Game Notes: Women's Lax Plays Host to Holy Cross (March 2; 4pm)

UNH Women's Lacrosse: GAME 5
Holy Cross (0-4) at New Hampshire (1-3)
Wednesday, March 2 • Cowell Stadium • 4 p.m.
Video – Stats

THE MATCHUP
UNH has a 17-2 lifetime record against College of the Holy Cross and that includes last year's 12-10 win in Worcester (Mass.). The Wildcats have won each of the last six meetings spanning the 2007-15 seasons (the teams did not play in 2012-13-14). The last time the Crusaders made the pilgrimage to Durham was in 2010, when UNH prevailed 10-4. Holy Cross' most recent win occurred Feb. 28, 2006 with a 12-11 overtime victory at UNH's Memorial Field.

One year ago at Holy Cross field, UNH held two-goal leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 5-3 but the teams entered halftime tied at 5. The Wildcats struck first in the second half, but Holy Cross responded with consecutive goals 40 seconds apart to give the Crusaders their first – and only – lead of the game, 7-6. UNH scored back-to-back goals to regain the lead before the visitors tied the score, 8-8, with 19:56 remaining. The 'Cats netted goals 56 seconds apart – at 18:58 and 18:02 – and extended the advantage to 11-8 at 15:59. Holy Cross pulled within 12-10 with just under three minutes to play and won the ensuing draw control, but then committed a turnover and UNH maintained possession the rest of the way to secure the win.

Laura McHoul orchestrated a balanced 'Cat attack with five assists and one goal. Kayleigh Hinkle (3g) and Becca Graves (2g) were the top goals scorers for an offense that featured nine different goal scorers.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
UNH has a 1-3 overall record that includes 1-1 at home. The Wildcats have lost three consecutive games since defeating Hofstra University, 14-8, in the Feb. 13 season opener at Cowell Stadium.

Wednesday's matchup vs. Holy Cross is the middle game of a three-game homestand that concludes Saturday (12 p.m.) against Fairfield University.

UNH took a 1-0 lead each of the first three games of the season. UConn was the first opponent to strike first against the Wildcats.

New Hampshire recorded the advantage in either ground balls or draw controls for the first time this season in last Saturday's 13-7 loss to 20^th-ranked UConn. The Wildcats had a 16-15 edge in ground balls and 11-10 margin in draw controls.

The opponent has recorded the shot advantage each of the last three games; the shots were even, 21-21, in the season opener vs. Hofstra. The differential was minimal in two games last week with Dartmouth College finishing with a 29-24 shot advantage and UConn tallying the 23-21 edge.

UNH has been outscored 48-35 overall, including 25-19 in the first half and 23-16 in the second.

'CAT NIPS
Sophomore midfielder Devan Miller recorded her first career multiple-point game with two goals last Saturday vs. 20^th-ranked UConn. She also tallied two ground balls and one caused turnover. Miller has scored a goal in 3 of 4 games, as has sophomore attack Krissy Schafer. Schafer ranks second in goals with five while Miller is tied for third with four.

Sophomore attack Carly Wooters is the only Wildcat who has scored a goal every game this season and she leads the team in both goals (eight) and points (nine) as well as shots (15). Wooters has three multiple-point games, including two multiple-goal efforts.

Senior attack Laura McHoul is the only 'Cat who as recorded an assist every game. She has a team-high four assists and ranks second in points (eight).

Junior defender Hope Kissick led the team with a career-high five draw controls against UConn. She was also credited with two ground balls and one caused turnover vs. the Huskies. Kissick has a team-high nine draw controls and she is also tied for first in caused turnovers (three) and tied for second in ground balls (six).

In her first game of the season, junior attack Devon Croke scored a goal vs. UConn.

FREE & CLEAR
The percentages are nearly identical when comparing UNH and the opposition in both free positions and clear attempts. The Wildcats have scored on 8 of 18 free-position shots (44.4%) and opponents have the same number of free-position goals on one more shot attempt (42.1%). UNH has an 80.0% successful clear rate (60 of 75) and the opposition is at 79.7% (51 of 64).

106 AND COUNTING
Senior attacker Laura McHoul entered the 2016 season as UNH's record holder for career assists with 102; she supplanted Karen Geromini, who tallied 101 assists, as the record holder last season. McHoul has one assist each of the first four games to increase that total to 106.

McHoul broke New Hampshire's single-season assist record with 39 in the 2014 season. She also holds No. 3 with 33 in 2013 and No. 5 with 30 in 2015.

CLIMBING THE ALL-TIME POINTS LIST
Laura McHoul enters Wednesday's game vs. Holy Cross with 68 goals and 106 assists for 174 points in 53 career games; those calculate to averages of 1.28 gpg, 2.00 apg and 3.28 ppg.

McHoul is currently No. 9 on the program's all-time points leaderboard. Ahead of her are No. 8 Pauline Collins (178) and No. 7 Liz Brickley (179); also on the horizon in No. 6 Shaunna Kaplan (187).

LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
Sophomore goalkeeper Kate Clancy returns to reprise her role as starting goalkeeper. Through four games, she has stopped 40 of 88 shots on goal for a 12.00 GAA and .455 save percentage. She matched her career high of 12 saves in consecutive games at UMass (Feb. 20) and at Dartmouth (Feb. 23).

Clancy started all 16 games last season and played 895:51 of a possible 966:00 minutes (90.0%).

50/75
Senior attacker Nicole Grote is approaching 50 career goals and 75 career points. She currently has 48 goals and 74 points. Laura McHoul is the only current 'Cat with more goals or points.

SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
The College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Mass.) fell to 0-4 after dropping a close game, 8-7, to Bryant University at home last Tuesday. In its only road game of the season, Holy Cross was upended 16-5 at UMass in the Feb. 12 season opener. The Crusaders scored a season-high 10 goals in a 14-10 loss to Sacred Heart University.

In last week's one-goal loss to Bryant, junior attack Tess MacKay led the team with two goals on five shots. Kaitlin Concilio recorded two assists and her 100^th career point. Julia Maloney made a career-high 13 saves on 21 shots on goal for a .619 save percentage. HC finished with the slight edge in ground balls (19-15), draw controls (9-8) and turnovers (16-18); Bryant had the 29-27 shot advantage. The Crusaders led 5-2 with 11:56 remaining in the first half but the Bulldogs rallied to tied the score before halftime and opened the second half on a 3-1 run to take an 8-6 lead with 14:31 to play.

Through four games, Concilio leads the charge for the Crusaders racking up four goals and five assists for nine points. MacKay leads the team in goals scored with five on only eight shots.

On the defensive end of the field, Maloney has started all four games in goal and has made 41 saves with 56 goals against for a .423 save percentage and 14.22 GAA. Anna Johnson is the Holy Cross leader in both ground balls and draw controls, and she ranks second in caused turnovers.

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