Lacrosse Doubleheader Saturday At Robins Stadium
04/03/2015 | Men's Lacrosse, Women's Lacrosse
Richmond lacrosse hosts is lone doubleheader of the season Saturday, as the men's team hosts Southern Conference foe Furman at 1:30 p.m., then the women's squad takes on new Atlantic 10 Conference program Davidson at 5 p.m.
The athletics department is promoting the It's On Us campaign during the men's contest, as the University of Richmond has partnered with Spiders for Spiders, the Southern Conference and the White House to help stop domestic violence, particularly on college campuses.
The women's team is hosting its annual Friends of Jaclyn game, raising money and awareness for families dealing with pediatric brain tumors. UR's adopted teammate, Katie Schools, and her family will be with the team at the game.
MEN vs. FURMAN, 1:30 PM
Richmond enter Saturday at 6-4 overall, 2-0 in the Southern Conference. Last April 5, the Spiders got their first program road win in Greenville, South Carolina at Furman, 13-10. This is the ninth opponent that the Spiders are playing a second time in their history, with a 6-2 mark in the second meeting against a team.
The Spiders are coming off a 14-7 loss at No. 8 Virginia last weekend. Richmond has only lost back-to-back games once this season. In their last home contest, the Spiders defeated NJIT 21-3 to set the program record for goals in a game. UR is averaging 13 goals per game in its seven home games so far this season.
Sophomore Mitch Goldberg (Damascus, Maryland) has scored at least one point in his last 19 contests, the 26th longest such active streak in Division I. He is one off the team lead with 19 goals and adds eight assists this season for 27 total, second to sophomore J.P. Forester (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan), who has 19 goals and 11 assists. Redshirt senior Mickey Hofmeister (Williamsburg, Virginia / Jamestown HS) is the lone Spider with 20 goals this season. He is third on the team in points.
Defensively, Richmond is ninth in the country in scoring defense and 11th in scoring margin. Sophomore goalie Benny Pugh (Powhatan, Virginia / Woodberry Forest School) sits sixth in save percentage (0.589) and 16th in goals-against average (8.46) in the NCAA. Richmond has held an opponent to seven or fewer goals six times in 10 games this year.
Richmond leads the SoCon in goals per game and goals-against average. The Spiders have already matched their two-win league total from last year and six-game overall win total to this point of the season. A win for the Spiders would give them four in a row against Atlantic Sun/Southern Conference opponents, dating back to last season's conference championship.
Furman enters the game at 2-7 overall, 1-2 in SoCon games. The Paladins, a second-year Division I program like Richmond, have lost their last two and are scoring just under seven goals per game and are third in the league with a 10.16 goals-against average. Furman defeated Bellarmine for their lone league win, but lost in overtime to Mercer and dropped a 10-3 decision at High Point last Saturday. Kenny Meinsen leads the Paladins with two goals per game so far this season.
WOMEN vs DAVIDSON, 5 PM
The nightcap of the day will be Richmond's first time playing Davidson as a conference foe, as the Wildcats joined the Atlantic 10 Conference ranks for this season. The Spiders own a 5-2 all-time mark against Davidson, last playing the Wildcats in 2002.
Richmond is 5-6 overall, but a perfect 2-0 in league play, after sweeping its pair of home games last weekend, 19-9 over St. Bonaventure and 13-6 over Saint Joseph's. Looking for its first three-game win streak of the season, the Spiders lead the league in scoring, draws and shots in league games only, sitting second in the major defensive categories. Overall, Richmond is second in the league in winning the draw, with senior Bailey Zerr (Denver, Colorado) leading the league at 4.55 draws per game.
In the St. Bonaventure win, senior Emily Doyle (Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey) set the season-high Richmond mark with six assists. She added one more in the Sunday win, giving her 93 for her career, in a tie for first all-time at the school with Mandy Friend (2006-09). She is attempting to become the first player at Richmond with 100 career assists, and has six regular-season games left to go. Doyle was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week.
Freshman Kim Egizi (Westwood, Massachusetts) was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week as well. She posted two assists Friday and four Sunday for a new career high total. She is fourth on the team in points, and has nine assists, second-most behind Doyle's 21 so far this season for Richmond.
The Wildcats enter play Saturday at 3-6 overall, 0-1 in the league. The Wildcats fell 13-6 at home to No. 5 Duke Wednesday and dropped their home league opener last Saturday, 11-10 to George Washington. Davidson has lost its last four games, after a 3-2 start to the season.
The Wildcats have three scorers with exactly 20 points, led by Annie Brockett and her 17 goals and three assists. Lucy Sexton is the leading goal scorer with 19. Katy Boyle has 76 saves, but a .450 save percentage this season. Davidson is second in scoring in the league, at 10.78 per game, but the Wildcats are fifth in goals-against average, at 12.06 per game this season.
There will be live stats and video through links here at Richmond Spiders.com above for both games. Admission to all lacrosse games at Richmond is free.
