Women’s Lacrosse Travels to Villanova Tuesday

Tuesday, March 13

Villanova, PA

7:00 PM

Rutgers University

Villanova

Photo by: Mel Evans

Women’s Lacrosse Travels to Villanova Tuesday

Mar 12 | Women's Lacrosse

Live Results Live Stream

Scarlet Knights take third trip to Philadelphia in 2018 to face Wildcats

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – For the third time this season, Rutgers women's lacrosse (4-3, 0-0) heads to Philadelphia, as the Scarlet Knights take on Villanova (4-2, 0-0) Tuesday night. The game will stream live via Nova Nation All-Access, with Nick Mantegna on the call.

Last Time Out
Junior Allie Ferrara secured her first hat trick of the season and classmate Dana Gisonno added two goals, but Rutgers suffered a 16-8 loss to No. 7/3 James Madison last Saturday at High Point Solutions Stadium.

Seniors Kerri Puckhaber and Joanna Reilly and freshman Taralyn Naslonski all contributed goals in the loss, while junior Devon Kearns added nine saves off the bench in the second half for the Scarlet Knights.

The Dukes, who entered Saturday's game No. 3 in the CASCADE Media Poll with wins over two ranked foes already this season, outshot Rutgers, 32-21, and produced eight goals in the second half to secure the win.

Scouting Rutgers
Through the Scarlet Knights first seven games, sophomore Samantha Budd leads the program with 21 points on 17 goals and four assists. The midfielder has scored four or more goals in three of her last five games, which includes a seven-point, six-goal outing on Feb. 17 against Monmouth.

Junior Abbey Brooks is second on the team with 18 points (10g, 8a), while Pukchaber has contributed 16 points this season on 12 goals and four helpers. Gisonno and senior Paige Paratore have also crossed the double-digit point threshold this season for RU.

Junior Regina Sharp leads the way on defense with 11 caused turnovers and 16 ground balls. Budd is the leader in draw controls for the Scarlet Knights with 30 through the first seven games.

Scouting Villanova
In its last time out, Villanova earned a 20-12 victory over cross-town rival Drexel last Saturday at home. Ten different Wildcats scored in the win, as Liz Trojan and Jillian Swikart produced four goals each.

Katie Comerford leads Nova with 24 points on 14 goals and 10 assists through six games, while Swikart has contributed 20 points on 17 goals and three helpers.

Julia Michaels has started all six games in cage for the Wildcats and has saved 26 shots to go along with a 12.75 GAA. Khaia Baranowski has also seen time between the pipes in five games with 153 minutes of action and a 9.74 GAA.

The Series
Rutgers owns a commanding 23-1 record in the all-time series with Villanova. Two seasons ago, RU collected a 14-8 road victory over the Wildcats in its season opener. In her Rutgers debut, Bianca Dente produced seven saves in the win, while current players Puckhaber and Joanna Reilly contributed goals.

Up Next
The Scarlet Knights begin Big Ten Conference action, hosting No. 17 Penn State Saturday for a noon game at HPSS.

Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers women's lacrosse, follow the program Facebook, and on Twitter and Instagram @RULaxBrand. Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on both social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.