TEMPE - Fresh off of two Big 12 weekly awards, Sun Devil Lacrosse opens the month of March with its fifth of seven straight home games, this time welcoming Niagara to town on Thursday, March 5. First draw is slated for 6 p.m. MST and is set to be the lone night game of the season for Arizona State. Fans can tune in on ESPN+ and stats will be available via StatBroadcast.
Last season, ASU topped then-RV Niagara 16-9 in the season opener following their 2024 NCAA Tournament appearance to close out the season. In all-time history, ASU is 2-0 over the Purple Eagles and averages 16 goals per contest. Thursday marks the second time Niagara comes to Tempe.
Sun Devil outlook
The Sun Devils split the week of games with a 19-16 win over Marquette that was followed by a 16-14 loss to USC. A win on Thursday would have ASU back to .500 on the season.
Viglione tallied back-to-back games with double-digit draw controls after 14 against the Golden Eagles and 15 against the Trojans, which was one shy of her single-game career high. She solidified herself atop the program’s record books as the all-time career draw taker after hitting the 332 mark, which passed Zoe Mazur’s 330, who was previously atop the list.
Behar has tallied back-to-back-to-back eight-plus point games, including her season-high nine-point performance against Marquette that saw a career-high six goals along with three assists. Against USC, the attacker flipped the script with two goals and a season-high six assists.
Scouting the opponent
Niagara’s lone win in five games came on the road on Feb. 21 against Le Moyne in the 8-7 contest. The Purple Eagles have one of the worst offenses in the NCAA, averaging just 7.6 goals per game. They have scored in double digits just once this season in the 16-10 loss to Colgate.
Sun Devil notables
- The Sun Devils have the best marks in the Big 12 in assists per game (7.80) and draw controls per game (17).
- The 17 draw controls per game is also the 9th-best mark in the NCAA.
- Thursday marks the fifth of seven straight home games for the Sun Devils. ASU will host seven teams in 28 days at Sun Devil Lacrosse Stadium.
- In four home games this season, ASU is averaging 16.25 goals per game.
- Senior attacker Jordyn Behar has recorded back-to-back-to-back eight-plus point games in ASU's last three contests.
- A win against Niagara would have ASU back at .500.
- ASU comes off of securing 21 draw controls against USC, which were a season high. The 11 draw controls allowed were a season low.
- Senior attacker Teagan Ng is four goals shy of tying the program’s all-time goal-scoring record, which is currently held by Kerri Clayton (146). Ng has 142 goals.
- After five goals and one assist against USC, senior attacker Lydia Oldknow extended her point-scoring streak to 43 games – 42 of which she’s scored a goal in – dating back to the 2024 season.
- Ng also pushed her goal-scoring streak to 25 games after one goal against USC.
Follow along
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