WILKES-BARRE, PA (March 5, 2019) – The King's College women's lacrosse team will get its Spring Break festivities started Wednesday morning, playing in a pair of games down in sunny Florida. The Monarchs will battle a pair of NCAA Tournament teams from 2018, taking on the United States Merchant Marine Academy Wednesday morning before battling No. 19 St. John Fisher College Friday. King's is looking to snap a two-game skid, having fallen to Moravian last Wednesday evening in Bethlehem, PA.

Event Details
Opponent: vs. US Merchant Marine Academy (1-0, 0-0 Skyline)
Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Clearwater, FL – Countryside Sports Complex (Directions)
Live Coverage: (Live Video)

Opponent: vs. No. 19 St. John Fisher College (1-0, 0-0 Empire 8)
Date: Friday, March 8, 2019
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Clearwater, FL – Joe Dimaggio Sports Complex (Directions)
Live Coverage: (Live Video) (Live Stats)

Last Time Out: The King's College women's lacrosse team trailed by just two at 8-6 with 19:13 to play in regulation, but eight straight goals by host Moravian College put the game out of reach as the Monarchs fell 18-6 in non-conference action from John Makuvek Field.

Sophomore Orla Cottell was stellar in net all night for the Monarchs, as she tied her career-high with 19 saves including stopping four free-position shots. Freshman Emily Sims paced King's with a team-high six shots, adding two ground balls and two caused turnovers in addition to her two scores. Sophomore Kylie McCarthy needed just two shots for her two tallies, as she has now potted six goals on seven shots in 2019.

Freshman Jen O'Connor had another all-around strong game in the midfield, collecting a team-best three draw controls in addition to team-bests of four caused turnovers and six ground balls. Freshman Natasha Koslop also finished with three ground balls with her one goal, and defender Kelly Pierce was strong on the clear while forcing two turnovers and picking up four ground balls.

Sophomore Mary Kate Klodarska was solid away from the ball, as she established a new career-high for assists with three, adding three ground balls and two draw controls.

A Look At The Monarchs (1-2, 0-0 MAC Freedom):

• The Monarchs come into this week's games with the third-highest scoring offense in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom), posting 37 goals thus far.
• King's shooting percentage of 52.1 percent leads the conference, led by sophomore Kylie McCarthy who has a shooting percentage of 85.7 percent. Freshman Emily Sims also has six goals on 11 shots this year, while Emma Lehman has tallied four times on six attempts.
• So far this season, all but one goal for the Monarchs has come from either a freshman or sophomore.
• Freshman Jen O'Connor and sophomore Mary Kate Klodarska lead the conference with seven assists apiece, and both are tied for fifth in the MAC Freedom in points with 13.
• O'Connor also leads the team in draw controls with 17, adding team highs in caused turnovers with six as well.
• Sophomore Orla Cottell is fourth in the conference in goals against average this season, while her saves per game rate of 13.00 is second in the league.
• Junior defender Kelly Pierce is averaging 3.33 ground balls per game this season, which ranks 11^th in the conference and second on the team to just O'Connor and her 3.67 loose balls per game.
• King's has had eight players tally goals this season, while five players lead the team with six goals on the year.
• The Monarchs will need to improve on its clear game, as King's has failed on 23 clears over the last two games.
• Head coach Ashley Stevens has 16 career wins for the Monarchs, which is tied for the third most in program history behind Kathy Kerr (27) and Laura Patton (33).

A Look At the Mariners (1-0, 0-0 Skyline):

• The United States Merchant Marine Academy comes into the season after posting a 14-3 record last year, including a Skyline title and a trip to the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
• USMMA is picked to repeat in the annual Skyline Coaches Poll, earning 49 points and seven of the eight first-place votes in the conference poll.
• The Mariners started their season with a big 19-2 win over Otterbein College Monday afternoon, as senior Meredith Willard posted four goals and three assists.
• Senior Jessica Reilly added two goals and two assists, posting a game-high eight ground balls.
• Hannah Gizzi made four saves in the victory over Otterbein.
• Willard was named as the Skyline Player of the Year last season, while Reilly was the Defensive Player of the Year.
• Senior Maura Malone was a First Team All-Skyline player for the Mariners last season, while junior Chelsea Chamberlain also earned First Team.
• Gizzi was a First Team All-Skyline Conference performer a season ago, and head coach Kyle Simensky was named as the Coach of the Year.
• King's has never played US Merchant Marine before.

A Look At The Cardinals (1-0, Empire 8):

• St. John Fisher is 1-0 on the year, defeating local rival University of Rochester 13-3 earlier this month.
• SJFC made the NCAA Tournament last season thanks to winning the Empire 8, falling to Wesleyan College in the NCAA Second Round.
• The Cardinals earned eight performers on the 2018 All-Empire 8 team, including now-senior Molly Tice and then-freshman Logan Chase on the All-Empire 8 First Time.
• Head coach Linda Michele is in her first season as a full-time top boss at St. John Fisher, having served in the position as a part-time coach for her first seven years.
• St. John Fisher is led so far this season offensively by attack Mallory Eymer, who posted three goals and two assists in the season-opening win over Rochester.
• Alyssa Sproule added three points on two goals and an assist in the win.
• Fisher split time in the cage in the first game of the year, as Claudia Mocciaro started and got the win with two saves, while Morgan Hayes added six stops in 22 minutes of action.
• The two teams have played just once before back in 2007, with St. John Fisher posting an 18-10 win in Orlando, FL.

Up Next: King's returns home to Pennsylvania and then takes on Penn State Abington Wednesday, March 13 in McCarthy Stadium at 7 p.m. in non-conference play.