Mercer Opens #NCAAWLAX Play on Tuesday

Tuesday, May 7

Jacksonville, Fla.

3 p.m.

Mercer University

Jacksonville

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Photo by: Mark Powell

5/6/2019 2:26:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Live Stats Tickets

Bears seek their first NCAA Championship victory in Jacksonville

By: Gerrit W. Van Genderen

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mercer faces familiar foe Jacksonville at 3 p.m. Tuesday in a first-round play-in match of the 2019 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship at D.B. Milne Field.

Mercer (10-9), the two-time defending Southern Conference champion, and Jacksonville (16-3), this season's ASUN Tournament and regular season champion, will play one another for the sixth time in five years. The winner of Tuesday's match will advance to play No. 8 national seed Michigan (15-3) in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Friday.

MERCER VS. JACKSONVILLE
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 7 | 3 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (10-9) at Jacksonville (16-3)
Location: Jacksonville, Fla. | D.B. Milne Field
Live Stats: JUDolphins.com
Tickets: JUDolphins.com
Twitter Updates: @MercerWLAX

Notables

The Bears made their first NCAA Tournament appearance last year, falling to Wagner, 13-9, on Staten Island, N.Y., in the play-in match.
Mercer owns a three-match win streak heading into the tournament. Its 10 wins are its second most in a single season (13, 2017).
Mercer's defense one of the stingiest in the nation, ranking eighth in ground balls per game (21.63) and 14th in caused turnovers per game (11.32).
Four Bears have 30-plus ground balls and two Bears have 20-plus caused turnovers.
Much of Mercer's defensive presence revolves around senior Audrey Robertson, who was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and an all-conference first team selection. Robertson ranks fourth nationally in caused turnovers per game (2.74) and 20th nationally with 3.0 ground balls per game.
The duo of freshman Hailey Rhatigan (76 points, 59 goals) and senior Kelly Hagerty (54 points, 52 goals) leads Mercer's offense. They have scored 39 percent of Mercer's goals this season.
Rhatigan, the SoCon Freshman of the Year and an all-conference first team selection, is one of the nation's most high-volume shooters. She ranks fourth nationally with 6.5 shots on goal per game.
Rhatigan was named the SoCon Championship's Most Outstanding Player as she set a conference single-match scoring record with eight goals in the title game. She broke Mercer's single-season scoring record in the process as well.
Iseabal Cryne defends the pipes for Mercer, starting 18 of its 19 matches. The sophomore ranks 37th nationally with 156 total saves. She was named to the SoCon All-Tournament Team on Saturday.
Eva Thorn ranks 14th nationally in free position percentage (.600).
Michaela Lucas and Catie Snee lead Mercer with 73 and 53 draw controls, respectively.
Rhatigan, Robertson (first team), Hagerty, Snee, Lucas (second team) and Hannah Lind (all-freshman) earned SoCon all-conference honors at the conclusion of the regular season.

Series History
Mercer has not fared well against Jacksonville, falling in all five head-to-head matches dating back to the Bears' first year of women's lacrosse in 2015. The two programs were both ASUN Conference members from 2015-17 before Mercer transitioned into the SoCon in 2018.

Series: Jacksonville leads, 5-0
First Meeting: April 11, 2015 in Jacksonville, Fla. | Jacksonville won, 21-6
Last Meeting: April 20, 2019 in Macon, Ga. | Jacksonville won, 21-6
In Jacksonville: Jacksonville leads, 3-0
Streak: Jacksonville, 5

Scouting Jacksonville
Jacksonville won its sixth ASUN Tournament title in seven years last weekend, downing Kennesaw State in the semifinals before defeating Liberty, 20-18, in the finals. The Dolphins' tournament run came after they won their seventh ASUN regular season title with an undefeated 6-0 run through conference play.

The Dolphins' offense leads the nation in three statistical categories: points per game (18.79); scoring margin (9.53); and scoring offense (18.26). Jenny Kinsey (63 points, 43 goals) and Alyssa Arnold (57 points, 36 goals) are two of four Dolphins with 50-plus points this season. Goalie Dayna Martinetto was the ASUN Freshman of the Year with 119 saves, 53 ground balls and 18 caused turnovers.

Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerWLax (Twitter), /MercerWomensLacrosse (Facebook) and @MercerWLax (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.