Youngstown State University
Pittsburgh
Penguins Close Out Non-Conference Slate at Pittsburgh on Tuesday
3/26/2023 3:58:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
| Game Information | |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | March 28 @ 4 PM | |
| Highmark Stadium | Pittsburgh, Pa. | |
| Live Coverage | |
|---|---|
| ACCNX | |
| Live Stats | |
| Live Tweets | @YSUwlax | |
The Youngstown State women's lacrosse team will close out its non-conference slate as they face Pittsburgh at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Tuesday.
First draw is set for 4 p.m. with live coverage available on ACCNX.
Scouting Pittsburgh
The Panthers are currently 3-8 overall and are 0-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). They are coming off a 16-8 loss to ACC opponent Duke that occurred on Sunday. Pittsburgh has faced several ranked opponents including Syracuse, Virginia, and Penn State. They have currently lost their last six games after starting the season 3-2.
Pittsburgh and Youngstown State have faced two of the same opponents in 2023. Pittsburgh defeated both Duquesne and Canisius who YSU suffered losses to earlier in the season. The Panthers defeated the Dukes 16-10 while YSU lost 16-13. Most recently, the Penguins faced Canisius, losing 15-3, while Pittsburgh defeated the Golden Griffins 16-8 on Feb. 28.
Pittsburgh's 2023 scoring effort has been led by Camdyn O'Donnell and Sydney Naylor with 15 goals apiece while Mauve Murray and Ava Washington have each scored 13 on the season.
Goalkeeper Hannah Van Middelem has made 106 saves on the season while giving up 129 goals for a .452 save percentage.
The Panthers are led by head coach Emily Boissonneault who has been with Pittsburgh since its inauguaral season in 2022. Boissonneault led the Panthers to a 9-10 overall and 1-7 conference record during the program's first season.
By the Numbers
- Natalie Calandra-Ryan leads the Penguins in goals scored (27), assists (12), points (39), and draw controls (55). She is tied for first in caused turnovers with defender Aryss Lindsey, forcing 12.
- Calandra-Ryan leads the Mid-American Conference in goals per game (3.38), points per game (4.88), and draw controls per game (6.88). She is second in assists per game (1.50) and shots per game (7.88).
- Erin Clark (16), Sydney Bumstead (12), Ali Korin (11), and Ally Garrett (10) have also scored in double digits for the Penguins. Clark is second on the team in assists (8), points (24), and draw controls (24).
- Jordan Miller (7), Abby Yesko (3), Molly Sheridan (2), and Shannyn Cullen (2) have also found the back of the net multiple times in 2023.
- Goalkeeper Mikaela Staranko has started all eight games for the Penguins in 2023, playing over 350 minutes in the net. She has made 64 saves on 222 shots faced while giving up 110 goals for a .368 save percentage.
- Redshirt-freshman goalie Jacqueline Cornell has played over 100 minutes across the Penguins last three games, making 17 saves on 61 shots-faced. She's given up 31 goals for a .354 save percentage.
- Youngstown State leads the MAC in goals per game, averaging 11.50, as well as leads in shots-on-goal per game with 21.00.
Offensive Awards
Two Penguins have been named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week in 2023: Erin Clark and Natalie Calandra-Ryan.
Calandra-Ryan earned the award on March 7 after impressive performances against Niagara and No. 3 Northwestern, scoring four goals, netting nine draw controls, and grabbing two ground balls across both games.
Clark earned this season's first Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week for her all-around impressive offensive performance against Butler in the Guins' season-opener, delivering a seven-point performance and scoring the game-winning goal.
Last Time Out
The Penguins' last time out was against Canisius on Sunday, March 12. YSU was defeated 15-3, falling to 2-6 on the season.
Erin Clark, Ali Korin, and Jordan Miller each scored a goal for the Penguins. Natalie Calandra-Ryan led all players with five draw controls while Clark had four.
Penguin goalies Jacqueline Cornell and Mikaela Staranko exchanged halves in the net against a tough Canisius offense. Cornell made seven saves in the second half, giving up seven goals for a .500 save percentage while Staranko tallied six saves in the first half with eight goals against for a .429 save percentage.
Penguins Picked Fourth
YSU was selected fourth in the 2023 Mid-American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving 31 points.
1. Robert Morris (4) – 46 points
2. Central Michigan (3) – 43 points
3. Kent State – 32 points
4. Youngstown State – 31 points
5. Akron – 18 points
T6. Eastern Michigan – 13 points
T6. Detroit Mercy – 13 points
Up Next
The Penguins will return home to begin MAC play on Saturday, April 1 against Robert Morris. First draw is set for 1 p.m. on Farmers National Bank Field.
For news and updates throughout the 2023 women's lacrosse season, follow @YSUwlax on Twitter.
