ECU Takes Road Trip To Temple

Game 13: East Carolina (3-9, 1-5 AAC) at Temple (8-3, 4-2 AAC)
Date	Friday, April 16
Time	4 p.m. (EDT)
Location	Philadelphia, Pa. (Howarth Field)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Live Video
Social Media	Twitter: @eculax Instagram: @eculax Facebook: ECU Lacrosse

Game 14: East Carolina (3-9, 1-5 AAC) at Temple (8-3, 4-2 AAC)
Date	Sunday, April 18
Time	11 a.m. (EDT)
Location	Philadelphia, Pa. (Howarth Field)
Coverage	Live Stats \| Live Video
Social Media	Twitter: @eculax Instagram: @eculax Facebook: ECU Lacrosse

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Just two weekends remain in the regular season and the East Carolina lacrosse team will hit the road for a pair of games at Temple this weekend.

ECU (3-9, 1-5 AAC) is looking to snap a five-game skid and solidify its place in the top-four of the AAC standings. The Pirates are coming off a bye after playing the previous two weekends against the top two teams in the league standings, Florida and Vanderbilt. Against Florida, who is ranked in the top-10 of the country, East Carolina did have a few bright spots. Ally Stanton racked up seven points in two games, earning her a spot on the AAC Weekly Honor Roll and putting her at 97 career points. Alexandra Giacolone joined Stanton on the Honor Roll after forcing three turnovers against the Gators while also snagging four ground balls. It was the first career honor for Giacolone.

As a team, ECU is ranked 21^st in free-position shooting percentage, shooting .500 from the eight-meter arc. Megan Pallozzi has led the way there, ranking 18th in the nation with a percentage of .667 and 10 free-position goals. Pallozzi leads the Pirates with 28 goals this season, breaking Nicole LeGar's ECU single-season record of 27. LeGar is fourth on the team with 26 points on 18 goals and eight assists and leads the Pirates in draw controls (49). Megan Tryniski and Frances Kimel have both set career-highs in scoring this season. Tryniski has 29 points on 17 goals and 12 assists despite missing a pair of games while Kimel has 27 points on 18 goals and nine assists.

Defensively, Ashley Vernon continues to be one of the best goalkeepers in the country. Vernon is ninth in the NCAA and second in the AAC in saves with 109. In front of Vernon, Liz Blumthal (13) and Giacolone (11) have each forced double-digit turnovers while LeGar and Cece Bartley each have nine caused turnovers. Blumthal is second on the team with 19 ground balls scooped up, trailing only Vernon's 21 for the team lead.

Temple (8-3, 4-2 AAC) has won four straight AAC games, sweeping Old Dominion and Cincinnati, and is on the verge of clinching a spot in the AAC Championship. The Owls have been led by their defense over that stretch, allowing just eight goals in three of the four victories. Temple has also been strong in the draw circle, leading the AAC and ranking 14th in the country in draw controls per game with 15.45. Courtney Taylor has been a force on the defensive end, leading the AAC and ranking in the top-10 of the country in both ground balls per game (4.09) and caused turnovers per game (2.27). Meghan Hoffman is also in the top-10 of the country, ranking seventh with 28 assists. Bridget Whitaker is the top goal scorer for Temple with 27 goals and also leads the Owls with 52 draw controls. In the goal, Shana Hecht has started all 11 games and made 60 saves with a .397 save percentage.

It will be the third all-time meeting between East Carolina and Temple, with the Owls taking each of the first two games. In 2019, the two teams met for the first time as AAC rivals and Temple took an 18-5 win in Philadelphia. Stanton had a goal and an assist for ECU in that game and LeGar, Pallozzi and Brittany Borchers each added a tally.

First draw for Friday's match is scheduled for 4 p.m., at Temple's Howarth Field. Sunday's game will get started at 11 a.m. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cece Bartley

Liz Blumthal

Brittany Borchers

Alexandra Giacolone

Frances Kimel

Nicole LeGar

Megan Pallozzi

Ally Stanton

Megan Tryniski

Ashley Vernon

Footer