LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis women's lacrosse team returns home to host Merrimack on Saturday afternoon, looking to close March with a win at the halfway point of conference play.
 
The Red Flash currently sits at 2-3 in a crowded race for NEC tournament position. A victory Saturday would allow Saint Francis to match its program record for NEC wins in a season.
 
Merrimack (1-5, 1-4 NEC) at Saint Francis (2-4, 2-3 NEC)
Location: DeGol Field (Loretto, Pa.)
Date and Time Saturday, March 27 – 1 p.m.
Watch: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Sidearm Sports
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #NECWLAX

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Merrimack is 1-5 on the year and 1-4 in the NEC with the lone victory coming against the Red Flash in the March 6 NEC opener. The Warriors had a late one-goal lead at Sacred Heart Wednesday before the Pioneers came back in the closing minutes.
 
Meghan Dzialo leads Merrimack with 19 goals, while Haley Bartlett has added 15. Sam Preston made her first appearance of the year in goal Wednesday, making 11 saves. The Warriors have been outscored 106-65 through six contests.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's meeting will be the second all-time matchup and second in four Saturdays between the Red Flash and Warriors. Merrimack took the first contest 14-10 despite three-goal efforts from senior Emileigh Scott and junior Autumn McHenry.
 
LAST TIME OUT: LIU 11, SAINT FRANCIS 7
Two goals from redshirt senior Livia Baker in the final 12 seconds of the first half gave the Red Flash a 6-3 halftime lead, but LIU kept Saint Francis off the scoreboard for the majority of the second half in Wednesday's loss on Long Island. Senior Emileigh Scott scored a team-high three goals.
 
NO PASSING ZONE
Redshirt senior Peyton LeConte has recorded 19 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers in 2021. Entering the week, LeConte ranked in the top 10 nationally in both statistics.
 
DRAW MILESTONE FOR SCOTT
The first of five draw controls last Saturday from senior Emileigh Scott was the 300^th of her career, making her the first player in program history to reach the mark. Scott also jumped to fourth in the program record book in goals in the victory over Central Connecticut.
 
START ME UP
Junior Hannah McDermott made her first start in a Red Flash uniform last Saturday and collected four caused turnovers, three ground balls, one goal, and one draw control – an impact performance that earned her NEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
The award gave Saint Francis an NEC weekly honor for the fourth-straight week – the longest stretch in program history. Senior Emileigh Scott and junior Autumn McHenry earned NEC Prime Performer honors.
 
COYNE AIMING FOR 300 IN 2021
Head coach Tracy Coyne currently stands at 297 career victories, which is tied for ninth all-time among Division I coaches. Coyne and Johns Hopkins' Janine Tucker (297 entering Friday) look to join Northwestern's Kelly Amonte Hiller as coaches to reach 300 wins this season.
 
UP NEXT: SACRED HEART
Saint Francis will complete the season series against Sacred Heart next Saturday in Connecticut. Opening draw is slated for 1 p.m. on NEC Front Row.
 
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.