Lacrosse Takes on Colorado Mesa Monday

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Oklahoma Baptist (3-2) at Colorado Mesa (2-1) Monday, March 14, 12 PM Grand Junction, Colo. (Walker Field) Live Stats | Live Video Game Notes (pdf)

SHAWNEE, Okla. – The Lady Bison are set for their first ever game at altitude when they take on Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction, Colorado, on Monday, March 14 at 12 p.m. at Walker Field. Colorado Mesa is a future Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponent.
 
Oklahoma Baptist (3-2) currently stands at 1-1 in road games after falling to Rockhurst last on March 5. The Lady Bison will look to get their offense rolling yet again, led by leading scorers Hannah Dowell and Alexis Martin who each have 17 goals to their name. Despite not recording a single assist in their last outing, OBU is averaging four helpers per game, with Allison Ingrim, Paige Morrison and Martin each accounting for four.
 
Defensively, OBU allowed a team to breach the 10-goal mark for just the second time all season. Dominating ground balls, Ingrim paces the squad with 20 as the Lady Bison have collected nearly 60 percent of available ground balls. The Lady Bison are also averaging over 14 caused turnovers per game this season, paced by Ingrim and Morrison with 12 apiece.
 
Colorado Mesa (2-1) is coming off a pair of impressive wins over Adams State and Nyack College, averaging 21 goals across the pair of games. Jessica Cook and Lexie Chavez have combined for 22 goals this season to lead the offense. Defensively, has allowed an average of just eight goals per game.
 
OBU continues its tour of the Centennial State with a matchup against Fort Lewis College on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Durango, Colo.
 
GAME NOTES
 
Setting the Scene
- Oklahoma Baptist will experience lacrosse at altitude as they head to Colorado for the first time in program history for three games over spring break
- First on the docket is Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction. The game between future Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foes is slated to begin at 12 p.m. at Walker Field
- The game also marks the halfway point of the 2016 schedule for the Lady Bison
 
Scouting the Mavericks
Current Record: 2-1
- Following a season opening loss to then No. 19-ranked Regis, 15-12, the Mavericks have rattled off back-to-back wins against Adams State and Nyack College by a combined score line of 42-9
- Colorado Mesa is averaging 18.0 goals per game in the early portion of the season. Jessica Cook and Lexie Chavez had been the main scoring threats for CMU through the first three games of the season, recording 12 and 10 goals respectively
- The Mavericks have an assist rate of .537 with 29 of their 54 goals coming off a feed. Chavez leads the way with five, while five other players have at least three helpers
- A strong clearing team, the Mavericks have a .837 (36-43) clearing percentage. Their redefend is just as strong, holding opponents to a 50 percent success rate in the transition game
- Opponents are averaging just eight goals per game against a stout defense that has only given up double-figure scoring once in three games
- Jillian Pfeifer has started two of CMU's three games in the cage, holding a 10.28 goals-against average and a .512 save percentage
 
The Coaches
Oklahoma Baptist: Jordan Beech
- Jordan Beech took over as the fourth coach in program history in December 2015
- Beech played collegiately for Oklahoma State and the University of Oklahoma in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association, featuring as a defensive midfielder
- Developing the sport from the grassroots levels, helped to form the first boys' high school program in Oklahoma in 2006
- Prior to taking over at OBU, Beech made coaching stops at Deer Creek Lacrosse Club and Edmond Lacrosse Club and holds a Level 2 coaching certificate through US Lacrosse
 
Colorado Mesa: Abigail Simpson
- Abigail Simpson is in her sixth season in charge of the Mavericks' women's lacrosse program, and is the first coach in program history
- Has developed 24 all-conference selections, including Rachael Sutton, who was the 2012 Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Freshman of the Year
- Played two season in the junior college ranks at Nassau Community College before spending her final two years at State University of New York at Cortland
- Spent more than four years on the coaching staff of Long Island Select Lacrosse before starting the program at Colorado Mesa
 
Lady Bisons Take First Road Loss
- OBU gave up 13 first-half goals en route to an 18-8 defeat at the hands of Rockhurst on March 5 in Kansas City
- Hannah Dowell, Alexis Martin and Paige Morrison each scored two goals, and Emily Gilbet and Emily Joslin both chipped in with one each
- Allison Ingrim led the team with three ground balls, though OBU suffered a -7 ground ball margin in the loss
- Suzie Wisham led the team with four caused turnovers
- The Lady Bison were outdrawn 21-7, though Martin had three draw controls for a second straight game
 
Offensive Notes
- OBU is averaging 13.2 goals per game, paced by Dowell and Martin with 17 each. Morrison is not far behind with 16 to her credit
- Averaging four assists per game, OBU is on track to tie the program record set last year of 48. Eight different Lady Bison have recorded at least one assist, led by Ingrim, Martin and Morrison with four each. Maysn Ungerer and Kari Callahan are second on the team with two apiece
- As a result of her man-down free-position goal, Martin became the second Lady Bison this season to score while on the penalty kill. The goal also set a program record for most man-down goals scored in a single season
- The defense starts with the offense, and OBU has held opposing teams to a clearing percentage of just .437
- The offense boasts a .429 shooting percentage, the best in program history for a full season. Dowell and Martin are both converting their shots at a team-best .586 clip
- Draws have been a struggle for OBU this season, where they've been outdrawn 71-50. Martin leads the team with nine draw controls
- The Lady Bison were unable to break the 10-goal mark for the first time this season in the loss to Rockhurst
 
Defensive Notes
- The Lady Bison own a ground-ball percentage of .571 and have scooped up 144 of 252 possible ground balls. Ingrim leads the squad with 20 ground balls. Dowell and Savannah Tompkins are tied for second on the team with 15 each
- OBU has caused 72 turnovers, averaging 14.4 caused turnovers per game. Ingrim and Morrison each have 12 to pace the team. Wisham is second on the team with 10
- Opposing offenses have averaged just 9.6 goals per game. Oklahoma Baptist's only losses this season have come when the opposition has broken the 10-goal barrier
- The defense jump starts the offense, and the Lady Bison are currently clearing at a .771 clip
- Though opponents are converting free-position opportunities at a .500 rate, the OBU defense has given up just 10 total opportunities throughout the season
- Opponents are averaging just 19.2 shots and 13.6 shots on goal per game
- Sabrina Attaway holds a 10.62 GAA in 271 minutes of action
 
Looking Ahead
- Oklahoma Baptist has a day off for travel as they head to Durango, Colo., to take on Fort Lewis College on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
- Fort Lewis was receiving votes in the most recent Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Top 20 poll