LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis women's lacrosse team looks to even its NEC record Saturday when Central Connecticut visits DeGol Field.
 
The Red Flash aims to build on a program-record defensive performance in last Saturday's victory and close out a three-game homestand with a second consecutive win.
 
Attendance at Saturday's contest is limited to the Saint Francis team guest list and holders of an active Saint Francis University ID.
 
Central Connecticut (0-5, 0-3 NEC) at Saint Francis (1-3, 1-2 NEC)
Location: DeGol Field (Loretto, Pa.)
Date and Time Saturday, March 20 – 1 p.m.
Watch: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Sidearm Sports
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #NECWLAX

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
Central Connecticut is 0-5 on the year and 0-3 in league play. The Blue Devils have faced Wagner, Sacred Heart, and LIU in their first three NEC contests, most recently falling 11-5 to the Sharks last Saturday. Katelyn Parker provided a multi-goal effort for CCSU.
 
Morgan Sinton leads the Blue Devils with eight goals on the year. CCSU has been outscored 76-27 over its first five games.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Saint Francis is looking for its third straight win in the series with Central Connecticut and is 3-15 all-time against the Blue Devils. The 2019 meeting was a 13-9 Red Flash victory with a standout performance from Emileigh Scott, who scored seven goals and added five draw controls.
 
LAST TIME OUT: SAINT FRANCIS 9, SACRED HEART 7
The Red Flash outscored the Pioneers 7-1 in the second half to come back from a halftime deficit and pick up the first victory of 2021 last Saturday. Freshman Danielle Hernandez scored a team-high three goals, while redshirt senior Livia Baker and junior Hannah McDermott added two each.
 
RECORD DAY FOR DEFENSE
Saint Francis held Sacred Heart to seven goals in last Saturday's victory – the fewest allowed in an NEC victory in program history. The Pioneers were held off the board for the final 15 minutes of the contest.
 
AN AWARD-WINNING PERFORMANCE
Freshman Danielle Hernandez scored three key goals in the win over Sacred Heart – the first and fifth goals of a 5-0 second-half run that turned a 6-2 deficit into a 7-6 advantage and the game-winner with 11:50 to play. Hernandez was rewarded with NEC Rookie of the Week honors for her impact performance.
 
Hernandez earned the Red Flash a major weekly award from the NEC for the third-straight week – the second time in program history SFU has collected a weekly accolade in three straight weeks.
 
NO PASSING ZONE
Redshirt senior Peyton LeConte has recorded 16 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers in her first four games of 2021, with her caused turnovers per game average ranking third nationally and her ground balls average placing eighth.
 
LeConte jumped ahead of Jessica Mazzur for fourth in program history in career ground balls and now has 129 for her career while passing Catherine Helming for fifth in draw controls at 89.
 
EMILEIGH RISING IN RECORD BOOK
Senior Emileigh Scott continues to climb in the program's record book in 2021. Scott, who has scored 111 times in a Red Flash uniform, enters Saturday one goal back of Sarah Mahon for fourth in program history. Her 124 points are seventh on the program's all-time list and she stands one draw control shy of being the first Red Flash player to 300.
 
COYNE AIMING FOR 300 IN 2021
Head coach Tracy Coyne currently stands at 296 career victories, which is 10th all-time among Division I coaches. Coyne and Johns Hopkins' Janine Tucker (297) look to join Northwestern's Kelly Amonte Hiller as coaches to reach 300 wins this season.
 
UP NEXT: LONG ISLAND
Saint Francis will travel to LIU on Wednesday for a 1 p.m. start at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium.
 
Follow Saint Francis Women's Lacrosse on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get up-to-date information and a behind-the-scenes look at the Red Flash program.

To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.