Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Head to Saint Mary's on Thursday
3/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
By Josh Mitchell
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - After playing six-straight home games, the Fresno State Lacrosse team will head back out on the road as the team travels to Moraga to face Saint Mary's at 4 p.m., PT.
Game Info
Fresno State (2-8) at Saint Mary's (0-7) - Moraga, Calif. (Saint Mary's Stadium)
Video: smcgaels.com; Stats: smcgaels.com
Time: 4 p.m., PT
About Saint Mary's
· The Gaels are 0-7 this season and 0-4 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play.
· SMC is allowing 18.86 goals per game while scoring just 6.29.
· Jaclyn Biggers leads the Gaels in goals with 14, the only Saint Mary's player with double-digit numbers in goals.
· Biggers also paces the Gaels with 16 points, one ahead of Claire Healy.
Leading the Attack
· Sophomore Caroline Dineen-Carlson leads the Bulldogs with 20 goals and 21 points, while freshman Nicole Ortlieb is second with 14 goals and senior Marcy Levatino is third with 13.
· Fuccillo is currently leads the team in assists with seven.
Freshman Scoring Threat
· Freshman Nicole Ortlieb has been one of the Bulldogs primary threats on the offensive end. The Kensington, Md., native has netted 14 goals this season after adding a season-high four goals to her total against Oregon.
Scoring Outburst
· Sophomore Kyleigh Westgarth an Caroline Dineen-Carlson were nearly unstoppable in the home opener against Campbell as the two combined for nine goals on just 10 shots. Westgarth paced the team with a perfect five goals on five shots as both midfielders posted career highs in goals.
Fuccillo Leading MPSF in Single-Game Highs
· Junior Anjelica Fuccillocurrently tied for the MPSF lead single-game highs in both goals (7) and points (9) with her performance at Gardner-Webb. The seven goals tied a program high, while the nine points set a new program record.
Defending the Cage
· With the graduation of Lisa Barnaba,Fresno State has relied on a rotation of freshman Natalie Chaffin andsophomore Meganne Weissenfels in the cage. Chaffin has played in nine games with five starts and is allowing 14.79 goals per game. Weissenfels has started five of the eight games she has played in and is allowing 13.10 goals.
· There is experience in front of them as junior Sophie Aragon has paces the `Dogs with 11 caused turnovers. Chyna Hill has picked up 16 ground balls as a defender, while Dineen-Carlson leads the team with 18.
Finally Home
· After playing its first four games on the road, Fresno State finished up a six-game home stand. The team is currently 1-5 at the Fresno State Soccer & Lacrosse Field, winning its first game on its new field, 13-11 over Campbell.
· The `Dogs will play all eight of its home games within a nine-game stretch from March 3 through April 12.
· The eight-game home schedule is the most that the Bulldogs have played at home in a season since the program was established.
Living on the Road
· The Bulldogs just finished a four-game road stretch to start the season at the beginning of March. After opening the season at Stanford, the `Dogs played games at USC before flying to the South Carolina to face Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C., and Furman in Greenville, S.C., within six days. Fresno State went 1-3 in the opening stretch.
Bulldogs Split East Coast Trip
· Fresno State had a record-setting day at Gardner-Webb on Feb. 27 in a 20-6 win. The 20 goals was the most in program history for the `Dogs, while junior Anjelica Fuccillo broke the Bulldogs single-game record for points with nine. She tied teammate Marcy Levatino's single-game record for goals with seven.
· The Bulldogs fell in the second game of the weekend, 16-4, at Furman.
Fresno State Downed at USC
· Fresno took an early 1-0 lead behind Marcy Levatino's second goal of the year. The Trojans struck twice, but Caroline Dineen-Carolson leveled the game at 2-2 with her fourth goal of the year. USC then scored 14 unanswered goals as the MPSF foe went on to win 17-6.
`Dogs Suffer Opening-Season Defeat at No. 19 Stanford
· Fresno State faced an up-hill climb in its 2015 season opener, traveling to No. 19 Stanford which returned the majority of its scoring for a season ago. The Bulldogs were defeated 22-7. The seven goals is the second-most that the team has ever scored against the Cardinal.
· Bright spots on the offensive end came from performances from sophomore Caroline Dineen-Carlson who scored three goals which matched her 2014 season total and freshman Nicole Ortlieb who tallied two goals. Freshman Nicole Chaffin made her Bulldog debut in goal, recording nine saves.
`Dogs Offense Displayed in Exhibition
· In Fresno State's lone home exhibition game, the Bulldogs defeated Occidental 20-3 as nine different `Dogs scored in the victory over the Tigers, four of which had hat tricks.
· Senior CaptainMarcy Levatinoled the `Dogs with four goals and two assists. Following Levatino's lead,Anjelica Fuccillo,Caroline Dineen-Carlsonand freshmanNicole Ortlieball had three goals each.Chelsea HallandLindsay Hobsonadded two goals for Fresno State while sophomoresBrooke FilgoandKyleigh Westgarthhad one a piece.
Plenty of Experience to Go Around
· Fresno State, the team returns 15 players from last season's squad, including three of its top point scorers. JuniorAnjelica Fuccillofinished last season second in points on the team with 30 (22 G, 8 A) and will lead this year's attack along with seniorMarcy Levatino, who had 25 points (19 G, 6 A). Sophomore Kyleigh Westgarthwas fourth on the team, recording 10 points (8 G, 2 A) in her freshman season
· Westgarth was the team's top draw control specialist, who in her first year set a new single-season program record with 37. Also returning is sophomoreCaroline Dineen-Carlsonwho was six back of her teammate with 31.
· Sophie Aragon, Fresno State's 2014 Player of the Year, will hold things down on the defensive side after starting all 15 games for the Bulldogs last year as a low defender. A leader across the field, Aragon finished second on the team with 21 groundballs.
Captains Ready to Lead by Example
· Along with Fuccillo and Levatino, the team's top returning scorers,Holly Cisneroswill complete the captain trio this season. The senior recorded a team-high 22 groundballs last year. She entered the season as the Bulldogs' career leader in the category with 65.
Newcomers
· Joining Fresno State this spring will be six freshmen, includingLindsay Hobson, a two-time First Team All-American, andAbigail Bergevin, who was on the 2014 Under Armor All-American Team.
