PITTSBURGH – The Duquesne University women's lacrosse team is set for the start of a two-game road stretch beginning on Saturday at UMass.
 
THE BASICS
April 8, 2023 | 1:00 pm | Garber Field (Amherst, Mass.)
Duquesne Dukes (1-11, 0-5 A-10) at UMass Minutewomen (11-1, 5-0)
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BY THE NUMBERS


Massachusetts leads the conference in eight stat categories, while ranking in the top-5 in all but two recorded stats. The Minutewomen lead in scoring defense (7.9), scoring margin (7.8), turnovers per game (11.9), shots on goal per game (25.4), assists per game (7.8), caused turnovers per game (10.0), ground balls per game (19.83), and points per game (23.42). All eight are good for top-15 in the NCAA, highlighted by top-five rankings in scoring margin (4^th), scoring defense (5^th), and ground balls per game (5^th). They also score the 10^th-most goals per game in the NCAA (15.7) and have the 10^th-best draw control percentage in the nation (58.8%).
 
Duquesne ranks in the top-five of the A-10 in four stat categories; third in caused turnovers per game (8.83) and free position percentage (47.9%), then fourth in ground balls per game (17.83) and fifth in shot percentage (43.7%).
 
THE DUKES
Roster | Stats | Schedule

Duquesne dropped its eighth straight game last Saturday at home against VCU, 18-8. Chelsea Evans, Delaney Rodriguez-Shaw, and Mackenzie Leszczynski all had two goals in the game, while Rodriguez-Shaw led DU with four points charting two assists as well. Emelie Curtis found the back of the net and dished out an assist, then Jillian Caroselli added a late, short-handed score to round out the Dukes tallies. The Rams scored the first seven goals of the game and never looked back, holding at least a five-goal lead the rest of the way.
 
Leszczynski and Rodriguez-Shaw scored six goals each versus St. Bonaventure earlier this season, becoming the second pair of Dukes teammates in program history to net six goals apiece in a game, joining Kaelin Shaw and Jill Vacanti, who also did it against St. Bonaventure in April of 2016.
 
Delaney Rodriguez-Shaw, a sophomore from Longmeadow, Mass., has scored multiple goals in 11 of the 12 matches this season and is atop the A-10 leaderboard in goals (41) and goals per game (3.42), ranking top-15 in the NCAA in both. The six goals versus SBU tied a career-high for the second time this season. She also leads the conference in shots per game (7.92 – 12^th in the NCAA) and shots on goal per game (5.33). Rodriguez-Shaw has dished out an assist in six straight games and has had two in each of the last two outings. She ranks second in the conference with 54 points. Rodriguez-Shaw converts at a 39.1% rate from free position and nets 0.75 FP goals per game, tied for the fourth-most in the A-10.
 
Mackenzie Leszczynski has 43 points on the season with 34 goals and nine assists, averaging 2.83 goals per game (3^rd in A-10). The sophomore from Flourtown, Pa. has scored in all 12 matches with multiple goals in six straight outings. The six goals in the home matchup against St. Bonaventure were a career-high and came on just eight shots. Leszczynski is netting 50% of her shots and fires 5.67 shots per game with 4.25 going on goal (both 5^th in the A-10). Leszczynski ranks sixth in the conference with a 52.9% free position percentage and is tied for fourth in free position goals per game (0.75) with Rodriguez-Shaw. Leszczynski also averages 5.08 draw controls per game, ranking fifth in the A-10.
 
Freshman Chelsea Evans has had multiple goals eight times and scored in 11 of the 12 games this season, while dishing out four assists. A season-high four goals came in the first win of the season at Youngstown State. Evans leads the A-10 in free-position percentage (66.7%) going 10-for-15, for an average of 0.83 FP goals per game, the third-most in the A-10. She also has 22 ground balls on the season, one of four Dukes to reach that mark.
 
Fellow freshman Chloe Holmes scored in the first eight contests totaling 13 goals, while dishing out two assists in her first season. She leads the team with a .920 shot on goal percentage, putting 23 of her 25 attempts on target.
 
Senior Jillian Caroselli has scored in three consecutive games, including a three-goal, one-assist outing at George Mason on March 25. The West Islip, N.Y. native has 11 goals on the season, the fourth Duke to reach double digits.
 
Mady Piersielak, a redshirt junior from Fairport, N.Y., has started 10 matches and appeared in all 12 in net for Duquesne. She owns a .399 save percentage with 91 saves in 290 shots faced this season. Piersielak has made double-digit saves five times with a season-high 14 versus Saint Joseph's on March 18.
 
Freshman Megan LaBorne made her first start in goal for the Dukes two games ago against UC Davis. LaBorne has seen action in five games and owns a .350 save percentage with 28 saves on the year, a season-high 11 came in 52 minutes of action at George Mason on March 25. LaBorne played nearly 42 minutes in the last match against VCU with five saves.
 
10 Dukes have double-digit ground balls, with sophomore Hanna Pawela leading the way at 34. Pawela ranks 11th in the NCAA and is atop the conference leaderboard in caused turnovers per game (2.25), then is third in the A-10 in ground balls per game (2.83). Piersielak is right behind with 30 ground balls averaging 2.50 per game, sitting at sixth on the A-10 leaderboard.
 
Duquesne's lone win of the season came at Youngstown State (16-13) on Feb. 24. Rodriguez-Shaw and Evans had four goals apiece, while Rodriguez-Shaw added an assist in the victory.
 
THE MINUTEWOMEN
Roster | Stats | Schedule

Massachusetts has won 10 consecutive games entering the matchup, and will look to stay perfect both on its home field (5-0) and in conference play (5-0). The Minutewomen have dropped just one match this season, 16-6 to #3 Boston College. Their 91.7% win percentage is the third-best in the NCAA and the top mark in the A-10. UMass is coming off a 14-4 rout of Davidson last Saturday on the road, tying its best defensive outing of the season. All five Atlantic 10 wins have come by double-digits.
 
Senior Fiona McGowan leads a balanced Minutewomen attack with 28 goals and a league-leading 27 assists, totaling 55 points, the most in the A-10. Four players have over 30 points through 12 games. Charlotte Wilmoth (29) and Alex Finn (26) have each scored over 25 goals alongside McGowan. Finn is second in the A-10 with a 60.5% shot percentage.
 
On the defensive end, Audra Tosone is second in the conference and 13^th in the NCAA averaging 2.17 caused turnovers per game. Four Minutewomen average over 1.3 caused turnovers per game. Tosone also ranks second in the A-10 and is top-20 in the nation scooping 2.92 ground balls per game.
 
THE SERIES
UMass has won each of the last 15 meetings, dating to 2010. Last season, the Minutewomen handled the Dukes 21-9 on Rooney Field. All-time UMass leads 22-6 with an 11-3 mark on its home turf.
 
UP NEXT
Duquesne will be on the road next Saturday at La Salle. Start time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from Philadelphia, Pa.
 
Follow Duquesne Lacrosse all season online at GoDuquesne.com, as well as on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (@DuqLax).