March 23, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 9-ranked Nittany Lion women's lacrosse team will look to extend a three game winning streak on Sunday when it hosts William & Mary (2-7) in a 1 p.m. non-conference game at Penn State Lacrosse Field.
Last weekend, Penn State secured a key come-from-behind win in Nashville, rallying from as many as five goals down in the second half to defeat ALC foe Vanderbilt, 12-11, in overtime. After scoring five goals in Penn State's win over Hofstra in a mid-week contest, freshman Tatum Coffey (Toms River, N.J.) followed up by netting six goals versus the Commodores, including the game winner in overtime. Sophomore Mackenzie Cyr (Westminster, Md.) added two goals and three assists while senior Theresa Zichelli (Severna Park, Md.) scored twice, both during PSU's second half rally. Senior goalkeeper Dana Cahill (Towson, Md.) was instrumental in the win on the defensive end, totaling 11 saves, including six in the second half as the Lions were clawing their way back into the game.
Coffey, who leads Penn State in goals with 23, was recognized for her standout performances versus Hofstra and Vanderbilt, earning conference and national honors. In addition to being named ALC Offensive Player of the Week, she was selected as WomensLax.com Rookie of the Week, Inside Lacrosse/Nike Player of the Week, and SynapseSports.com Offensive Player of the Week.
William & Mary enters Sunday's game mired in a four game losing streak, including setbacks to three top ten ranked teams - No. 1 Northwestern , No. 6 Florida, and No. 10 Virginia. Sophomore Taelor Salmon leads the Tribe in goals scored with 19 while redshirt senior Maggie Anderson and freshman Kaleigh Noon each have a team high eight assists. Kyrstin Mackrides, cousin of Penn State men's lacrosse player Matthew Mackrides, ranks third with 13 goals. Freshman goalkeeper Lucy Ferguson, a starter of all nine games this season, anchors a William & Mary defense that is allowing an average of 14-plus goals per game.
Penn State has more wins against William & Mary, 24, in its program history than any other school with the exception of one, Delaware (25). Last year, Penn State got goals from nine different Nittany Lions to knock off the then-No. 16 Tribe, 17-8, in Williamsburg. After dropping three straight in the series from 2004-06, Penn State has claimed five consecutive victories. The teams have met every year since 1980.
Fans can track all of the action of the Penn State-William & Mary match-up with live stats from GameTracker or receive game updates by following the official Twitter account of the Penn State women's lacrosse team, @GoPSUWLax. Find links on the official website of Nittany Lion athletics, www.GoPSUsports.com.
Penn State, which is ranked in the top 10 of the IWLCA poll for the first time since April 2007, will put its unblemished 5-0 road record on the line next weekend when it travels to the Sunshine State for an critical ALC clash with No. 5 Florida (9-2). The Saturday, April 1 game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start at Donald R. Dizney Stadium in Gainesville. The Nittany Lions are 0-2 all-time versus the Gators.