ROCK HILL, SC – The Winthrop lacrosse program will open its seventh year of competition Friday afternoon, traveling to East Carolina to take on the Pirates before returning home to host the Davidson Wildcats on Sunday.
 

Game 1: Winthrop (0-0) vs. East Carolina (0-0)
Date	Friday, February 8 – 4:00 p.m.
Location	Greenville, NC (Johnson Stadium)
Live Stats	Sidearm Stats (click here)
Live Stream	ECU Television (click here)

 

Game 2: Winthrop (0-0) vs. Davidson (0-0)
Date	Sunday, February 10 – 1:00 p.m.
Location	Rock Hill, SC (Eagle Field)
Live Stats	StatBroadcast (click here)
Live Stream	None

 
WINTHROP AT A GLANCE
The 2019 Winthrop Eagles will have a lot of new faces after the program graduated 10 seniors that were a part of two Big South championships. 

Winthrop returns redshirt senior goalie Alaina Girani who earned her fifth Preseason All-Conference honor this year.  Last season she allowed 11.2 goals per game while making 48 percent of her saves.

Two seniors will anchor the defense for the Eagles this year, Mackenzie Cunningham and Emily Torris.  Cunningham has been with the Eagles for four years and played in all 20 games last year, while making 19 starts.  She is joined by Torris who earned a Preseason All-Conference honor.  Torris joined the Eagles prior to the 2017 season and also played in all 20 games last year while making 18 starts.

In the midfield and on attack is where Winthrop will see the most new faces and have the biggest shoes to fill.  The Eagles scored 303 goals last season and nearly 84% of those goals game from graduating seniors. 
Bianca Tedesco and McKenna Blick are the top two returners in points.  Tedesco, a junior, finished last season with 35 points on 14 goals and 21 assists while Blick, a sophomore, had 24 points on 19 goals and five assists.  Junior Ellie Marindin will also be expected to contribute after she put up 32 goals and 48 points as a freshman but was limited last year due to injury.

SCOUTING EAST CAROLINA
East Carolina finished last season 2-15 in their first year of NCAA competition, picking up victories over Big South foe Gardner-Webb and Delaware State.  The Pirates boast a roster of nearly all underclassmen with two juniors listed.  Megan Pallozzi led East Carolina with 25 goals last season.  In goal, the Pirates split time between two netminders last season but Christina White is the only returning goalie this year.  She allowed just shy of 15 goals per game last year while making 37 percent of her saves.

SCOUTING DAVIDSON
Davidson, a former Big South lacrosse member, opens its season Sunday at Winthrop.  The Wildcats finished last season 11-8 overall and fell in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament.  Davidson had a very balanced offense last season with four people scoring 30 or more goals.  The top two goal scorers graduated but the Wildcats return Sarah Kopp and Shannon Blee who each scored 30 goals last year.  The Wildcats will have a new face in goal as three-year starter, Rose Woolson, graduated.  Her backup from last season, junior Delaney Guhman, will compete against one freshman for playing time in net.

ALL-TIME AGAINST EAST CAROLINA
East Carolina is in only its second year of NCAA competition and Friday will the second meeting between the two teams.  Winthrop downed the Pirates 17-9 in Rock Hill last season.

ALL-TIME AGAINST DAVIDSON
Sunday will be the 6^th all-time meeting between the Eagles and Wildcats.  Davidson won last year's contest and holds a 3-2 lead in the series.  Winthrop had one the previous two matchups before last season.

WHAT'S UP NEXT
Winthrop will remain at home for its next contest.  The Eagles will welcome former Big South competitor Liberty to Eagle Field on Friday, February 15.