SELINSGROVE, Pa. - For the second straight week, two Susquehanna University women's lacrosse players are ranked among the NCAA Division III statistical leaders.
Through games of April 15, sophomore goalkeeper Giulia Umile is fourth in Division III in save percentage and 20th in goals against average while junior midfielder Liz Cipoletti is tied for eighth in ground balls per game. The duo has helped the Crusaders to a 9-3 overall record and the Middle Atlantic Conference regular-season championship with a 6-1 league mark.
The Crusaders will have home-field advantage for the four-team MAC playoffs, which begin with semifinal action on Wednesday, May 2 and conclude with the finals on Saturday, May 5. The conference postseason champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse championship.
Umile (Blue Bell, Pa./Gwynedd-Mercy Academy) dropped from third to fourth in Division III in save percentage with a .661 mark, having made 154 saves while permitting 79 goals for a goals against average of 7.05. A first-team Middle Atlantic Conference All-Star last season as a freshman, Umile finished 11th in Division III in save percentage last season and 13th in goals against average at 7.69.
Cipoletti (Fort Salonga, N.Y./Northport H.S.) has picked up 66 ground balls in the Crusaders' first 11 games for an average of 6.0 per game. Last season, Cipoletti ranked second on the team after scooping 54 ground balls in 16 games (4.0 average). She has scored five goals and dished off five assists for the Crusaders this season.
For the season, Susquehanna has corralled 517 ground balls in 11 matches (47.00 per game) to rank third in Division III behind Cortland State (50.50) and Stevens Tech (48.00).
The Crusaders finish the regular season with three consecutive non-league home games, including a Thursday match against Dickinson at 4:30 p.m.
