Women's Lacrosse | 2/25/2019 9:22:00 AM

 
GAME COVERAGE
• LIVE STATS
• Bloomsburg University Huskies: Schedule • Roster • Preseason PSAC Outlook
• Georgian Court University Lions: Schedule • Roster • Statistics

THE STORY
• The Bloomsburg University lacrosse team kicks off the 2019 campaign at home against Georgian Court University Tuesday afternoon. The Huskies finished the 2018 season with a record of 10-8 overall, and qualified for the PSAC Tournament for the first time since the 2015 season. Georgian Court comes into the day at 1-1 on the young season, with a win over Millersville and a loss to West Chester.

THE HISTORY: BLOOMSBURG vs. GEORGIAN COURT
• The Huskies and Lions have met just once before in the two teams' history, a 25-10 Bloomsburg win back on March 7, 2012. The Huskies will open the season with a string of four games against Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) opponents this season, taking on Wilmington (DE), Chestnut Hill, and Jefferson University following Tuesday's matchup with Georgian Court.

THE HUSKIES AT A GLANCE
• Bloomsburg was picked to finish seventh in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) this season after qualifying for the PSAC Tournament for the first time since 2015 and the second time in Head Coach Shannon Hertz's career a season ago. 
 
• The 2019 Bloomsburg lineup will be powered by a trio of All-PSAC Selections from a season ago in senior Abby Nocito (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape), junior Angela DiPasquale (Paramus, N.J./Paramus), and sophomore Tiffany Diachynsky (Barto, Pa./Boyertown Area). Nocito was a key anchor of the Huskies defense in 2018, ranking second on the team in ground balls (49) and caused turnovers (36). The senior played in all 18 games (including 17 starts), and helped Bloomsburg lead the conference in caused turnovers (283) as a team. DiPasquale started all 18 games in goal for Bloomsburg, and earned second team All-PSAC honors after posting a 12.79 goals against average (GAA) and .430 save percentage. She ranked third in the conference in saves (176), and fifth in saves per game (9.78) on the year. Diachynsky played in all 18 games as a freshman, and ranked fourth in the PSAC in caused turnovers with 40. She was third on the team in ground balls (41), and helped the Huskies become just one of two teams to collect at least 500 ground balls in 2018.

• The Huskies offense returns several key veterans in senior Hannah Jaskuta (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown Area), junior Cailyn Gormley (Springfield, Pa./Springfield), and redshirt sophomore Grace Kelleher (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side). Kelleher led the team in total points (53) and assists (23) a season ago, and ranked second in goals scored (30). Gormley started 17 games and tallied 31 goals and seven assists, while Jaskuta was third on the team in points (53), assists (11), and fourth in goals scored (28).

SCOUTING THE LIONS
• The two-time defending CACC Champion Georgian Court Lions were the unanimous pick to win the conference for a third time this season according to preseason polls, following a year in which the Lions went 13-6 overall and a perfect 9-0 in the CACC. Head Coach Amy Rizzo was named CACC Coach of the Year after leading the Lions to 22 consecutive victories over conference opponents over the last two seasons.

• Madison Heck scored a team-high two goals while Nicole Barbella and Samantha Fernandez each tallied a goal and an assist, but the Lions suffered their first setback of the 2019 season in a 17-5 loss to fifth-ranked West Chester Saturday afternoon. Georgian Court held a 4-1 lead midway through the first half of action, but 11 unanswered goals from the Golden Rams would give West Chester a commanding lead it would not relinquish. Goalie Amber Neumann has nine saves for the Lions.

• Georgian Court is powered by two-time CACC Player of the Year Fernandez, who tallied a team-best 82 points on 65 goals and 17 assists a season ago. The senior, who was named to the IWLCA All-Region Second Team a season ago, is off to another great start for the Lions this year, tallying a team-high seven goals and an assist in just two games.

• Nicole Barbella leads the Lions in points (10) on the young season, notching a pair of goals and a team-best eight assists. Madison Heck has five goals for Georgian Court, while Arianna Quinlan and Amanda Marino have three goals apiece. Senior Amber Neumann has got the nod in goal for each of the first two games this season, and has made 19 saves.

LOOKING AHEAD
• Bloomsburg will host another CACC foe in Wilmington (DE) this Friday, March 1. The Huskies will then hit the road on Tuesday, March 5, for a battle with Chestnut Hill, before returning home to host Jefferson University on Friday, March 8. First Draw with Wilmington is set for 5:00 p.m. Friday.