Pirates Host Jacksonville

Saturday, March 6

Greenville, N.C.

12:00 P.M.

East Carolina University

Jacksonville

Photo by: Rob Goldberg

March 04, 2021 | Lacrosse

Game 6: Jacksonville (1-0) at East Carolina (2-3)
Date	Saturday, March 6
Time	12 p.m. (EDT)
Location	Greenville, N.C. (Johnson Stadium)
Social Media	Twitter: @eculax Instagram: @eculax Facebook: ECU Lacrosse

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Just one nonconference game stands on the schedule for the East Carolina lacrosse team as the Pirates host Jacksonville on Saturday afternoon in Johnson Stadium.

ECU (2-3) will be trying to finish the nonconference portion of its schedule with at least a .500 record for the second time in as many years. In 2020, the Pirates were 5-3 in nonconference games before the remainder of the season was cancelled. With a win, the Pirates will also tie the 2019 record for single-season home wins, which stands at three.

East Carolina is coming off a 1-1 week, beating Campbell 20-8 before losing to No. 8 Duke 16-4. Megan Pallozzi racked up six goals and an assist across the two contests, earning a spot on the AAC Weekly Honor Roll. The senior is ranked eighth in the country and first in the AAC in goals with 14 and 14th in the NCAA in points with 17. Joining Pallozzi on the Honor Roll was Payton Barr who earned the award for the first time in her career. Barr had a goal in each game along with an assist against Campbell and she also collected a combined seven draw controls. Barr is second on the team in draw controls, with 17 compared to 19 for Nicole LeGar.

Defensively, Ashley Vernon ranks fifth in the nation in saves, having made 42 stops already this season. In front of the sophomore goalkeeper, three players have caused five turnovers, Cece Bartley, Jordyn Cox and Courtney Frank. Sam Caputo and Alexandra Giacolone have added four caused turnovers as well. Vernon is tied for the team lead in ground balls with Liz Blumthal and Frances Kimel, each having scooped up eight.

Jacksonville (1-0) is coming off a 22-day break since opening its season with a 14-13 win at High Point. The Dolphins trailed 10-4 early in the second half, but stormed back to score the game's final three goals and escape with the victory. Jenny Kinsey and Sarah Elms each had four points, with Elms scoring four goals while Kinsey had three goals and an assist. Former Pirate Casey Sullivan had one goal and three caused turnovers in the win. Sullivan played for East Carolina during the Pirates' 2018 inaugural campaign and scored the first goal in ECU program history.

The Dolphins have been the dominant team in the ASUN over the past decade and this year appears to be no different. Jacksonville was picked to win the conference in the league's preseason coaches poll and Kinsey was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year. Elms, Sullivan, Alyssa Arnold, Molly Brock and Maddie Sturgell all joined Kinsey on the league's Preseason All-Conference team. The Dolphins are trying to reach the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time, having last made it in 2019.

It will be the first all-time meeting between Jacksonville and East Carolina and just the second time ECU takes on a team from the state of Florida. The previous time was a 20-10 loss to AAC member Florida in 2019. It will be the second ASUN member that the Pirates have played, with ECU having lost to Liberty in 2018 and 2019.

The game is scheduled for a 12 noon start on Saturday in Johnson Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ECUPirates.com.