May 16, 2008

NCAA Lacrosse Championship Central | Gametracker | Game Notes

Looking to advance to the NCAA semifinals for the first time in program history, the No. 6/7 Boston University lacrosse team visits second-seeded and top-ranked Penn on Saturday (May 17). The opening draw is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Drexel's Vidas Field. BU is making its second appearance in the quarterfinal round and first since 2005.

The Terriers (18-2), who are seeded seventh in the NCAA bracket, have a nation-best 15-game win streak and are tied with Northwestern and Maryland for the most wins in the country. BU tied the school record for wins in a season with its first-round victory on Sunday.

BU's heralded offense will be tested against one of the top defenses in Division I, as it faces Penn (15-1) in the NCAAs for the second consecutive year. The Terriers are 2-5 all-time in NCAA play are in the tournament for the fourth straight year and sixth time overall.

Whichever team emerges from Saturday's contest will face the winner of the Maryland-Duke game next Friday in the semifinals at Towson.

The Terriers and Quakers have only faced each other once, meeting last year in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Penn handed BU an 11-5 loss in the contest to end the Terriers' season. Lauren Morton tallied two goals for the Terriers in the contest, while McKinley Curro netted the ball once and added a helper and Molly Collins added one goal. Morton opened the day's scoring, but BU failed to regain the lead again.

The Terriers enter the quarterfinals on the tails of a 16-8 first-round victory over No. 13 New Hampshire in the third meeting between the teams this season. After playing to a 5-5 halftime score and an 8-8 tie 10 minutes into the second stanza, BU rattled off eight consecutive goals to seal the victory, including four of junior Sarah Dalton's career-high tying six goals. Classmate Steph Walker matched career bests in goals (3) and points (4).

Penn is 8-0 at home this season and has won its last 13 games since suffering a defeat at Stanford on March 9. The Quakers posted a perfect 7-0 record in conference play to capture the Ivy League title and receive an automatic bid to the NCAAs.

Last Sunday, Penn hosted Colgate in the first round and recorded a 16-7 victory. Seniors Rachel Manson and Melissa Lehman and sophomore Ali DeLuca each tallied a hat trick in the win. Senior Sarah Waxman kept the Raiders' offense in check, making six saves on the afternoon.

Defense is the Quakers' strength, as the team is ranked first in the nation with 6.06 goals allowed per game. Waxman, last year's IWLCA Goalkeeper of the Year and an All-American, has the lowest goals against average in the country, with a 6.04 mark - .59 goals per game better than the runner-up. Penn has allowed its opponent to score 10 goals only twice this season, with Stanford and Harvard both reaching double digits.

Manson leads the team in all scoring categories, totaling 50 points on 30 goals. Sophomore Emma Spiro holds the top spot in ground balls with 32, while DeLuca sets the pace with 38 draw controls and 23 caused turnovers.