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Isaiah J. Downing

PREVIEW | Mountain Lions Wrap up Home Season on Sunday’s Senior Day

4/18/2022 1:28:00 PM

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP  
GAME COVERAGE  
LAST TIME OUT
  • The Mountain Lions split their road trip last week, falling to No. 5 Regis University on Tuesday, 17-5, before bouncing back to take a 21-8 win at Colorado State University Pueblo on Thursday.
  • Against the Rangers in Denver, Colo., Julia Patrick accounted for three of the Mountain Lions five goals.  She led the team with seven shots and five shots on goal.
  • UCCS recorded three assists with Natalie Church (two) and Annalise Carr accounting for all three.  Madison McGriff played all 60 minutes in goal, making 16 saves and earning a .485 save percentage while picking up a team high five ground balls.
  • Kathryn Kossack chipped in two ground balls and caused a turnover while Holly Sodomka chipped in two draws and two ground balls. 
  • Two days later in Pueblo, eight Mountain Lions scored at least four points against the Pack, led by Audrey Napp's game high six points (three goals, three assists).  All four of Patrick's goals were scored in the first half, including three in the first quarter, and she added a game high six shots and three ground balls.
 
RMAC RECORD/STANDINGS
  • Regis continues their top spot in the standings with a perfect 9-0 RMAC record (14-0 overall). With just one league loss, Colorado Mesa University is second in the standings with a 7-1 record (9-4 overall).
  • The Mountain Lions hold down the third spot and are 6-3 in RMAC games and 9-5 overall heading into the final two weekends of the regular season.  Currently in the fourth spot for the RMAC Tournament is Westminster College at 4-4 (4-7 overall).
  • Looking on the outside trying to get into the tournament are FLC (4-9, 4-5 RMAC) and CSU Pueblo (2-11, 2-7 RMAC).
 
THE SERIES
  • Vs. FLC: The Mountain Lions have won the last four meetings against Fort Lewis, including a 20-6 win at FLC on April 8.  UCCS leads the all-time series, 4-2.
 
SCOUTING THE SKYHAWKS
  • Fort Lewis (4-9, 4-5 RMAC) enters this weekend on a four-game skid.  The Skyhawks will play at Regis Friday night before entering Mountain Lion Stadium on Sunday.
  • Leading the defensive charge is Rebecca Kiyokawa who is tops in the league with 2.75 ground balls per game and second in caused turnovers (1.5 per game).  She has also won 25 draws this season, the second most on the squad behind Autumn Rymerson's 26.  In goal for the Skyhawks are Averi Basso and Caley Lay.  Basso, who has played all by 82 minutes in goal, is 3-8 on the season and ranks fifth in the RMAC in save percentage (.404), third in saves per game (9.58) and seventh in goals against average (15.98).  Pacing the offense for FLC is Hayley Dostie with a team high 27 goals and 32 points.  Ranking second in the offense for the Skyhawks is Liv Crawford with 23 points (18 goals) and Caprietta Abbadessa with 20 points (18 goals).
  • As a team, FLC is scoring an average of 9.4 goals per game and giving up 14.8 goals.  They are 23-of-55 on free position goals this season and have edged their opponents on ground balls, 186-183. 
 
HOT TAKES
  • The Mountain Lions received votes in this week's IWLCA Division II poll.
  • Thursday's 13-goal win at CSUP is the third largest scoring margin for UCCS this season. The Mountain Lions 35 points (21 goals, 14 assists) are tied for the most points in a game.
  • The Mountain Lions' lead the league and are ranked ninth nationally in assists per game (8.42).  UCCS is 13th in Division II in ground balls per game and first in the RMAC, picking up 21.6 ground balls per game, while ranking second in the RMAC in points per game (22.6).
  • UCCS is scoring the second most goals in the league (14.2 per game) while allowing the second fewest goals (10.3). 
  • Natalie Church is the all-time program leader in points (188), goals (110), assists (78), free-position goals (29), shots (237), shots on goal (185) and draws (308).
  • Angela 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 (21), and fourth in points (117), goals (78), assists (39), shots (193) and shots on goal (136).
  • Church's 26 assists and 2.17 assists per game leads all RMAC players.  She is second in the league in points (49) and points per game (4.08), and seventh in draw controls per game (3.5).
  • McGriff is one of the top goalies in the RMAC, ranking first in save percentage (.473) and goals against average (10.4), third in saves (98) and ground balls per game (2.25), and fifth in saves per game (8.17).
  • Hannah Mill leads the RMAC in shots per game (6.25) and shots on goal per game (4.5), while Morgan Miller ranks fourth in the conference in draw controls per game (1.33).
 
AWARD WINNERS
  • Madison McGriff won her second RMAC Defensive Player of the Week award on April 11 after helping the Mountain Lions secure a 20-6 win at Fort Lewis on April 8.  She made nine saves and posted a 6.00 goals against average while improving to 6-4 in goal this season. 
  • Julia Patrick and Morgan Miller swept the RMAC Player of the Week awards on April 4 after leading UCCS to a 2-1 home record. led the Mountain Lions offense with 16 points behind 11 goals and 5 assists.  Patrick registered 11 goals, five assists (16 points), 20 shots and 15 shots on goal to go with four draws and 13 ground balls against CSUP, WC and CMU.  Miller held down the defense for UCCS, securing 11 ground balls and causing eight turnovers on the week.
  • Hannah Mill had a career day as she led the Mountain Lions to a 19-1 home win over Hendrix College on March 23, earning her the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honoree.  In just her second game in a Mountain Lions uniform, Mill set a program record for most assists in a game as she finished with six.  Mill added two goals to bring her game total to eight points, the second most points ever recorded by a Mountain Lion in program history. 
  • Church and McGriff were named the RMAC Players of the Week on 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. 
 
UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH MELISSA RAUSCH
  • Melissa Rausch is in 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
  • Rain and cooler temperatures are in the forecast for Sunday's match. The skies will be mostly cloudy in the morning with rain developing later in the day.  The high will reach 51 with winds coming out to the East at 10-15mph. 
 
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 close out the regular season on the road.  UCCS will play at Colorado Mesa on Thursday, April 28 at 5 p.m., followed by a road match against Westminster College on Saturday, April 30 at 2 p.m.
 
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.
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