Crusaders head to Southwestern for season opener on Sunday.
Crusaders head to Southwestern for season opener on Sunday.
Posted: Feb 17, 2018

PREVIEW: Women's Lacrosse at Southwestern University (2/18)

HOW TO FOLLOW

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FIRST DRAW

The University of Dallas women's lacrosse team opens the 2018 season on Sunday at Southwestern University. Game is slated to begin at 2 p.m.

The Crusaders are facing a fellow Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) foe, but the conference does not sponsor lacrosse. Both programs are members of the Independent Women's Lacrosse Schools (IWLS).

Head Coach Destinee Johnson enters her second season at the helm. The Crusaders went 4-11 in 2017.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW FOR UD

- Dallas only has six returners from last season's team

- Top scorers Lexi Leite (Houston, Texas) and Erika Keever (Fort Worth, Texas) are back on the team. Leite posted 47 goals, 10 assists, and 57 points to lead the Crusaders. Keever added career-bests 27 goals and 31 points.

- Lizz Winkler (St. Charles, Ill.) is back as the primary goalkeeper. She nabbed 130 saves in 752:48 minutes in 13 appearances (all starts) last year.

BY THE NUMBERS

- 2017 UD Season Stats

- 2017 Southwestern Season Stats

- All-Time Series: Dallas is 0-4 and 0-2 at Georgetown.

- The Crusaders fell 18-5 in the most recent matchup last season.

- Ronnie Winter scored five goals for the Pirates, while Brenna Jobb also had a hat trick. Leite and Keever each notched a pair of goals.

SCOUTING THE PIRATES

- Southwestern opens the new campaign at home Saturday evening with Occidental.

- Southwestern posted an 8-8 record last season, including a 4-3 mark at home.

- Hayley Donnelly and Winter return from last season as the leading scorers with 30. Five players eclipsed 30 points for SU last year, but only that duo return this spring.

- The Pirates graduated their goalkeeper, and will have a pair of sophomores getting looks between the pipes. Haley Hurt and Claire Harding both were midfielders their first collegiate season.

UP NEXT

Dallas only plays once this month and will be home a lot at the first part of March. The home opener is Mar. 2nd versus Alma College (MI) at 4 p.m.