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NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara women's lacrosse team will open the 2014 season with an away matchup at Robert Morris on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Joe Walton Stadium with the opening draw set for 2 p.m.
 
DON'T MISS OUT
•   Live stats and live video for Sunday's afternoon game against the Colonials will be available.  To access live stats or live video, please click on the appropriate link above.

 
NIAGARA TIDBITS
•   Last season the Purple Eagles went 5-11 overall and finished 1-5 in the MAAC standings for sixth place.   

•   Three of Niagara's top five scorers from last season will wear the Purple and White, including junior Carrie-Jo Farrugia who scored a career-high 19 goals and added a team-leading 17 assists for 36 points.  Sophomore Danielle Maio and senior Maria Battista also return as offensive threats.  Maio recorded a team-high 23 goals, while dishing out eight assists for 31 points.  She also picked up 28 groundballs, winning 33 draw controls and causing 12 turnovers—all three were top three numbers on the team.  Battista netted 21 goals and added five assists for 26 points.

•   Paige Matecki and Kayla Smith will look to continue their success on the field, after Matecki picked up 22 groundballs and led the team with 36 draw controls won, while Smith was second on the team with 13 caused turnovers, and added 23 ground balls.
•   Paige Sasser was last season's go-to goaltender for the Purple Eagles, making 152 saves.  This season she will vie for the position with a pair of freshman goalies in Andrea Francisco and Amanda Yavorek.

SCOUTING THE COLONIALS

•   Robert Morris wrapped up the 2013 season with an 8-8 overall mark while going 4-5 in Northeast Conference action, finishing seventh in the league. 

•   The Colonials return sophomore Jessica Karwacki, an All-NEC rookie team honoree, who led the NCAA with 9.56 draw controls per game while setting a new NCAA record with 152 draw controls in the season.  All-NEC first team and All-NEC rookie team award winner Brittany Vyerly also returns to the mix after leading the squad in goals (32), assists (12) and points (44) her rookie season.

•   Goaltending duties will likely go to senior Kaitlin Pentz.  Last season she made 114 saves and earned eight victories.

ALL-TIME VS. ROBERT MORRIS
 •   Niagara and Robert Morris are deadlocked in the all-time series, 2-2 which began in 2005. 
 •   The last time these two squads met was during the 2013 season where the Colonials dropped the Purple Eagles 18-7.  Carrie-Jo Farrugia led the team that day with a trio of point off a pair of goals and an assist. 

 
PREASEASON MAAC HONORS
•   Carrie-Jo Farrugia was placed on the Preseason All-MAAC Team by the league's coaches, the first Purple Eagle to receive the honor since Emma-Lee Harrison ('08) was named to the 2008 Preseason All-MAAC Team.
 •   Niagara was picked to finish eighth in the conference standings, garnering 17 total points.  

2013 HIGHLIGHTS
•   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 Purple and White had pocketed three successive wins.  The 16-6 victory also earned Niagara its largest margin of victory since earning a 23-5 win over Howard in 2009.

•   Niagara won its first game against St. Bonaventure in program history last year when the Purple Eagles dropped the Bonnies, 9-7 on March 12.
•   The Purple and White had a pair of players named to the All-Conference teams last season as Carrie-Jo Farrugia earned a spot on the MAAC Second Team, and Danielle Maio was placed on the MAAC All-Rookie Team.

ON DECK
•   Niagara will open up the home portion of its schedule on Saturday, March 1 when the Purple Eagles host Cincinnati at Niagara Field at 3 p.m.
•   After its tilt against the Bearcats, Niagara will head out on a two-game road trip starting with LIU Brooklyn on March 4 in Brookville, N.Y. and wrapping up on March 6 at Binghamton.