BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The LIU Brooklyn women's lacrosse team will wrap up their home season this weekend, hosting two tough Northeast Conference opponents on LIU Field. The Blackbirds will welcome Wagner to downtown Brooklyn, Friday, April 20 at 4 p.m., before taking on Mount St. Mary's, Sunday, April 22 at 12 p.m. LIU will recognize the four Blackbirds playing in their final game on LIU Field prior to the game Sunday; graduate student Taylor O'Connor and seniors Sierra O'Connor, Candice Mosal and Christina Zolezzi will take part in a ceremony prior to first draw.
FOLLOW LIVE
Fans who can't be in Brooklyn can follow all of the game action this weekend in two ways: watching a free live stream on NEC Front Row, and by following live stats on LIUAthletics.com.
BLACKBIRD BITS
- LIU will be looking to win their first NEC game of the season, after coming close against both Bryant and CCSU last weekend. The Blackbirds are currently 3-9 overall, and 0-3 in league play.
- LIU is led offensively by sophomore Bianca Santucci, with a team-high 24 goals. But it's junior Dale Cosgrave who leads the team in points, as she has eight goals, and a league-best 29 assists this season. Her 2.42 assists per game average also leads the league, but more impressively, ranks 11th in the nation in Division I women's lacrosse.
- The freshmen tandem of Rachel Masullo and Amanda Masullo is next, as the Selden, N.Y. sister rank second and third on the team in points scored. Amanda Masullo has 30 points this season, with 21 goals scored and nine assists, while Rachel Masullo had 21 goals scored and six assists. The pair combined to lead the Blackbirds in draw controls as well, and ranking third and fourth in the NEC in the category. Rachel Masullo has a team-high 55 draw controls, while Amanda Masullo has 54, and is also third on the team in caused turnovers, with 12.
- Senior Sierra O'Connor has also had an impact this season, in nearly every category across the board. She ranks fifth on the team in points, with 16 goals and nine assists, and also leads the team in ground balls (25) and is second in caused turnovers (15).
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
Wagner enters the weekend on a three-game winning streak, and stands at 8-4 overall, and a perfect 3-0 in NEC action. The Seahawks are one of the top offenses in the NEC, ranking second in goals per game (12.08), and third in assists (4.08), but are also balanced by a defense that ranks second in ground balls per game (23.75) and caused turnovers per game (11.08). The Seahawks are led in scoring by senior midfielder Lauren Ednie, who is fourth in the league with 31 goals. She's complemented by classmate Heidi Colford, who's sixth in the NEC in scoring with 24 goals, and junior Anna Belle Reilly, who's second in the league in assists behind Cosgrave, with 21 this year.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
The Mount comes into the weekend at 6-6 overall, and 1-2 in league action. They'll take on Sacred Heart Friday at 3 p.m. before making the trip to Brooklyn. Mount St. Mary's opened the league season with a big win over SFU, but has since dropped games to Robert Morris and Wagner. Sophomore Carly Miller leads the Mount in points, with 21 goals so far this year, along with 11 assists. Goalie Jillian Petito is second in the NEC in save percentage (.559), and has a league-high 137 saves so far this season.
UP NEXT
LIU will wrap up the regular season with a swing through the Keystone State, heading west to take on Saint Francis U. and Robert Morris. The Blackbirds will take on SFU, Friday, April 27 at 12 p.m., before heading to Moon Township to face off with RMU, Sunday, April 29 at 12 p.m.