Wednesday, March 11
12:30 p.m. – Kennesaw State (3-3) vs Vermont (3-4)
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Notes: KSU

THE OPENING DRAW
» The Kennesaw State women's lacrosse team closes out its seven-game homestand to open the 2020 season Wednesday hosting Vermont at 12:30 p.m. The Owls are coming off a 13-9 win over Winthrop this past Saturday to mark just the second time in program history KSU has opened the season with at least three wins across its first six games.

» Junior Siena Gore recorded her third game with six points this past Saturday, netting four goals while adding two assists, her first of the season, against Winthrop. Gore leads the ASUN with 26 points on the year and is tied for first with 24 total goals, recording three or more goals in all but one game. Her four goals per game average currently ranks 10th in the NCAA, 17th for total goals scored.

» The Owls have one of the top attacks in the ASUN currently ranked second in the league averaging 13.2 goals per game. Four Owls, Siena Gore (T-1st), Abby Squires (T-7th), Izzy Palermo (9th) and Marissa Gore (T-10th) rank among the league's top-10 for goals scored. KSU's current goals per game average is good enough to place it in the top-50 in the country (42nd).

» KSU has dominated the center circle so far this year, leading the ASUN and ranked 16th in the NCAA averaging 15.83 draw controls per game. The Owls are one of two teams in the league to record over 80 draw controls on the year. Siena Gore (1st), Marissa Gore (T-5th) both rank among the league leaders for draw controls with Siena Gore placing 18th in the country averaging 6.7 draw controls per game.

» KSU doled out a season-high eight assists against Winthrop thanks in large part to a career-high three assists from Anna Giulitto. As a team, the Owls rank third in the conference averaging five assists per game. Emily Napierala leads the team with 11 total dimes, making her one of three players in the league to record over 10 assists. She needs three more assists to become the fourth player in program history to record 50 career assists.

SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS
Vermont is currently 3-4 on the year after dropping a close 14-12 decision at Mercer this past Sunday. Freshman Ava Vasile netted three goals in the game against the Bears. She currently leads the Catamounts with 20 goals and 34 draw controls.

Vasile is one of two players in the America East conference to score at least 20 goals so far this season. On the defensive end, sophomore goalkeeper Sophie McLaughlin has locked down the net, leading the conference with a 10.71 goals against average. Her 68 total saves this season ranks 21st in the NCAA.

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
The Owls were one of the top teams in the country last season off the draw, ranking 12th in the NCAA averaging 15.78 draw controls per game. And so far this season the Owls are on pace to surpass that mark, currently ranked 16th in the country averaging 15.83 draw controls per game.

Only 24 teams in the country are currently averaging over 15 draw controls per game. KSU is one of two teams in the ASUN to rack up over 80 draw controls on the year, ranked second with 95 total.

Siena Gore leads the Owls, and the league, with 40 draw controls followed by Marissa Gore in a tie for fifth with 22 and Izzy Palermo in 11th with 15. Siena Gore's 6.67 draw controls per game average ranks 18th in the country.

Siena Gore's career-high 11 draw controls in KSU's recent game against Presbyterian is the second most ever recorded by an Owl in a single-game. As a team, KSU recorded 24 draw controls against PC, a mark that is tied for third in single-game history.

KSU has come out strong on the draw, out-drawing opponents 54-39 in the first half so far this year.

Both Gores, along with Abby Squires and Izzy Palermo, rank in the top six all-time for career draw controls. Siena Gore is the current record holder with 257, one of two Owls ever to record over 200 career draw controls.

Marissa (131) and Squires (111) are two of five players all-time to record over 100 career draw controls. Palermo needs seven more draw controls this year to crack the century mark.

SISTER-SISTER
Junior twins Siena and Marissa Gore have been a dominant force for the Owls in just two seasons and are currently two of the top players for KSU this season.

Combining for nearly half of KSU's total goals scored on the year, Siena ranks first on the team with 26 points while Marissa is third with 15 so far this season. Siena has netted 24 goals to rank tied for first in the conference, and 10th in the NCAA for goals per game, while Marissa has scored 10 to fall into a tie for 10th.

Marissa has also dished out five assists so far this season to rank tied for 11th in the league.

Racking up 62 draw controls as a duo this season, Siena and Marissa are two of seven players in the league to log at least 20 draw controls on the year. Siena leads the ASUN with 40 draw controls after recording a career-high 11 against Presbyterian while Marissa is tied for fifth with 22.

Originally from Alpharetta, Ga., the two dot the KSU record book already ranking among the top-10 all-time for multiple career marks.

Marissa is currently fifth all-time for career assists while joining sister Siena as one of five players in program history to log over 100 career draw controls.

Siena already holds the KSU career records for goals, draw controls and shots on goal. She needs just 11 more points this year to break the career record.

NAPPING ON THE JOB
Senior attacker Emily Napierala led the team with 25 assists a year ago to mark just the third time in program history an Owl has recorded over 20 assists in a season. She is on pace to top that mark so far this year with 11 assists to place her in a tie for second in the ASUN.

The Lawrenceville, Ga., native has logged at least one assist in every game this year, recording three assists against Gardner-Webb and Mercer to mark the fifth and sixth times in her career she has logged three or more assists in a game.

She is one of three players in the conference to hit double-digit assists and is ranked among the top-50 distributors (39th) in the country averaging 1.83 dimes per game.

Napierala is one of four Owls all-time to record over 40 assists in her career, needing eight more this season to pass Sydney Farwick (2014-17) for third on the record list.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
The KSU attack has been on a steady increase over the last three seasons, averaging over 12 goals per game each of the last three years. Before the current three-year stretch, KSU never averaged double-digit goals in a season, breaking over nine goals per game only twice (2014 and 2016).

This past season, KSU averaged 13.72 goals per game to rank fourth in the ASUN and 30th in the NCAA. The Owls' 247 total goals on the year tied the program record previously set in 2017. KSU has netted over 200 total goals in each of the past three seasons.

So far this year, the Owls are averaging 13.2 goals per game to rank second in the ASUN. Four Owls, Siena Gore (T-1st), Abby Squires (T-7th), Izzy Palermo (9th) and Marissa Gore (T-10th) rank among the league's top-10 for goals scored. KSU's current goals per game average is good enough to place it in the top-50 in the country (42nd).

Siena Gore is currently the all-time career leader for goals scored with 162 followed by Palermo in fifth with 86 goals. Palermo needs just 14 more goals this year to become the fifth Owl in program history to hit the century mark for career goals.

Next Up
After Wednesday's game the Owls hit the road for the first time this year, opening ASUN play in Florida with matchups against Jacksonville Friday and Stetson Sunday.

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