than once. Freshman Maya Graham tallied a goal and two assists, while goalkeeper Teegan Lannon had 13 saves.
Lola Mancuso represents Xavier’s biggest scoring threat. The junior attacker has scored 39 goals this season. However, she is coming off her first scoreless outing of the season. Senior Julie Cassidy is second on the team with 20 goals and is another player the Huskies will need to keep an eye on.
UConn currently sits on the outside looking in at the Big East tournament. Only the top four teams qualify for Big East postseason play, and the Huskies currently sit in fifth place with a 2-2 conference record. Three of the four teams ahead of them in the standings – Denver, Georgetown, and Marquette – each have three wins. A tournament berth is well within reach, but with two games remaining in the regular season, the Huskies need to take care of business this weekend.
Due to the importance of this game, it has been announced that Saturday will be $2 Miller Lite Day at Morrone Stadium. Faceoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on FloSports.