ROCK HILL, SC – Coming off a strong victory over Davidson Sunday afternoon, the Winthrop lacrosse team heads north for two contest to close out its non-conference schedule.
Winthrop enters the weekend with a 3-5 overall record and will face the Cincinnati Bearcats Friday afternoon at 12 p.m. before heading to Michigan to take on the Wolverines Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Eagles snapped a three-game losing skid Sunday afternoon with a full-team effort against Davidson. Winthrop limited Davidson to only one goal in the first half in the 10-5 victory. Team scoring leader Nicole Beatson tallied four goals and two assists against the Wildcats, increasing her league-leading goal tally to 24. The Eagles forced a season-high 12 turnovers and had a very efficient shooting night, scoring on 10 of their 16 shots.
Cincinnati comes into Friday's contest with a 3-5 mark on the season and dropped its last game, 16-10 on Sunday to Marquette. The Bearcats are 2-0 this season against other Big South opponents, having downed Campbell and Gardner-Webb. Five Bearcats have tallied double-digit goals this season with Monica Borzillo leading the way with 19 goals. Alex MacAffer has played the majority of minutes in goal for Cincinnati, recording a 2-4 record while allowing 12.5 goals per game and making 39 percent of her saves.
Winthrop is 2-1 all-time against the Wildcats, having last played in Rock Hill in 2016 with the Eagles grabbing an 11-4 victory. The Eagles headed to Cincinnati in 2015 and picked up a 17-5 win.
Michigan currently boasts a 3-7 record on the season and will play No. 14 Northwestern Thursday at home. The Wolverines are coming off a big victory over Ohio State on the road Saturday, the program's first-ever Big Ten victory. Kim Coughlan leads Wolverine's attackers with 20 goals this season and has also been strong on the draw with 25 draw controls. Mira Shane and Alli Kothari have been splitting time between the pipes lately and Shane has recorded the team's last two victories. Shane is allowing 12.6 goals per game while making 42 percent of her saves.
The Eagles are unbeaten in two matches all-time against the Wolverines. Winthrop went to Ann Arbor in 2014 and picked up a 14-12 win. The Eagles also grabbed an overtime winner against Michigan at home in 2015.
Following the weekend road trip, the Eagles will open conference play. Winthrop will play its first two on the road at Campbell on April 1 and High Point on April 5.
