PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers women's lacrosse closes out the non-conference portion of its 2018 schedule when it hosts Lafayette on Tuesday night at High Point Solutions Stadium. The game will broadcast live on BTN2Go, with Lou Brogno on the call beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
 
After its game with the Leopards, the Scarlet Knights finish the 2018 regular season with four consecutive Big Ten Conference matchups, including three with ranked foes in No. 2 Maryland, No. 8 Northwestern and No. 24 Johns Hopkins.
 
Promotions and Giveaways
Tuesday's game serves as "Favorite Professor" night, as each senior will pay tribute to a member of the Rutgers University faculty after stick check. Fans in attendance will also receive a Rutgers window cling.
 
Last Time Out
Despite leading for the majority of the game, Rutgers suffered a hard fought 14-9 loss to No. 21 Cornell last Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York.
 
Senior Kerri Puckhaber led the team with three points on two assists and a goal, classmates Paige Paratore and Joanna Reilly each had two goals while junior Abbey Brooks contributed two helpers to lead the Scarlet Knight. RU collected 12 ground balls and led by as many as three in the second half, but Cornell used an 8-0 scoring run in the final 24 minutes to secure the win.
 
Sophomore Samantha Budd secured a game-high seven draw controls for Rutgers to go along with a goal, while classmate Jenna Martinelli corralled a game-high five ground balls. Senior Nicole Kopyta and juniors Allie Ferrara and Dana Gisonno also contributed goals to aid the offensive effort. On defense, junior Devon Kearns stopped nine opponent shots, including six in the second half.
 
Scouting Lafayette
The Leopards enter Tuesday's game with a 4-6 record. In its last time out, Lafayette picked up its first conference win of the season, downing Bucknell, 15-10, last Wednesday in Easton, Pennsylvania.
 
Through 10 games, Jane Kirby leads the team with 42 points and 39 goals, while Anna Stein has added a team-high 16 assists. On defense, Dana Smith has caused 14 turnovers, while Quinn Lacy has scooped up a team-leading 24 ground balls. In cage, Lacy leads the program with 60 saves, a 12.49 GAA and a .405 save percentage in 422 minutes of action.
 
The Series
Rutgers leads the all-time series with Lafayette, 10-7, with the programs meeting in each of the past two seasons. Last year, RU downed Lafayette, 15-10, for its second-straight win and first on the road in 2017. Senior captain Amanda Turturro spearheaded the attack with a career-high six points on four goals and two assists.
 
RU held the Leopards off the board in the final 17:04 minutes of the game and scored six of the last seven goals in the contest en route to a season-high 15 goals. The Scarlet Knights took a one-goal lead, 10-9, with 17:55 on the clock on a goal from Turturro and did not look back.
 
Tough 2018 Schedule
Rutgers possesses one of the toughest schedules in the country and has already been put to the test midway through the season.
 
The Scarlet Knights have played No. 4 James Madison, No. 8 Penn, No. 18 Penn State and No. 21 Cornell this season, and are set to compete against No. 2 Maryland, No. 11 Northwestern and No. 22 Johns Hopkins in 2018.
 
Paratore Filling the Stat Sheet
Paratore has produced eight multi-goal outings this season, the most for RU in 2018. Paratore has scored two or more goals in four of her last five games and has three hat tricks this season
 
Historic Night for Casten
In RU's 14-8 win over Niagara on March 27, senior defender Amanda Casten tied the program mark for caused turnovers in a single game (seven), also held by Regan Teti (vs. Monmouth on March 20, 1998) and Kristin Checksfield (vs. Hofstra on March 15, 2003).
 
Next Time Out
The Scarlet Knights travel to College Park to face No. 2 Maryland on Saturday at noon ET.
 
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.