As the season winds down, the women’s lacrosse team has one more opportunity to improve its conference record in the team’s inaugural season as a full member of the Big East against No. 18 Louisville.
“We are playing the best lacrosse we’ve played (all season),” coach Meredith Black said. “But our next step is to be more consistent.”
Marquette enters the match-up with a 5-10 record, tallying one win and five losses in conference play. On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals look to finish undefeated in Big East play, having already clinched a share of the regular season conference title.
Louisville is led by senior attacker Nikki Boltja, who accumulated 77 points on 59 goals and 18 assists. Boltja is a nominee for the Tewaaraton Trophy, which is given annually to the most outstanding player in men’s and women’s collegiate lacrosse. The prestigious award is college lacrosse’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
“It’s very hard to shut a player like (Boltja) down completely,” Black said. “If we can hold her to a couple of goals and make them play a balanced attack I think we’ll be in good shape.”
The match-up between Marquette sophomore defender Elizabeth Goslee and Louisville junior attacker Faye Brust is one to watch. Brust was named Big East Offensive Player of the Week, while Goslee was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll. Goslee is coming off a weekend where she picked up six ground balls and forced five turnovers against Villanova and Temple.
“I think everybody tries to match (Goslee’s) hustle on the field,” Black said. “She’s always someone that the team looks to be the hustler and apply the pressure on the other team.”
Marquette found production from freshman Amanda Bochniak, whose 40 points on the season ties the season point record set by sophomore Claire Costanza a year ago. Costanza totaled 39 points this season and is coming off a two goal, two assist outing against Villanova.
Coach Black’s side will have to get out to a fast start against a strong team like Louisville. The Cardinals are dominant on offense this season outscoring the opposition by more than six goals per game. To put it in perspective, they have scored a prolific 226 goals in just 15 games while averaging 15.07 goals per match. That mark sets Louisville at sixth in the nation in scoring. The team’s last loss came March 8 at Notre Dame.
“Kellie Young is a great coach, she’s done a great job with that program,” Black said. “They’ve had some great success in their short time as a program and I’d love to follow them in that lead.”
The Golden Eagles take on the Cardinals at U of L Lacrosse Stadium in Louisville Thursday at 3 p.m.