March 15, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 7/9 Penn State women's lacrosse team will begin ALC play Sunday, March 17 when it welcomes Vanderbilt to Holuba Hall for a noon matchup.
The Nittany Lions (4-3, 0-0 ALC) will commence its conference season against the Commodores (1-7, 0-1 ALC) for the 12th straight campaign. Penn State is 5-6 all-time in ALC openers but holds an 8-7 all-time mark against Vanderbilt.
In its last matchup, Penn State fell to No. 14/16 Cornell in a 13-12 double overtime heartbreaker in Ithaca, N.Y., March 13.
A quartet of Nittany Lions - junior Mackenzie Cyr (Westminster, Md.), sophomores Kelly Lechner (Silver Spring, Md.) and Maggie McCormick (Eldersburg, Md.) and freshman Jenna Mosketti (Fallston, Md.) - led the team with a pair of goals each against the Big Red, while freshman goalkeeper Emi Smith (Denver, Colo.) made a season-high 12 saves.
McCormick, who last year led Penn State with 59 points, is on pace to set new career highs in goals, assists and points. Through seven games, the Eldersburg, Md., native paces the squad in all three categories, while ranking among the nation's top-15 student-athletes in assists and points.
In addition to McCormick, Cyr has been a pillar of consistency for the Nittany Lions dating back to last season. The Westminster, Md., native has recorded at least one point in 14 straight games and has netted at least three goals in four games this season.
Vanderbilt will enter the weekend matchup at 1-7 overall and 0-1 in ALC play. The Commodores' lone victory came in a 22-3 triumph against Kennesaw State Feb. 10. In its conference opener, the squad fell to Northwestern, 15-8, Feb. 24. Senior attack Carly Linthicum paces the squad with 37 points and 31 goals.
In the teams' last meeting in 2012, Penn State rallied from as many as five goals down in the second half to defeat then-No. 8 Vanderbilt, 12-11, in overtime March 18. Midfielder Tatum Coffey (Toms River, N.J.) netted six markers, including the game-winner, while Cyr collected two goals and three assists.
Following Sunday afternoon's game, Penn State will return to non-conference action Friday, March 22 when it visits Drexel.