South Regional Game Notes
LAKELAND - Florida Southern will set another historic milestone this weekend with its women's lacrosse program as the third-ranked Moccasins will host the first and second round games of the NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament at Bryant Stadium.
Along with earning the right to host the first two rounds of the South Regional Tournament this weekend, Florida Southern also made history this past Sunday as the NCAA awarded the fifth-year Moccasin program a No. 1 seed in the South Region after winning 16 of 19 games and claiming both the regular season and tournament titles in the Sunshine State Conference in 2016.
Click here for the South Regional Tournament home page
Click here for the complete NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Tournament bracket
Florida Southern, who earned a first round bye in this year's tournament, will play in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, May 14 at 5 p.m. at Bryant Stadium against the winner of the No. 4 seeded West Chester (Pa.)/No. 5 seeded Rollins first round match-up, which is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Friday, May 13 at Bryant Stadium.
The winner of Saturday's second-round South Regional matchup will travel to Denver, Colo., for the NCAA Division II National Semifinals, which will take place on May 19, 2016. At the national semifinals, the winner of the South Regional in Lakeland will face the winner of the South Regional in St. Charles, Mo., hosted by No. 2 seeded Lindenwood. Lindenwood is hosting No. 3 seeded Mercyhurst and No. 6 seeded Queens (N.C.) this weekend.
FSC has never faced West Chester in women's lacrosse and has faced Rollins eight times in program history, including two times this season. This season, the Mocs swept both its meetings against the Tars as they closed out the regular season on April 21 with a 15-6 win in Winter Park and then earned a hard-fought 12-11 win over the Tars in the championship game of the SSC Tournament in Lakeland on May 1.
The Mocs, who are making just its second ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament this season, enter the postseason with a record of 16-3 and have won a school record 11 straight games and 16 of its last 17 games overall since opening the season with back-to-back losses at home to Grand Valley State (10-7) and two-time defending Division II National Champion Adelphi (16-10). Since that loss to Adelphi, the Mocs only other loss occurred on March 17 in Bradenton, Fla., as Division III Hamilton earned a 10-9 neutral field victory.
One season after graduating the top three offensive players in school history, the Mocs have relied upon a stingy defense and a balanced offensive attack to earn its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament this year. Last season, the Mocs suffered a 14-13 loss in double overtime at Lindenwood in its first ever NCAA Tournament game.
Last season's senior threesome of Megan Asper, Caitlin Chase and Lorianne Hoover combined to score 163 of the school's single season school record 360 goals (45.2 percent) and accounted for nearly 50 percent (284 points) of its total points (569) in 2015.
This season, the Moccasin defense is second nationally in Division II in caused turnovers per game (13.89) and is eighth in Division II in scoring defense as they are allowing 7.21 goals per game and have held nine of its 19 opponents to six or fewer goals and have allowed just five foes to score 10 or more goals.
The Mocs defense is anchored by All-SSC performers Gabby Barowski and Rachael Griffith.
Barowski, who is a senior from Alexandria, Va., is tied for the SSC lead in ground balls (51) and is tied for third in the league in caused turnovers with 28. Barowski enters the NCAA Tournament second among active Division II players in caused turnovers with 112.
Griffith, who is a senior from Ellicott City, Md., leads the team and is second in the SSC in caused turnovers with 36 and is third on the squad in ground balls with 31.
Meanwhile, on offense, the Moccasin offense averages 13.79 goals per game and has scored 10 or more goals in five consecutive games and 15 times overall on the year. Five Mocs have scored 20 or more goals on the season, including an SSC-best 52 goals by junior attacker Kendall Kerge (Edgewater, Md.). FSC leads the SSC in points per game (21.84), goals per game (13.79), assists per game (8.05) and draw controls per game (12.26).
In addition to Kerge's 52 goals and 104 shots, other key performers on offense for the Mocs this year are sophomore attacker Meghan O'Brien (Rochester, N.Y.), sophomore midfielder Emily Santoli (Fort Salonga, N.Y.) and senior attacker Ashley Robertson (Ellicott City, Md.).
O'Brien, who was named a First-Team All-SSC selection, leads the team in assists (36) and is tied for team lead in points with 62, while Santoli, who was named a First-Team All-SSC selection, is tied for the team lead in points (62), leads the team and SSC in draw controls (56) and is third in goals with 32 and Robertson, who was named a First-Team All-SSC honoree, is second on the squad in goals with 41 and has totaled 49 points and is one of just four Moccasins to record 100 or more career goals.
While Robertson joined the 100-Goal Club in early April, Kerge comes into the weekend needing just one goal to become the fifth Moccasin to score 100 goals in a career. In two-plus seasons as Moc, Kerge has scored 99 goals in 53 games, including scoring a career high eight goals in the Mocs SSC Tournament semifinal win this season against Tampa.
In goal, the Mocs have been led by the play of junior All-SSC performer Taylor Gillis (Bel Air, Md.) and sophomore Paige Brodbeck (Millersville, Md.). Gillis, who is 10-2 in goal on the year, leads the SSC in goals against average (6.65), is third in save percentage (48.1 percent) and tied for fifth in saves per game (5.00), while Brodbeck, who is 6-1 on the season, is second in the SSC in save percentage (48.1 percent), third in goals against average (8.22) and tied for fifth in saves per game (5.00).
West Chester, who is ranked eighth in latest IWLCA Division II Coaches' Poll, enters the NCAA Tournament having posted a 17-2 overall record and finished as runner-up in this past weekend's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament after a 17-14 loss at then eighth-ranked Mercyhurst. In fact, both of West Chester's losses this season came against Mercyhurst as they fell 9-8 in double overtime to the Lakers during the regular season.
The Golden Rams, who are averaging 15.84 goals per game on the year, have two players that have tallied over 55 goals. Leading the way offensively for WCU is junior attacker Ashley Pyle and senior attacker Hannah Cowan. Pyle, who was a First-Team All-PSAC Team selection, is second in goals with 59, second in assists (36) and leads the team in points with 97, which is tied for fifth most in Division II, while Cowan has scored a team best 62 goals and has totaled 77 points as she has also recorded 15 assists on the year.
On defense, the Golden Rams are allowing 7.37 goals per game and have caused 194 turnovers and picked up 351 ground balls. WCU's defense is paced by the play of senior midfielder Caroline Kuchinsky, who has caused 26 turnovers and has picked up 29 ground balls, while senior defender Danielle Ferguson has caused 21 turnovers and picked up 27 ground balls and senior midfielder Emily McAleer leads the team in ground balls with 34 and draw controls with 53.
In goal, West Chester is led by sophomore Paige Mitros, who has a 7.27 goals against average and a 42.4 save percentage. On the year, Mitros has allowed 140 goals and collected 103 saves.
The Golden Rams are returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012 and are making its 11th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament this season. WCU has posted a 14-8 overall record in the tournament, including winning Division II National titles in in both 2002 and 2008. In addition, WCU has also made nine Final Four appearances and have had seven national runner-up finishes. West Chester has never been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament before reaching the national semifinals.
Rollins, who is ranked seventh in the latest IWLCA Division II Coaches' Poll, comes into this weekend's NCAA Tournament sporting a 14-3 overall record with two of those three losses coming against Florida Southern. Rollins' other loss came on the road at Limestone on April 1. The Tars finished as runners-up in both SSC regular season and at the SSC Tournament.
The Tars, who are second in the SSC in both scoring (12.47 goals per game) and points per game (17.00), have three players that have scored 30 or more goals. Leading the way offensively for Rollins is senior midfielder Tyler Thomas. Thomas, who was a First-Team All-SSC selection, is second in the SSC in goals scored (46) and she has tallied 50 points and recorded 92 shots. In addition to Thomas, freshman midfielder Kallie German is second on the team in both goals scored (39) and ground balls (26) and senior midfielder Kristina Coppolino has tallied 31 goals, totaled 38 points and has had a team leading 34 draw controls.
Much like Florida Southern, Rollins makes its living on defense as the Tars lead the SSC in scoring defense as they are allowing 6.88 goals per game and have caused 142 turnovers and have picked up 288 ground balls. The Tars defense is paced by the play of freshman defender Lindsey Van Beck and sophomore goalie Malorie Olin. Van Beck leads the team in caused turnovers with 22 and has picked up 19 ground balls, while Olin is one of the top goalies in Division II as she is sixth nationally in save percentage (51.5 percent) and has picked up 28 ground balls and has had 118 saves and a 5.22 goals against average, which is eighth best in Division II.
Rollins is making its fourth all-time NCAA Tournament appearance this season as the Tars are 1-3 in the tournament and have made two national semifinal appearances. Last season, Rollins earned the No. 4 seed in the South Region and fell 12-3 at No. 1 ranked Lock Haven in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
West Chester is 3-1 all-time against Rollins, including being 1-0 in the NCAA Tournament as these two schools squared off in the 2012 national semifinals in Louisville, Ky.
Here is the complete NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Tournament schedule. All game times listed are Eastern.
South Regional
@Lakeland, Fla. (Florida Southern host)
Friday, May 13 - First Round
#4 seed West Chester (17-2) vs. #5 seed Rollins (14-3), 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 14 - Second Round
#1 seed Florida Southern (16-3) vs. Winner of West Chester/Rollins, 5 p.m.
South Regional
@St. Charles, Mo. (Lindenwood host)
Friday, May 13 - First Round
#3 seed Mercyhurst (17-2) vs. #6 Queens (N.C.) (17-2), 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 14 - Second Round
#2 Lindenwood (16-2) vs. Winner of Mercyhurst/Queens, 6 p.m.
North Regional
@Garden City, N.Y. (Adelphi host)
Friday, May 13 - First Round
#4 seed Dowling (16-3) vs. #5 seed Grand Valley State (15-4), 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 14 - Second Round
#1 Adelphi (19-0) vs. Winner of Dowling/Grand Valley State, 3 p.m.
North Regional
@Syracuse, N.Y. (Lemoyne College host)
Friday, May 13 - First Round
#3 LIU Post (16-3) vs. #6 New Haven (13-6), 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 14 - Second Round
#2 LeMoyne (17-2) vs. Winner of LIU Post/New Haven, 3 p.m.
Division II National Semifinals
@Denver, Colo. (Metro State University and Denver Sports Commission hosts)
Thursday, May 19
1st Semifinal - South Regional winners, 1 p.m.
2nd Semifinal - North Regional winners, 5 p.m.
Division II National Championship Game
@Denver, Colo. (Metro State University and Denver Sports Commission hosts)
Saturday, May 21
Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.
