Scouting the Minutewomen• UMass has begun its first third of the 2013 schedule with an offensive bang. In six contests, the Minutewomen have tallied 91 goals and 52 assists, placing them first in the nation with 143 points. Umass is averaging 15.17 goals per game, which is tied for 12th in the nation.
• 2013 Tewaaraton Nominee Katie Ferris paces the Minutewomen offense with 24 points, 14 goals and 10 assists, on the season. UMass' primary goal scorer has been junior attack Sam Rush with 18 goals.
• On defense, junior defender Kelsey McGovern has been an offensive headache, causing 10 turnovers and picking up 18 ground balls.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Vallarelli has played well in her first season starting between the pipes. In six games, Vallarelli is 4-2 on the season with a 40.5 save percentage. Her first career start was against No. 1 Northwestern and recorded 10 saves on 26 chances in the loss.
Burek's Back• Falling early in the season-opener to a minor injury, Rachael Burek came back strong against Bryant on Saturday, Mar. 2. Burek recorded the second-most points for a single game in program history with nine, six goals and three assists.
• The nine-point performance garnered the America East Conference Player of the Week.
Bowles Blasting Through• Redshirt-freshman midfielder Rachel Bowles started the 2013 season with a bang in the season opener against No. 3 Florida on Sunday, Feb. 24. Bowles tallied a team-best four goals, shooting an impressive 80 percent (4-5) on the offensive end.
• The Cicero, N.Y. native earned America East Conference Rookie of the Week for her performance against the Gators.
Great Start For The Great Dane Head Coach• Third-year head coach John Battaglino has begun his career at UAlbany in impressive fashion. In two seasons, Battaglino has tallied a record of 34-7 overall and 9-3 in conference play.
• In two seasons, Battaglino has won back-to-back America East Conference Tournament championships and has gone to the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons as well.
• Coach Battaglino looks to become just the third head coach in conference history to win three-straight conference tournament championships. University of Delaware's Denise Wescott (1997-99) and Boston University's Liz Robertshaw (2008-10) were the previous two to accomplish the feat.
• In just his first season as head coach, he was able to grab a win in the NCAA Tournament against Dartmouth in the first round, 10-7, on May 15, 2011.
• Following an 18-1 record in the 2011 season, he was named as IWLCA Northeast Region Division I Coach of the Year.
Persistent Parker• Junior midfielder Ariana Parker has been persistently scoring goals since her freshman stint. In two seasons, Parker has tallied 83 goals in 37 career games at UAlbany.
• Her 83 goals have landed her 12th all-time at UAlbany in scoring. If she continues this pace in the next two season, Parker could land in the top-3 all-time at UAlbany.
Successful Switch• Senior midfielder Jess Antelmi found great success in last season's switch from defense to midfield, due to her teammates falling to injury.
• Before the switch, Antelmi recorded just three goals in 19 games. Following the switch, the Bridgeport, N.Y. native tallied career-bests in goals (29), assists (26) and points (55).
• Her 26 assists and 55 points were both team-bests last season.
Preseason Recognition• Following a conference tournament championship and a NCAA Tournament appearance, the University at Albany has been recognized by both the coaches and media in the preseason polls. The Great Danes are receiving votes in both polls to begin the season.
• UAlbany has been ranked as high as 8th, which was during the 2011 season. Last season the Great Danes were recognized as high as 13th.
"The Berman Wall"• Junior goalkeeper Anna Berman will look to build upon her previous success in both her career record and saves. Currently, Berman stands sixth in saves (205) and her 32 victories put her first all-time at UAlbany.
• Berman recorded her 200th save in the victory over Niagara on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at John Fallon Field .
The Watch List• Great Dane midfielder Ariana Parker is being watched by the lacrosse world, following two successful seasons at UAlbany
• Parker has been named to Inside Lacrosse's Preseason All-American team and most recently the Tewaaraton Award Watch list (equivalent to the Heisman in college football).
Preseason Conference Poll Prediction• In the 2013 America East Conference Preseason Poll, which was voted on by the conference coaches, the University at Albany was picked to finish in a tie for second with Boston Univeristy. The Great Danes received two first-place votes.
• Stony Brook, the 2012 conference tournament runner-ups, were chosen as the favorites to win the league. The Seawolves received 33 total votes and three first-place votes.
• Four of the seven total teams in the conference received first-place votes. Stony Brook (3), UAlbany (2), Boston U. (1) and UMBC (1).
Burek Belongs In The Faceoff Circle• Senior attack Rachael Burek found much success both on the offensive end and in the draw control circle.
• Burek posted the team's second best goal total with 35 goals. More importantly, the Rensselaer, N.Y. native found her niche in the draw control circle, recording 73 successful draw controls.
• Her 73 draw controls last season put her third all-time at UAlbany for draw controls in a season. In her career, Burek has tallied over 124 draw controls, which places her third all-time in the school's history.
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