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NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y.— The Niagara women’s lacrosse team will look for its first conference win of the season when the Purple Eagles host local rival Canisius on Wednesday, April 3 at 7 p.m. at Niagara Field.

Tune In
Live stats will be available for Wednesday’s game.  Click on the link above to follow all the action.

The game will also be aired live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.  

Purple Eagles 101
Niagara will welcome Canisius to Niagara Field with a 4-7 overall mark, and a 0-1 MAAC record.  

Thirteen Purple Eagles have pocketed two points or more in 11 games, with five earning 10-plus points so far this season.  The offense is led by a pair of underclassman. Sophomore Carrie-Jo Farrugia  is tops on the team in points (24) and assists (15), while freshman Danielle Maio is second on the team in both goals (16) and points (22).  Senior Maria Battista has been hot in the goal-scoring department, leading the team with 17 scores.

Maio has picked up 16 groundballs, while Paige Matecki is tops on the team with 27 won draw controls.  Kayla Smith has also been a key player in the midfield grabbing 16 ground balls, 19 draw controls and forcing 10 turnovers on her opponents. 

Paige Sasser is the go-to goaltender for NU, making 93 saves in 11 games for a 13.35 goals-against average and a .391 save percentage. 

Last Time Out
The Purple Eagles began MAAC play with a 22-8 loss to the Marist Red Foxes on Saturday.  Niagara received offensive contributions from five different Purps, including a multi-point contest from Danielle Maio (2-1-3), Maria Battista (2-0-2).  Paige Sasser made five stops in goal. 

Battle of the Bridge
Wednesday’s contest will count toward the two rival schools’ Battle of the Bridge series.  Canisius currently leads the 2012-13 series, 14-11, with the women’s lacrosse matchup worth two points.  Canisius needs 16.5 points to win the trophy for the third consecutive year, while Niagara needs 17 points to reclaim it. 

Scouting the Golden Griffins
The Griffs come to Monteagle Ridge with a 7-3 overall record and a win in the pocket in the team’s first conference game last Saturday against Iona.

Tori Quinn leads the team with 43 points and 29 goals this season.  Maria Kotes ranks second on the Griffins with 33 points, while Morgan Leonard is second on the Griffin’s with 26 goals. 

Kayla Scully has appeared in nine games in goal for Canisius, posting an 8.11 goals-against average and .509 save percentage. 

All-Time vs. Canisius
The Purple Eagles will be meeting up with the Griffins for the 19^th time in a series that dates back to 1998.  Niagara holds a slim 10-8 advantage over its cross-town rival, but Canisius has won the last eight games.  Last season, the Griffs dropped the Purps by a 21-3 score at the Demske Sports Complex.       

Home Sweet Home
Heading into the second week of conference play, Niagara holds a 3-1 record on home turf.  The Purps need one more win to tie the program record of four home victories currently held by the 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004 squads.  

Lucky Number Three
With the 16-6 victory against LIU Brooklyn on March 16, the lacrosse team extended their unbeaten streak to three games, the first time since the 2006 season that the Purps have pocketed three successive wins. 

Finding Net
The 16-6 victory over LIU Brooklyn this season was the largest margin of victory since earning a 23-5 win over Howard in 2009.

Up Next for NU
Niagara is back in action on Saturday’ when it hosts Fairfield at noon at Niagara Field.   The team’s final home game of the season is on April 20 against Manhattan when the Purps return to Monteagle Ridge after a road trip to New Rochelle, N.Y. to battle Iona (April 13).