AmericaEast.TV Live Stream

The Niagara lacrosse team begins its season Saturday with the first of five consecutive road games to start the season. The Purple Eagles will face off against the Binghamton Bearcats Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex. A free live stream of the game is provided through AmericaEast.TV at the link above.
 
Niagara is coming off of its first MAAC postseason berth since 2003 and fourth overall in the program's history. A 3-5 record in conference play placed the Purple Eagles in sixth place in the MAAC, but the team lost in the first round, falling 14-9 to Monmouth. The Purple Eagles welcome back 18 returning members from last year's team, with 10 newcomers joining for the 2016 season.
 
Last Year In Review
 

• Niagara finished the 2015 season with a 6-12 overall record.
• The Purple Eagles picked up non-conference wins over Cincinnati, Stetson, and St. Bonaventure, in addition to MAAC wins over Iona, Quinnipiac, and Manhattan.
• With a 3-5 conference record, Niagara advanced to the MAAC Championships for the fourth time in program history, with the other three appearances coming in 2000, 2001, and 2003.
• Niagara graduated two of its three leading scorers from 2015, Carrie-Jo Farrugia and Erin Patenaude.
• Farrugia was named to the 2015 All-MAAC First Team after posting 36 goals and 13 assists in 18 games.
• In her four years on Monteagle Ridge, Farrugia accumulated 159 points, ranking as the program's third leading all-time scorer behind Mary Cutia (202 points, 1997-00) and Sandra Gallegos (178 points, 2000-03).
• Kara Martin was named to the 2015 All-MAAC Second Team. As a sophomore on defense, Martin led the Purple Eagles with 44 ground balls and finished second on the team with 15 caused turnovers.
• Samantha Brill, Jillian Ford, and Grace Hunt were all named to the 2015 All-MAAC Rookie Team.
• Brill was a defensive starter who finished the year with 27 loose balls and seven caused turnovers.
• Ford, a midfielder, registered nine points on seven goals and two assists to go with 14 ground balls, 10 draw controls, and 12 caused turnovers.
• Hunt finished sixth on the team in scoring with eight goals and 13 assists in 18 games.

Preseason Poll
 

• In the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Niagara was picked to finish sixth out of nine teams in the MAAC.
• Canisius and Fairfield were ranked as the top two teams, earning 77 and 76 votes, respectively.
• Monmouth was voted third with 61 points, followed by Marist (53 votes), Siena (45 votes), and Niagara.
• The conference rankings were rounded out by Iona with 27 votes, Manhattan with 19, and Quinnipiac with 13.
• Kara Martin was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team on defense, the first such honor for a Purple Eagle since the 2014 preseason poll.

 
Reviewing the Roster
 

• Niagara's roster features 28 players this season, 18 of whom are returning players (6 seniors, 6 juniors, 6 sophomores).
• The Purple Eagles' 10 newcomers consist of nine freshmen and one graduate student. The incoming class of 10 is broken up into three attackers, four midfielders, two defenders, and one goaltender.
• Three of the four starting defenders from 2015 – Brill, Martin, and Elizabeth Benedict – return for the 2016 season.
• Junior Taylor Wolf is Niagara's leading returning scorer. Wolf posted 32 goals and seven assists in 18 games last season.
• Junior Andrea Francisco returns in net after posting a 12.95 goals-against average and .373 save percentage in 15 starts in 2015.

 
Long Distance
 

• The Purple Eagles kick off the season with five road games before their home opener Sunday, March 13 vs. Cincinnati.
• The season opens Saturday, Feb. 20 as Niagara takes on the Binghamton Bearcats at 2:00 p.m.
• Niagara has two games on the docket next week, traveling for games at Colgate (Tuesday Feb. 23, 4:00 p.m.) and Robert Morris (Friday Feb. 26, 3:00 p.m.).
• The team then heads to Florida for two games in the first week of March. Niagara takes on Coastal Carolina in Jacksonville, FL March 1 at 12:00 p.m.
• Niagara then travels to Gainesville to take on the University of Florida Gators March 4 at 6:30 p.m. The Gators are currently ranked 10th overall in the NCAA.

Leading the Eagles
 

• This season, the Purple Eagles lacrosse team will be captain by seniors Elizabeth Benedict, Danielle Maio, and Jaclyn Schreiber, as well as junior Kara Martin.
• Benedict was named a team captain for the second straight season, while this is the first year as captains for Maio, Martin, and Schreiber.

 
Scouting the Bearcats
 

• The Binghamton Bearcats posted a 6-11 record in 2015, including a 1-5 mark in America East.
• Niagara is 4-6-0 all-time against the Bearcats.
• Last season, the Purple Eagles rallied late but fell to Binghamton by a score of 9-7 on March 23, 2015 at Niagara Field.
• Binghamton started its season Feb. 14 with a 9-6 road loss to No. 3 Syracuse.
• Bearcats attacker Sophia Racciatti led the team in scoring at Syracuse with one goal and one assist.

Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for lacrosse updates, follow @NiagaraWLax. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook.com/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.