HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 17, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team will host a pair of key Empire 8 contests this Friday and Saturday at the De Baun Athletic Complex.
 
Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. the Ducks will welcome in defending conference champion St. John Fisher College to Hoboken, and on Saturday the team will host its annual Duck Country game when they battle with Nazareth College at 1 p.m. as well.
 
Prior to the Fisher tussle on Friday, there will be a tailgate on Palmer Lawn with free food and great music for any Stevens students planning on attending the game. On Saturday, the Athletic Department will be giving out Stevens branded laundry bags to students attending the game against the Golden Flyers on the De Baun Athletic Complex turf (while supplies last).
 
Stevens comes with an overall mark of 7-6 and a league ledger of 3-1. The Ducks have won four-straight games and are currently tied for second in the Empire 8 with St. John Fisher. Ithaca College has a one-game edge on both squads with a mark of 4-0.
 
After dropping four-straight contests from March 16-27, Stevens has rebounded wonderfully, running off four wins in a row and outscoring its opponents 58-16 over that span. The Ducks have tightened up on the defensive end, keeping opponents at eight goals or less in their last five outings, six goals or less in their previous four contests and at three goals over the last two.
 
Stevens has been led all season by veteran midfielders Spencer Waybright (West Hartford, Conn.) and Kara Rafferty (Bayshore, N.Y.). The pair have combined for 85 goals, 41 assists and 126 points. Rafferty paces the Ducks with 45 tallies of her own, while Waybright has dished out a team-best 25 helpers along with 39 scores. The pair lead the team in draw controls as well, with senior midfielder Joey Galligan (Burlingame, Calif.) checking in third with 31. Galligan is also third on the team in caused turnovers, behind sophomore defender Amanda Ingersoll (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) and sophomore defender Courtney Lee (Brookeville, Md.). Galligan and Ingersoll are currently tied for the team lead in ground balls with 27.
 
Senior goalie Meg Collins (Marshfield, Mass.) has been playing well in goal, earning Empire 8 Goalie of the Week honors one week ago. Over her last three starts – all wins – the senior tri-captain has made 26 saves and allowed just 12 goals. Her goals-against average during that time is 4.73 and she has a saves percentage of .684 on 49 shots faced.
 
Friday's opponent St. John Fisher defeated Stevens twice last year. The Cardinals earned a regular-season win in Rochester before ending the Ducks' 2012 campaign in the Empire 8 Championship semifinals, effectively halting a two-year reign as conference champs by Stevens. Fisher is currently 9-3 overall and 3-1 in the conference after a 12-8 win over Naz on April 13.
 
Nazareth is currently 2-2 in the Empire 8 and 6-6 overall. The Golden Flyers will play Hartwick College Friday before visiting Hoboken Saturday afternoon.
 
General admission to the games is $5 and all Stevens students, faculty and staff get in free with a valid ID. For those unable to make the trip to Hoboken, all the action will be webcast live at www.Empire8.TV.