Erie, Pa.- As the season continues to dwindle, Mercyhurst Women's Lacrosse turns their attention to a pair of conference teams. The Lakers face Edinboro tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. inside Saxon Stadium while going to Greensburg, Pa. Saturday, April 22nd, to face Seton Hill
1. Playoff Picture
Mercyhurst is 5-7 on the season overall with a 3-5 mark in conference, sitting in fourth in the PSAC West. Seton Hill currently sits atop the West with a perfect 9-0 mark while IUP is second at 8-1 and Slippery Rock in third at 4-4. In the East, West Chester is 8-0 with East Stroudsburg close behind at 7-1 while Kutztown rounds out the top three at 6-2.
2. Looking Back
The Lakers have been perfect against Edinboro with them holding a 14-0 record all-time against their counterpart. That includes a 14-1 win in their last contest, coming at the end of March 2023 at Edinboro. Coach Struss' crew has been especially dominant in their last few matchups, as they have claimed a double-digit victory in each of the last four games. Seton Hill has been a tough customer as the Lakers are 9-4 against the Griffins in the series' history. Seton Hill has gotten the better of Mercyhurst of late, winning each of the last three matchups and making for an important game Saturday.
3. Leading the Way
So far this season, Maggie Newton is the team's leader in goals with 23, being the only Laker with 20 or more goals while coming in at 10th in the PSAC. Victoria Gottorff is not too far behind with 18 scores while Meghan Nasman rounds out the top three with 17. Gottorff is first in assists with 12 while Newton trails by only two as the dynamic duo shows themselves capable of getting it done in more ways than one.
4. Scouting the Scots
Edinboro is 2-11 on the season with a 0-8 record in the PSAC. They have lost each of their last 10 games with double-digit losses in each of their last nine. Defense has not been the team's strong suit as they have given up 20 or more goals in each of their last four games, giving Mercyhurst a chance to put up a big number on the scoreboard. Rylee Jones has been the go-to on offense for the Scots as she has 30 goals and 11 assists on the year for a total of 41 points.
5. Scouting Seton Hill
The Griffins are 11-3 on the season, sitting at 9-0 in the conference, winning each of their last nine games. The team's offense has been very good over that run as they have scored 15 or more goals in six of those games, making defense imperative for the Lakers if they hope to get the win. The Griffins have been tough on their own field, going 4-0 on Dick Sporting Goods Field in 2023 while outscoring opponents by an average of 11 goals per game, making for a tough atmosphere for Mercyhurst Saturday afternoon.
