University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Villanova University
Huskies Head to Villanova This Weekend
4/15/2021 11:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn Huskies head down to Villanova this weekend for their final road BIG EAST series of the regular season as they look to bounce back from dropping two games to nationally ranked Denver last week.
The Huskies enter the weekend a game up in the BIG EAST standings at 4-2 and are in second place ahead of both Villanova and Georgetown, both at 3-3. The Huskies face both the Wildcats and Hoyas on the final two weekends of the regular season.
Last Time Out… UConn lost a pair of tough battles with then No. 22 nationally ranked Denver at home in a battle of unbeaten BIG EAST teams last week. On Friday, the Huskies lost a heartbreaker in three overtimes, 13-12. Senior Sydney Watson (Prince Fredrick, Md.) scored her fifth goal with 47 seconds left to tie the game and force overtime but Denver's Bea Behrins scored her fifth in the third overtime to deliver the Pioneers a 14-13 win. Junior Lia LaPrise (Windsor, Conn.) had seven assists, setting up classmate Grace Coon (Marcellus, N.Y.) for all four of her goals. On Sunday, Denver held the Huskies to a season-low seven goals and 20 shots. Denver, who trailed 4-3 at the half, outscored UConn 8-3 in the final stanza including a four-goal run to grab control. Watson, who was held to a season-low one goal, won seven draw controls as the Huskies took 13 of 20 draws in the loss. Seniors Abby Vetsch (Marcellus, N.Y.) and Sam McKenna (Fayetteville, N.Y.) each scored twice for the Huskies.
All-time Series vs. Villanova … UConn leads the all-time series, 9-1. The Huskies had won nine-straight meetings with the Wildcats since their first match-up in 2001 but Villanova ended that streak with a 13-12 win in Storrs the last time the two teams faced each other in 2018.
Stat Leaders… The Huskies own the highest scoring offense in the BIG EAST this season, averaging 15.08 goals per game. UConn has scored 181 goals total and 93 goals in BIG EAST games. UConn is 13th in the NCAA in goals per game, 11th in shot percentage (.491) and 22nd in scoring margin (+4.42).
Senior Sydney Watson continues to lead the conference in goals with 41, a 3.42 per game average. Watson has eight more goals on the ledger than the next closest player and she ranks ninth nationally in goals scored. The Huskies lead the BIG EAST in draw controls, averaging 16.00 per game. Watson leads the charge averaging 8.92 per game, also ranking seventh in the nation.
Junior Lia LaPrise is the BIG EAST leader in assists (31/2.58 pg) and points (55/4.58 pg). She ranks fifth in the nation in assists and ninth in points. LaPrise dished seven assists in last Friday's loss to Denver, tying the UConn school record for assists in a game (7 – Shannon Burke vs. CCSU, 2007). It was the top-assist performance by a player in the BIG EAST this season.
Junior Grace Coon is eighth in the BIG EAST with 21 goals, 2.10 per game while senior Stephanie Palmucci (Herndon, Va.) is seventh in the league in assists with 12, 1.00 per game.
Defensively, UConn is second in the BIG EAST in scoring defense at 10.37 goals allowed per game. The Huskies are tops in save percentage (.475) and in saves per game (9.67).
Junior goaltender Landyn White (Alpharetta, Ga.) is fourth in the league with a 11.45 goals against average and fifth with a .429 save percentage. She stopped 18 shots in Friday's loss to Denver, the most saves by a goaltender in the BIG EAST this season.
Sydney Watson Added to the Tewaaraton Watch List... Senior Sydney Watson has been named to the 2021 Tewaaraton Award women's watch lists announced by the Tewaaraton Foundation. The award honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States.
BACK in a BIG EAST Groove… After playing the past two seasons in the American Athletic Conference, the Huskies are back home in the BIG EAST. Due to COVID-19 protocols, teams will play two-game series against each other this spring for a total of 10 league games.
The Huskies have four games left on the league slate this year, this weekend on the road at Villanova and back in Storrs hosting Georgetown on April 23 & 25 in the final weekend of the regular season. The BIG EAST Tournament is set for May 6 and 8.
UConn qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament for five-straight years from 2013 through 2016 while head coach Katie Woods and her staff were twice named the Coach / Coaching Staff of the Year (2013, 2015). The Huskies were tabbed 4th in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll while senior Sydney Watson and junior Lia LaPrise were named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team. Watson was a unanimous pick.
