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CLEMSON, S.C. – The No. 15 Clemson Tigers (9-4, 4-2 ACC) are slated to host the East Carolina Pirates (3-6, 1-1 American) on Tuesday evening at the Clemson Lacrosse Complex for the last game in a five-game home stand. The game will also serve as the 50th game in program history.
Clemson is coming into the midweek evening game on a roll. The Tigers have outscored opponents, 54-13, including holding both ACC to two and three goals and scoring 20 or more points for the fourth time this season.
Against the Golden Bears, which Clemson won 19-3, freshman Kira Balis recorded seven draw controls, breaking Ella Little’s inaugural season draw control record of 108, and currently has 111 on the season. Attacker Lindsey Marshall’s second goal of the game coincided with the 200th point of her career. Emily Lamparter recorded the third-highest save percentage in Clemson Lacrosse history with 72.7% and allowed zero free position goals on four attempts. The three goals allowed by Clemson was tied for the fifth-least in Clemson Lacrosse history with the most recent time occurring in 2023 against Longwood.
Marshall has amassed 39 goals this year, six away from her career-high, while Kayla MacLeod has 37 on the year. MacLeod and Marshall are each ranked in the top-10 in the ACC in total goals scored and goals per game. Lexi Edmonds and Natalie Shurtleff follow MacLeod and Marshall, recording 28 and 24 goals and have notched 37 and 34 points, respectively. Sophomore Regan Byrne, graduate Katie Castiello and freshman Brooke Goldstein have all also broken the double-digit goals barrier. With a team-high 24 assists, Goldstein rounds out Clemson players with at least 30 points and is ranked sixth in total assists and assists per game in the ACC and is the second-ranked freshman nationally in each.
The defensive unit for the Tigers is fourth in the ACC in terms of scoring defense, averaging 9.08 goals per game. Clemson has the top-ranked corps in the ACC when it comes to picking up ground balls, with 19.46 per game, and are the best unit in the ACC in causing turnovers, 11.54 per game, while being top-10 in the nation in each. Summer Agostino has caused a team-high 34 turnovers, the most in a single season for Clemson Lacrosse. Agostino has recorded the fifth-most caused turnovers nationally while maintaining an average of 2.62 caused turnovers per game, the eighth-highest average in Division 1. Additionally, Agostino has picked up 34 ground balls, tied for both the third-highest total in the ACC and per game mark in the ACC, where she has averaged 2.62 per game. Lamparter has also been a roll lately; the goalie has 22 saves during the Tigers win streak and a 66.7% save percentage while allowing 3.67 goals on average.
The draw unit is currently winning 58.7% of their draw controls for 15.54 per game, the third-highest win rate and the fourth-best per game average in the ACC. Balis has won 111 draw controls for 8.54 draw controls per game, the most by a freshman in the ACC in either category and the highest freshman total nationally. Shurtleff and graduate transfers Maggie Jordan and Bridget Babcock have all recorded double digit draw controls with 23, 30 and 18, respectively.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
The Pirates enter Tuesday’s game after defeating Temple, 11-10. Kayla Wilkes leads the East Carolina offense with 21 goals on the season followed closely by Leah Bestany and Rachel Chessock with 19 and 18, respectively. Bestany and Erin Gulden are tied for a team-high 11 assists while Bestany leads the Pirates with 30 total points. Emma Magazu has set the pace for the East Carolina defense and has picked up 20 ground balls and caused 14 turnovers on the season, each a team best. Caroline Meininger is the only other Pirate with double-digit caused turnovers and ground balls. Grace McCarthy and Wilkes each have over 30 draw control wins accompanied by Chessock and Bella Askey as the other two East Carolina players with double-digit draw controls. In the cage, Jaime Behar has secured the majority of the playing time and has accumulated 76 saves, a 40% save rate and has allowed 13.75 goals per game on average. The East Carolina program is helmed by Brittany Dipper and is assisted by Grace Coon, Kaelin Hogan and Alexandra Giacolone.
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