Sacred Heart Plays Host to Quinnipiac - Game Notes
4/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
April 20, 2006
Complete Sacred Heart vs. Quinnipiac Game Notes in PDF Format
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Sacred Heart Plays Host to Quinnipiac... The Pioneers welcome the Quinnipiac Bobcats to Campus Field Friday afternoon with both teams looking for a win to secure Northeast Conference playoff positioning. Both Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac need help from other teams but can still lay claim to finishing first when all is said and done by Sunday afternoon. The Pioneers can finish as high as first and as low as fourth but regardless of the results of this weekend's games, SHU will be in the tournament field of four.
The Series... Sacred Heart leads the all-time series, 7-3. The Pioneers at one time owned a five-game winning streak in the series but the Bobcats have won the last two meeting, including an 11-10 triple overtime thriller last season. SHU has lost just once to Quinnipiac at home, in 2004, 12-9. The Pioneers took the initial meeting in 1996.
Up Next... The Pioneers close out the regular season on Sunday hosting Central Connecticut. SHU will honor their graduating seniors, Emily Tully, Candice Celebre and Nicole Macri, before the game as the play their final home games.
Last Meeting with Quinnipiac... Quinnipiac's Kate Danowski scored the game winning overtime goal to give the Bobcats an 11-10 win over Sacred Heart on March 24, 2005. After SHU took an early 2-0 lead, the Bobcats rallied back scoring the next five, three from Amy Willis to pull in front 5-2. Willis added another before the half and the Bobcats led 6-4 at the break. The Pioneers knotted the game at 6-6 in the opening five minutes of the half and the two teams traded goals until Quinnipiac opened a 9-7 lead with 9:34 to go. The Bobcats kept the lead at two, 10-8, looking to lock it up with just over two minutes left but the Pioneers found a way to answer. SHU's Maureen Hohn tightened up the game scoring with 49 seconds left to go in regulation, and JoAnn Montesarchio scored in the waning seconds to tie the game at 10-10. After a scoreless first three minutes, the Bobcats earned a free position shot with five seconds left in the second overtime session. Smallman's shot was blocked and time ran out, forcing at third sudden death overtime. With only 32 seconds tallied off the clock Smallman made a quick pass to Danowski who scored the game winning goal, giving the Bobcats the 11-10 win. Montesarchio and Natalie Smith each had three goals for the Pioneers.
Scouting the Bobcats... The 8-5 Quinnipiac Bobcats have won three-straight and seven of their last eight heading into Friday's match-up. The Bobcats are in second place in the Northeast Conference with a 6-1 league mark. Included in their eight wins, three have come in overtime, the last at Wagner College when they went to a third extra session to post a 17-16 win. Danielle Mormile leads the team in scoring with 25 goals and 14 assists for 39 points. Laura Eagan is second on the team with 21 goals and six assists.
Last Time Out... Sacred Heart used a 7-0 first half run and started the second half with a 4-0 run to put the game out of reach and come away with a 13-7 win over the St. Francis Red Flash. Senior Emily Tully and sophomore Liz Ottey scored three goals apiece in the win. SFPA held an early 2-1 lead but SHU's run built an 8-2 lead that was never seriously challenged. The second half started with three-straight free-position goals followed by another SHU marker to put the Pioneers up 12-3. SHU out shot SFPA, 30-16, hit six of seven from the free position and won 18 of the 22 draws.
A Return to the NEC Tournament... After a 0-7 start to the 2006 season, the Northeast Conference Tournament seemed miles away for the SHU women's lax teams. But the Pioneers have rattled off five wins in their last seven games and clinched a spot in the conference tournament with a 5-1 mark in the NEC with two-games to go. This year's tournament will take place on May 5th and 7th at the site of the regular season champion.
History... This is the Pioneer's eighth year of competition in the Northeast Conference. Sacred Heart has qualified for the NEC Tournament five times and posts a 76-64 Division I record. The Pioneers have posted 10 wins in each of the last three years and have not had a losing season since 1998.
