Rock Hill, S.C. – Coming off a 19-11 home loss to San Diego State in the season opener, Winthrop seeks their first win of the year at Davidson on Wednesday night. The contest is set to begin at 6:30 p.m.
A LOOK AT DAVIDSON
- This is the 10th meeting between the Eagles and the Wildcats, with Davidson leading the series, 7-2
- After falling in the first two meetings in 2013 and 2014, Winthrop's two wins in the series were an 8-5 result at Davidson on Feb. 28, 2016 and 10-5 in Rock Hill the next season on Mar. 19, 2017
- This tied the series at 2-2
- Davidson has won the last five meetings in the series
- The two teams met last season at Eagle Field with the Wildcats winning 20-2 on Feb. 14, 2024
- Davidson is currently 1-1 on the season, having lost to then-#21 Clemson at home 14-6 on Feb. 8 but responding with their first win on the year 12-7 at Coastal Carolina on Feb. 16
- In the win at Coastal last Sunday, the Wildcats scored eight second-half goals, including back-to-back scores from Josie Lambert and Jenna Skibbe in the final 12 seconds of the third period to put Davidson in front for good
- Coastal Carolina opened up the fourth with a goal from Evelyn Kitchin to cut the Wildcats' lead to one, 8-7, but Riley Cochrane scored three-straight to put the game out of reach in the closing minutes
- Cochrane ended the day with a game-high four goals, also scoring the game's opening point, while Skibbe (3) and Lambert (2) added multi-goal performances
- On the defensive end, goalkeeper Kayla Joyce made 13 saves, including nine in the first half, and the Wildcats went 21-of-21 on clear attempts. Freshman defender Lydia Canavan ended with three ground balls and two caused turnovers
- Davidson ended last season with an 11-7 record overall and 7-2 ledger in Atlantic 10 play
- The seven wins and .777 win percentage marked the Wildcats' best performance in A-10 conference play in program history
- A 10-9 win over Saint Joseph's last April, Davidson's first over the Hawks since 2015, allowed the Wildcats to earn the No. 3 seed at the A-10 Championship for the first time in program history
- The 'Cats went on to defeat George Mason 17-4 in the first round of the tournament, and advanced to the A-10 semifinals for the fourth consecutive season
- The Wildcats were selected to finish fourth in the 2025 Atlantic 10 preseason poll, with two players named to the Preseason All-Conference Team
- Jenna Skibbe was named to the All-Conference squad on attack, while Allie Hartnett represents the Davidson midfield with her preseason selection
- Hartnett has made the All-Conference First Team in the first two seasons of her career at Davidson
- Davidson returns most of its attack that powered last year's success, with four of its five top point-contributors returning for the 2025 season
- Josie Lambert returns for her senior year, after scoring 52 goals last season, which ranked 63rd in the country
- She is joined by last year's A-10 Rookie of the Year Jenna Skibbe, who looks to build on her 48-goal, debut season. Skibbe ranked second among all freshmen in Division I in both total goals and goals per game (2.82)
- The Wildcats are anchored in the midfield by returning First Team All-Conference player Allie Hartnett, and Brooke Ross, who was named to the All-Rookie Team last season
- Hartnett was named to the Coaches Association' All-Region Team and contributed 19 goals and 19 assists from the midfield, as well as leading the team with 40 draw controls
- Ross added 21 goals in her debut campaign
- The defense will be led by two other 2024 All-Rookie Team selections, as goalkeeper Kayla Joyce and defender Kella McGrail are back to anchor the defense
LAST TIME OUT
- The Winthrop lacrosse program opened their 2025 season by falling to the San Diego State Aztecs at home last Friday afternoon, 19-11
- Winthrop moves to 6-7 all-time in season openers
- Winthrop won 17 draw controls to SDSU's 15
- Winthrop also had 10 saves to SDSU's seven
- Five Eagles scored two goals
- Mayer and Tori Iannotti won five and six draw controls, respectively
- Four Eagles made their debut
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES
- Winthrop is coming off a 2-13 (2-6 Big South) record in 2024
- Eagles are ranked seventh in the Big South preseason poll and are in their first season under interim head coach Hannah Potter
- Potter is Winthrop's fourth head coach in program history
- Eagles welcome 12 newcomers to the squad and assistant coach Jordan Bowers
- Eagles also return 18 players, seven of whom played in all 15 contests last season
- Junior Scarlet Cifarelli is the only returnee who finished in the Top 5 in goals scored last season with 13
- She also led the Eagles in assists last season with 20 and was second on the team in points with 33 and fifth in shots on goal with 18
- Emma Calhoun, Lily Davis, Gabby Pierpont and Madison Mayer were all in the Top 5 in ground balls in 2024
- Mayer also led the team in caused turnovers with 13 and draw controls with 67, resulting in her being named Honorable Mention by the Big South Conference
- Davis and Grace Herrero were close behind in the Top 5 in draw controls with 11 and eight, respectively
- Calhoun, Tori Iannotti, Chloe Patterson and Pierpont were one of six players representing the program on the 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team
- With the selection of these six, they were the first ever academic all-district selections in lacrosse for the Eagles
- Eagles recorded their most man-up goals in school history as a team with six vs. Stonehill on Mar. 6, 2024
- Eagles also recorded the most man-up goals in school history over a season as a team last year with 24
- Eagles are 102-108 all-time as a program
- Eagles are 50-42 all-time at home
- Eagles are 44-37 all-time in Big South play
STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Five Eagles are tied for the team lead in goals with two
- Cifarelli leads the team in assists with three and points with five
- Ashlee Gensits leads the team in shots on goals with five
- Mayer leads the team in free position goals with one
- Ava-Claire Collins leads the team in ground balls with three and caused turnovers with two
- Iannotti leads the team in draw controls with six
WATCH THE EAGLES ON ESPN+
Of the nine home games to be played during the 2025 season, six of them will air live on ESPN+. You can also catch select road games in Big South Conference play on ESPN+. To watch Big South games on ESPN+ you must have a subscription to ESPN+. For more information on how to subscribe, click
here.
LOOKING AHEAD
Winthrop stays put in the Charlotte area, facing Queens on the road on Saturday, Feb. 22. The game will be at 12:00 p.m. EST.
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