Virginia Opens 2015 Season on Saturday Playing Northwestern

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Feb. 12, 2015

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –The No. 7 Virginia women’s lacrosse team opens the 2015 season on Saturday, Feb. 14, taking on No. 5 Northwestern (1-0) in the Cobb County Classic, in a 3:30 p.m. game being held at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga.

This is the second-straight year that the Cavaliers and Wildcats have played one another in the Cobb County Classic. In this year’s showcase, a pair of men’s games, Young Harris and Berry at 10 a.m. followed by Duke and Denver at 1 p.m., precedes the UVa – Northwestern contest.

Northwestern holds a 9-5 edge in the series and has won each of the last eight meetings, including a 13-12 victory last year and twice defeating the Cavaliers in the NCAA Championship game (2005 and 2007). Virginia’s last win over the Wildcats was in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament when UVa earned a 15-11 victory en route to winning the National Championship.

The Wildcats opened play last weekend, coming back from a 7-0 deficit to earn a 12-11 overtime victory at USC last Saturday. Kara Mupo and Selena Lasota were named the Inside Lacrosse National Player and Freshman of the Week, respectively. Mupo scored five goals, including the game-tying tally with 37 seconds left in regulation. Lasota led the `Cats with six points in her collegiate debut, scoring four goals while dishing out a pair of assists. She scored a goal and tallied an assist in the first half to help spark the offense before ultimately scoring the game-winning goal 57 seconds into overtime.

Virginia returns nine starters from the 2014 team that advanced to the NCAA Semifinals, including All-American seniors Morgan Stephens (Olney, Md.), Courtney Swan (Vero Beach, Fla.) and Liza Blue (Butler, Md.).

Stephens, one of the top defenders in the conference, was named to the Preseason All-ACC team. Stephens, a member of the 2014-15 U.S. Women’s National Team, was an IWLCA Second-Team All-American last season, also earning a place on the IWLCA All-South Region First Team and the All-ACC Second Team. Stephens also was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team after helping anchor the Cavalier defense in their run to the national semifinal game. Stephens ranked 10th in the ACC in caused turnovers with 20. Stephens, who also played part of the year as a midfielder, also scored 18 goals with 10 assists.

Virginia’s offense returns all three of its leading scorers from last season in Swan, Blue, and 2013 All-American senior Casey Bocklet (South Salem, N.Y.).

Swan, also a member of the 2014-15 U.S. Women’s National Team, was ninth in the ACC and 16th in the nation last year with 80 points on 53 goals (21st in the nation) and 27 assists. Swan comes into the year ranked third in program history with 187 career draw controls. Last year, she was ranked third in the ACC and 15th in the nation in draw controls, averaging 4.57 per game.

Blue, a redshirt senior who chose to return for a fifth year while getting her Master’s of Education degree, led the team with 56 goals, while ranking second in points (66) and draws (59). Blue has scored at least one goal in 27 consecutive games, a streak dating back to the 2013 season.

Bocklet, who had 61 points on 34 goals and 27 assists last season, had six points with three goals and three assists in last week’s scrimmage against No. 17 Georgetown. Bocklet, who won a national championship with the Wildcats as a freshman in 2012, has scored 78 goals with 50 assists in her two seasons with the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers hold an overall record of 31-8 in season openers. Under head coach Julie Myers, now in her 20th season, UVa is 14-5 in those games.

Virginia continues its stretch of four-straight season-opening road contests on Wednesday, Feb. 18 when it plays a 5 p.m. game at Richmond. Virginia’s first home game will be on Tuesday, March 3 when it hosts Harvard at 4 p.m.

Single-game reserved seats are available for all women’s home games for $7. Single-game general admission adult tickets for women’s home games are $5, while youth (18 and under), seniors (60 and over), and UVa faculty and staff tickets are $4 each.