Pioneer Women's Lacrosse Set for NEC Title Run
4/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
April 29, 2004
FAIRFIELD, CT (April 29, 2004) - The Sacred Heart women's lacrosse team will face top-seeded Mount St. Mary's in the first round of the 2004 Northeast Conference Tournament Friday afternoon as the Pioneers bid for their first-ever conference title. The tournament is set to take place at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ with the semifinal round slated for Friday afternoon. The Pioneers and Mountaineers will tip-off at 1:00 pm followed by the #2 host Hawks and #3 Quinnipiac Bobcats to follow at 3:30 pm.
SHU qualified for this year's bracket with a 12-9 win at Wagner on the final weekend of the regular season. The Pioneers finished up the season 10-6 overall and 4-3 in league play to clinch the #4 seed. Sacred Heart returns to the postseason after missing the tournament last season.
"After what was a heartbreaking end to last season, we came into the last weekend this year and got the job done," stated head coach Laura Korutz. "It was important for us to get to the playoffs after all the hard work this team put in this year."
The Pioneers have used a stingy defense to lead them to success this season. As a team, SHU is ranked third in the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 7.31 goals per game. Anchoring the defensive unit is senior goalkeeper Amy Lavoie (Nashua, NH) who sports the fourth lowest goals against average nationally (7.57 gaa). Lavoie has recorded 90 saves in posting a 6-5 record on the year.
Where Lavoie is the backbone, senior Ashley Cotter (Sandwich, MA) and juniors Lindsay Travis (Mahopac, NY) and Jamie Pettit (Baldwin, NY) are the glue that holds the unit together. Travis has 34 ground balls this season to go with 23 caused turnovers. Cotter and Pettit each have 20 caused turnovers with 34 ground balls between them.
Offensively, the Pioneers have seven players with double digit points on the year. Junior Natalie Smith (Wantagh, NY) leads the SHU attack with a team-leading 35 goals and 43 points (35 g, 8 asst). Smith ranks sixth in the NEC in goals per game (2.19 gpg) and ninth in points per game (2.69 ppg). Seniors Jackie Reichert (Nesconset, NY) and Christina Macchia (Carle Place, NY) join Smith on the attack and are third and fourth, respectively, on the team in scoring. Reichert has 22 goals and seven assists to her credit this year while Macchia has notched 19 goals while passing out six assists. Reichert also has 21 ground balls to her credit and shares the team lead with Travis with 23 caused turnovers.
The midfield is led by junior JoAnn Monteasarchio (Cortlandt Manor, NY), freshman Maureen Hohn (Lutherville, MD) and seniors Jeanne Carroll (East Rockaway, NY) and Meghan Tucker (Carle Place, NY). Montesarchio is second on the squad in scoring this year with 24 goals and a team-best nine assists. She has also won 24 draws and along with Macchia shares the conference lead in game-winning goals with three apiece.
Hohn has had a standout freshman campaign, showing an all-around game. She has 17 goals, four assists and 21 points to go with 28 ground balls, 14 caused turnovers and a conference-best 49 draw controls, also ranking eighth nationally (2.93 DC pg). Carroll and Tucker bring senior leadership to the midfield as well as 16 and 13 points each respectively. The duo also combined for 31 ground balls on the season.
SHU's first round opponent, the Mount, ran rough shot through the league this year, finishing up a perfect 7-0 in conference play and 12-4 overall. The closest call the Mountaineers had in NEC play was against the Pioneers on Campus Field, where they came away with a 7-6 win. The two teams played an even game on the scoreboard, 3-3, after one half but it was the Pioneers who controlled much of the offensive play. SHU outshot the Mount 16-4 over the first 30 minutes, but put just six on goal sending several shots wide.
Despite being outshot in the first half, the Mount made the most of their scoring opportunities, burying three of their four shots in the back of the net and hitting two-of-two free position shots. MSM's wasted little time gaining control of the game at the start of the second half, taking the lead for good with just over 27 minutes to play.
In order to turn the tide this time around, the Pioneers will have to make the most of their scoring chances. "We need to finish shot," said Korutz. "We outshot them 16-4 in the first half last time we played and came away with just three goals. We also have to control the pace of the game. Keep possession and keep the ball away from their speedy attackers."
"For us to win this tournament we need to take care of the ball," commented the head coach. "We need to play an all around team game, offense, defense, midfield, but minimizing turnovers is the key. That's been killing us all year."
The winner of both semifinal games will meet Sunday, May 2nd at 12:00 noon at Monmouth with the NEC Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
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