UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – With their four-game season opening road trip wrapped up, the Penn State women's lacrosse program will welcome No. 21 James Madison in the Nittany Lions' home opener on Wednesday, March 9.
First draw is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Holuba Hall. Due to space contraints in Holuba Hall, the game is closed to the general public.
The Nittany Lions are 2-2, as they host their first true home game since April 18, 2021. JMU is 3-2 on the season and enters the contest with the Lions on a three-game streak with wins over No. 23 UConn, High Point and Ohio State.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Wednesday, March 9 | 1:00 p.m.
Live Stats
SERIES HISTORY
• PSU leads 21-14 in the overall series vs. JMU.
• The Dukes have won the last three contests.
• The teams first played in University Park on March 28, 1981 with PSU winning 18-8. PSU would win 13 of the first 14 games played.
• No. 21 Penn State fell 6-16 in their last meeting in 2020 to No. 16 JMU.
• One game has gone into overtime with PSU winning 18-17 on the road on March 9, 2016.
SCOUTING THE DUKES
• Loyola is 3-2, dropping their first two contests to No. 2 UNC and Virginia Tech but winning the next three over No. 23 UConn, High Point and Ohio State.
• Against Ohio State, redshirt sophomore Isabella Peterson racked up a game-high five goals, while Senior Brittany Bill added a hat trick of her own. Goalkeeper Molly Dougherty made nine saves on a .692 save percentage.
• Petersen leads the team with 18 goals and 22 points this season. She has notched three hat tricks.
• The next leading scorer on the Dukes is junior Tai Jankowski with eight goals and 11 points.
• Redshirt junior Mairead Durkin has caused 16 turnovers so far.
PSU STATISTICAL RANKINGS
• As a team, PSU is fifth in the nation with a .938 clearing percentage.
• As a team the Nittany Lions are 15th in Division I in draw control percentage (.577).
• Sophomore Kayla Abernathy is tied 17th in the nation with 6.5 draw controls per game.
• Junior Kara Nealon is tied eighth in the nation by averaging 2.5 assists per contest.
Additional Notes
• Sophomore Kristin O'Neill leads the Lions with ten goals.
• Graduate student Taylor Regan has a team best 12 points on seven goals and five assists.
• Junior Kara Nealon has a team best ten assists this season.
• Sophomore Kayla Abernathy has won a team best 26 draw controls.
• Dual goalkeepers Ashley Bowan and Cayden Jarvis each have seen action in all four games. Bowan has clocked 136 minutes and 13 saves, while Jarvis has played 103 minutes with ten saves.
• Senior Mary Muldoon and junior Rachel Spilker were elected captains for the 2022 season.
• Grad transfer Taylor Regan and sophomores Sammy Dupcak and Kristin O'Neill were named Big Ten Players to Watch.
• 2021's Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Kristin O'Neill, was named to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List.
• Head Coach Missy Doherty is in her 12th season leading the Nittany Lions.
• Doherty notched her 200th career victory following the Lions' Feb. 23 win at Duquesne.
UP NEXT
• Penn State remains at home for a Saturday, March 12 contest vs. Saint. Joseph's.
• Loyola will host Rutgers on Saturday, March 12.
