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HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point University women's lacrosse team (7-4, 3-0) returns to Vert Stadium Wednesday evening to take on league foe Gardner-Webb (3-8, 1-2).
 
First draw between the Panthers and Runnin' Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live on the Big South Network, with live stats also available via highpointpanthers.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
High Point dispatched of Presbyterian 17-3 on Saturday afternoon inside Old Bailey Stadium in Clinton, S.C. All 27 of HPU's available players saw action in the game while 13 student-athletes posted at least a point in the contest. HPU held significant advantages in shots (26-8), draw controls (15-7) and ground balls (27-23) in the contest.
 
Senior Allie Foard led the HPU offensive with a game-high five goals while sophomore Erica Perrotta notched a career-best five draw controls while tallying a goal and two assists in the contest.
 
PANTHER DEFENSE STEPS UP vs. PRESBYTERIAN
Defensively, nine players posted at least one caused turnover vs. the Blue Hose. Freshman Molly Andrews played the first 30 minutes in goal and tallied three saves while allowing just one goal. Fellow freshman Victoria Lomangino played the second half and made two saves while allowing two goals. The three goals allowed by HPU were the fewest since the Panthers limited Gardner-Webb to two on April 4, 2015.
 
HPU DEFENSE DRIVEN BY LATE GAME OPPONENT DROUGHTS
In five of High Point's seven wins this season, the Panthers have held their opponent scoreless over the final 14+ minutes of the game. The wins include Coastal Carolina (14:45), Michigan (15:35), Villanova (17:43), Oregon (18:58) and Presbyterian (19:52). The Panthers have held a combined 20-0 goal advantage over that more than 80 minutes of scoreless action by their opponents.
 
MEIER ON FIRE
Without the services of junior Samantha Brown over the past four games, HPU's seniors have stepped up on the offensive side of the field. Emily Meier has been a big part of that and has averaged 6.0 points and 3.7 assists over HPU's last three games. She has posted at least three assists in three-straight games for the first time in her career. Meier's highest point output during the stretch came in HPU's 15-10 win at Campbell on Mar. 30 when she posted three goals and three assists in the victory.
 
ANDREWS NAMED BIG SOUTH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freshman goalie Molly Andrews was named Big South Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season on Tuesday. Andrews posted a 7.3 goals against average and .522 save percentage in a pair of road wins for the Panthers this past week. In Wednesday's win at Campbell, Andrews made nine saves while allowing just 10 goals against a Camel team that entered the game posting 13.0 goals/contest. Andrews also helped the HPU defense limit the nation's top goal scorer Loren Day (who entered the game averaging 4.1 goals/game) to just two in the contest. She also made three saves in the first half and got the win for the Panthers vs. PC. Andrews is second in the Big South this season in goals against average (9.64) and save percentage (.474).
 
HISTORY vs. GARDNER-WEBB
Gardner-Webb became a Division I program in 2015 and the Panthers earned an 18-2 victory in the inaugural matchup between the teams on Apr. 2 last season in Boiling Springs, N.C. A total of 13 players posted at least a point in the game, while Erica Perrotta and Leah Pace each tallied two goals and an assist in the victory.
 
A LOOK AT THE RUNNIN' BULLDOGS (3-8, 1-2 BIG SOUTH)
Gardner-Webb was picked to finish eighth in the 2016 Big South preseason poll. GWU posted a 2-6 non-conference record, with wins over Saint Francis (Pa.), 12-11, and Kennesaw State, 17-13. The Runnin' Bulldogs have dropped games to Campbell (20-10) and Longwood (22-8) but defeated Radford (14-13) on Mar. 30.
 
GWU is led by sophomore attack Alex Fusco who has posted team highs in points (30), goals (24) and assists (6). Freshman Emma Rufolo paces the Runnin' Bulldogs in draw controls (38) and tallied a team-high 18 caused turnovers. Sophomore goalie Cassidy McDowell has played a full 657:46 in the cage for GWU and posted a 16.05 goals against average and .409 save percentage.
 
NEXT UP
HPU has a Big South schedule bye this coming Saturday and returns to action next Wednesday (Apr. 13) with a home contest vs. Liberty. First draw between the Panthers and Lady Flames is set for 4 p.m.
 
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