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The Purple Eagles lacrosse team enters its final non-conference matchup of the season on Tuesday at 6-6, the team's best mark through 12 games played since 2006. For the second straight year, Niagara will travel to Ann Arbor for a contest against the Michigan Wolverines. Opening draw between Niagara and Michigan is Tuesday, April 12 at 5 p.m.
 
Last Time Out

• Niagara fell to 2-2 in conference play with an 8-6 loss at home to the Iona Gaels on April 9.
• Caroline Crump led Niagara with three goals and two assists, while Sarah Arndt (0+2) and Taylor Wolf (2+0) each tallied two points.
• Defensively, Alexandra Higgins collected five ground balls, six draw controls, and four caused turnovers, while Elizabeth Benedict had six ground balls and three caused turnovers.
• The Purple Eagles seized a 2-1 lead five minutes into the game, but Iona took a six-goal run into halftime, finishing 30 minutes of play in front 7-2.
• Andrea Francisco made four saves in the first period as Niagara was outshot 15-8.
• Iona pushed the lead to six goals just 1:07 after halftime, but the Niagara defense stifled the Gaels from there and held them to eight goals for the day.
• Niagara broke its scoring drought with 14:16 to play, as Crump scored two goals just 2:22 apart to cut the deficit to 8-4.
• Arndt set up Wolf for a goal with 3:27 to play, and Niagara won the ensuing draw before Crump found Cailyn Negus to cut Iona's lead to two late in the game.
• Niagara had chances to continue to narrow the lead, but Iona goalkeeper Thea Leitman made two point-blank saves on Jillian Ford to preserve the 8-6 lead for the win.

 
Niagara Notes

• At 21 ground balls per game, Niagara maintains its position at the top of the MAAC in that category, ranking seventh nationally.
• Niagara is also second in the MAAC in goals against per game (9.92) and caused turnovers per game (9.00).
• Andrea Francisco made 17 saves in a 10-9 win at Marist on April 5, the most saves in one game by any MAAC goalkeeper this season.
• Francisco currently ranks second in the MAAC with a 10.05 goals-against average.
• Caroline Crump leads all MAAC freshmen in scoring with 34 points this season. She ranks tied for ninth in scoring in the conference, and her 11 assists are tied for ninth as well.
• With 4.08 draw controls per game, Alexandra Higgins ranks fourth in the MAAC and 20th in the NCAA. Danielle Maio has 2.92 draw controls per game to rank eighth in the conference.
• Freshman Alexis Morales is one of four players in the MAAC with three game-winning goals in 2016.

 
Scouting the Wolverines (5-8, 0-2 Big Ten)

• Michigan enters Tuesday's contest with Niagara with just one win in its last seven games. Three of those six losses have been against nationally-ranked opponents.
• Niagara played at Michigan for the first time last season, and the Purple Eagles were tied 5-5 with the Wolverines at halftime before eventually falling 15-8.
• In that game, Taylor Wolf tallied two goals, while Jillian Ford finished with one assist, four ground balls, and two caused turnovers. Andrea Francisco made nine saves on 24 shots on goal.
• This is Michigan's second game against a MAAC opponent this season, following a 13-11 win over the Canisius Golden Griffins on Feb. 26.
• Michigan boasts leading marks in the Big Ten with 10.3 caused turnovers per game (11th in the NCAA) and 17.0 ground balls per game.
• Kim Coughlan and Tess Corten lead the Wolverines with 25 goals each this season.
• Mira Shane and Allison Silber have split time in goal for Michigan this season. Silber has a 12.81 goals-against average and .421 save percentage in 11 appearances (nine starts) while Shane has recorded an 8.34 goals-against average and .469 save percentage in 12 games played (four starts).

 
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