Lady Bison Ready for Season-Opening Test

OKLAHOMA BAPTIST (0-0) at ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE (0-0)

3 p.m. | Friday, Feb. 10

Charger Park | Huntsville, Alabama

Live Stats | Game Notes

SHAWNEE – A challenging opponent awaits Oklahoma Baptist Women's Lacrosse in their season opener when they take on the University of Alabama at Huntsville on the road at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10. It is the first time the Lady Bison have opened up a season away from Bison Hill, and OBU is 2-2 all-time in season openers.
 
The Lady Bison are looking to build off a 4-7 season in OBU head coach Jordan Beech's debut season. The return of all four of the Lady Bison's top scorers will go a long way towards boosting the Green-and-Gold's fortunes this season. Oklahoma Baptist averaged 9.7 goals per game last season, led by one of the top offensive freshmen in the country last season in the form of Alexis Martin. She averaged 3.9 goals in her debut campaign, and will be aided by Hannah Dowell, Paige Morrison and Allison Ingrim who combined for 53 goals from the midfield.
 
Oklahoma Baptist's defense is also in good shape, returning regular starters Emily Bontekoe, Jamie Jefferson and Savannah Tompkins. The trio averaged 4.1 groundballs and two caused turnovers per game last year. Ingrim, OBU's leader last year in groundballs (40) and caused turnovers (31) will give the Lady Bison an average boost. The defense will need to rally around a new starter in the cage following the departure of four-year starter Sabrina Attaway at the end of last year.
 
Alabama-Huntsville finished their debut campaign last year with a 14-4 mark and a second-place finish in the Gulf South Conference. The highest scoring offense in Division II last season at a 16.3 goals per game clip, the Chargers return their two leading scorers in Nicole Federovitch (74 goals) and Natalie Pachinger (57 goals). Defensively, UAH returns starting goalie Haleigh Comp, who posted a 9.0 goals-against average and .430 save percentage.
 
This is the first all-time meeting between the two teams, and also the first time OBU has played a contest in the Heart of Dixie.