THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP

• After playing their first road games of the season this past week, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's lacrosse team will return home to Mountain Lion Stadium to start a five-game homestand.  The Mountain Lions were originally scheduled to play host to Rockhurst on Thursday, March 17, but due to a snowstorm arriving in the Pikes Peak region Wednesday night, the Mountain Lions will now host the Hawks on Wednesday, March 16 at 1 p.m.

 
GAME COVERAGE

• Live Stats: https://gomountainlions.com/sidearmstats/wlax/summary
• Live Stream: https://rmacnetwork.com/gomountainlions/

 
LAST TIME OUT

• The Mountain Lions travelled to St. Joseph, Mo. last week to play No. 10 Grand Valley State University in a neutral site match on Wednesday, and a road match against Missouri Western State University on Friday.
• UCCS nearly upended the Lakers but fell in the final 51 seconds of regulation, 8-7. Natalie Church led the offense with two goals and an assist for a game high three points.  She also won a game high five draws while attempting two shots. Angela Naughton took all three of UCCS' free position shots as she finished the game with a goal, an assist and a team high four shots.  Hannah Koopal chipped in two goals and three shots as Morgan Miller picked up a team high four ground balls.  Madison McGriff defended the goal for all 60 minutes, making a season high 10 saves.
• Two days later against the home team Griffins, UCCS charted their first win of the season, 14-7.  Nine Mountain Lions scored at least two goals as Annalise Carr posted her first career hat trick.  Naughton, Church and Ava Goodnature added two goals apiece.  Napp (three), Carr (two) and Church (five) combined for all 10 assists.  Church posted a game high seven points while Carr added five points and Napp chipped in four. Church won five of UCCS' 15 draws while Sodomka took three.  McGriff earned her first win of the season, playing 52 minutes and making eight saves while allowing just four goals.

 
RMAC RECORD/STANDINGS

• Colorado Mesa University (2-0, 2-0 RMAC) and Regis University (3-0, 1-0 RMAC) top the RMAC standings in the early part of the season.  Fort Lewis College (1-2, 1-1 RMAC) and Westminster College (1-3, 1-1 RMAC) are tied for third place.
• The ThunderWolves of Colorado State University Pueblo are 0-3 overall and have yet to play a league match.  Searching for their first RMAC wins of the season are UCCS (1-3, 0-1 RMAC) and Adams State University (0-2, 0-2 RMAC).

 
THE SERIES

• In five meetings since the two teams started playing each other in 2017, the Hawks have won every game.  The last time UCCS faced Rockhurst was Feb. 16, 2020 in St. Paul, Minn.

 
SCOUTING THE HAWKS

• Rockhurst University is 4-2 on the season and have won their last four games of the season, including their last three games against RMAC opponents.  RU started their winning streak with a 15-12 win over Northern Michigan before posting a 19-8 home win against Westminster College, a 19-1 win at CSU Pueblo on Sunday, and a 19-2 win in Pueblo over Fort Lewis College.  The Hawks have outscored their opponents 91-23 in the last four games.
• Senior attacker Logan Derosia leads the team with 25 points after scoring 20 goals and five assists in six games, along with a team high 31 shots.  Adding 15 points to the offense is attacker Helen Krause (nine goals, six assists) and 13 points from junior midfielder Addison Bradley (seven goals, six assists).  Defending the goal is junior goalie Sydney Shindler and junior Medeline Morrison.  Shindley has seen action in all six games, making 33 saves with a 9.96 goals against average.  Morrison has played in five games and 137 minutes for a 12.26 GAA and a .452 saves percentage.
• Through six games this season, the Hawks are scoring an average of 14.00 goals per game and allowing 9.67 goals per game.  The Hawks are .300 on free-position goals, making 9-of-30.

 
HOT TAKES

• Friday's win at Missouri Western was the first win of the season for UCCS and the first win for first-year head coach Melissa Rausch.
• Church's goal with 4:07 left in regulation on Wednesday against Grand Valley State made her the all-time program leader in goals scored.  She own's the all-time records in points (153), goals (94), assists (59), free-position goals (26), draws (281), and free-position goals (26).
• Church also set a single-game program record with five assists against the MWSU Griffins.
• McGriff is third all-time in the record books with 140 saves and needs 51 more saves to tie Kennedy Travis for most career saves.  She is all just three wins away from becoming the all-time leader in wins.  McGriff is 6-6 in her career; she is one win away from tying Emma Becker (7-15) and two wins away from tying Travis (8-8).
• Naughton is one of the top offensive weapons in program history, ranking in the top five in the career record books.  She is second all-time in free-position goals (19), fourth in points (104), assists (34) and shots (175), and fifth in shots on goal (124), draws (55) and goals (70).

 
AWARD WINNERS

• Senior midfielder Natalie Church and sophomore goalkeeper Madison McGriff were named the RMAC Women's Lacrosse Players of the Week on Monday, March 14 after the Mountain Lions returned home from a split in St. Joseph, Mo. against No. 10 Grand Valley State (L, 8-7) and Missouri Western State (W, 14-7).   Church finished the week with four goals and six assists for 10 points, along with five shots, 10 draws, three caused turnovers and three ground balls. In the process, she became the all-time leader in goals scored, and set a new single game record for most assists in a game (five vs. MWSU).  McGriff finished the week with 18 saves, 12 goals allowed and a 6.43 goals against average.  Her 10 saves against the Lakers marked a season high for the Mountain Lions.

 
UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH MELISSA RAUSCH

• Melissa Rausch begins her third year with the UCCS Mountain Lions women's lacrosse program, and her first season as the head coach in 2022.  As an assistant coach the past two years, she served as the recruiting coordinator, handling the recruiting efforts, hosting clinics and working with the scholarship budget.
• On the field, Rausch works with both offensive and defensive units.  Her primary focus is on the defensive end of the field.  After installing a new defense in 2021, the Mountain Lions decreased their opponents' efforts in goals against, shots, shot percentage, and shots on goal.

• Rausch, who joined UCCS from Nichols College, a Division III institution in Dudley, Mass., held the roles as Assistant Athletic Director, Head Women's Lacrosse Coach, and Assistant Men's Lacrosse Coach at Nichols College.

 
WEATHER

• Temperatures at game time tomorrow will be in the low 50's under cloudy skies.  Winds will be coming out of the Southeast at 10mph.

 
ADMISSION AT UCCS HOME MATCHES

• General admission tickets will be available one hour before game time (cash only).
• Ticket Prices:
  • Adults: $10
  • Non-UCCS students (with student ID), children ages 13-17: $5
  • Military members, seniors (age 55+): $3
  • UCCS faculty, staff, students (with ID), children ages 0-12, UCCS Alumni Association members: Free

 
UPCOMING GAMES

• The Mountain Lions will continue their home stand next week when they play host to Colorado State University Pueblo on Monday, March 21 at 2 p.m., and Hendrix College on Wednesday, March 23.

 
SOCIAL

• Twitter - @GoMountainLions
• Instagram - @gomountainlions
• Facebook – Go Mountain Lions

 
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.