Pioneers Take On #6 BU Terriers in NCAA Play-In Game
5/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
May 2, 2008
Sacred Heart vs. #6 Boston University Game Notes in PDF Format 
2008 NCAA Play-In Game
Sacred Heart Pioneers (12-7) NEC Champion at #6 Boston University Terriers (16-2) America East Champion
Game #20 - Saturday, May 3, 2008 - Boston, MA - Nickerson Field
Pioneers Take On #6 BU Terriers in NCAA Play-In Game... The Sacred Heart Pioneers won the 2008 Northeast Conference Championship with a 15-14 win over Quinnipiac on Sunday and will take on the America East Champion Boston University Terriers in the NCAA Play-In game Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers, who claimed a share of their first-ever NEC regular season title, won the tournament with a semifinal win over Monmouth before dealing the Bobcats a one goal defeat in the title game, scoring the game-winner with three seconds left. Sacred Heart comes in posting a school record 12 wins on the season. The #6 ranked Terriers won their fourth-straight America East title with a 9-8 overtime win over the #14 ranked New Hampshire Wildcats. BU is coming in winners of 13-straight games.
The Sacred Heart - BU Series... Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
2008 NEC Tournament Champions... In one of the most exciting finishes in NEC Tournament history, the Pioneers netted the game winning goal with three seconds to play. Junior Amanda Williams shot up the right sideline heading toward goal racing against the clock. The junior attacker was able to make it into the 8-meter arc and drew a foul, setting up the final free position attempt. Williams pulled back on her attempt and place a perfect pass to Carissa Hauser right in front who scored her career-best fifth goal of the game to send Sacred Heart to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. The Pioneers battled back from down four goals in the first half and 10-9 at the half. Both Hauser and Williams posted five-point afternoons with Hauser scoring a career-high five goals. Hauser and Williams were joined on the NEC All-Tournament team by senior Katie Salamone, sophomore Chelsea Wagner and freshman Jessica Ingrilli.
2008 NEC Tournament MVP - Amanda Williams... Junior Amanda Williams was instrumental in the Pioneers grabbing their first-ever NEC title and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Williams collected nine points over the two games to earn MVP and all-tournament team honors. In Friday's 12-11 win over Monmouth, Williams tallied three goals and an assist with three draw wins. In Sunday's Championship game with Quinnipiac, Williams totalled five points, scoring three goals and assisting on two, including the game-winner with three seconds left. On the year Williams leads the team with 45 goals with 11 assists for 56 points.
2008 NEC Semifinal... Sacred Heart got three goals apiece from Amanda Williams and Jessica Ingrilli as the Pioneers held off a late Monmouth rally to post a 12-11 win in the semifinal round. The #2 seeded Pioneers went up 12-6 with just over seven minutes to play but had to hold off a late run from the #3 seeded Hawks to advance to the title game for the second time in school history. The Pioneers scored on the game's opening draw and took a 4-1 lead midway through the first half. The Hawks cut the lead down to two but a pair of goals from Williams and Ingrilli just before the half sent the Pioneers into the locker room up 7-3. MU opened the second half with a marker but SHU put together a 3-1 run into the 10th minute for a 10-5 advantage. Carissa Hauser buried an 8meter attempt at 8:44 followed by a Salamone unassisted tally at 7:04 for a 12-6 lead. The Hawks refused to go quietly however and scored the game's final five to make it a one-goal game. Monmouth cut it down to three with 4:31 to go but couldn't get back on the board until 1:15 and threw one more in with just three ticks left to produce the final, 12-11.
All-NEC Pioneers... Seniors Liz Ottey and Alyssa Harris along with junior Mary Montesarchio were named to the All-NEC first team with junior Amanda Williams, sophomore Carissa Hauser and freshman Jessica Ingrilli were named to the All-NEC second team. Montesarchio makes her second appearance on the all-conference first team while Williams makes her second-straight appearance on the second team.
Mary Montesarchio a Record Breaker... Junior Mary Montesarchio set three new school records this season. Montesarchio's seven assist afternoon against Lafayette set a new Division I record for assists in a game. She also set new marks for assists in a season and career assists. Her 38 assists this season eclipsed the mark the of 18. She passed Jen Fallon's (1993-96) 52 career helpers over the weekend and now owns the career mark with 62 and counting.
SHU 100-Point Club... Sacred Heart has three Pioneers who have reached the 100-point mark in their careers and another on the cusp of joining the club. Junior Mary Montesarchio leads all active Pioneers with 130 career points on 62 goals and 68 assists. Seniors Katie Salamone and Liz Ottey are right behind here at 121 and 120 points, respectively. Salamone has 97 career goals and 24 assists while Ottey has 80 goals and 40 assist in just three years at Sacred Heart. Junior Amanda Williams is sitting on 99 career points, coming on 79 career markers and 20 helpers.
Ingrilli, Two-Time NEC Rookie of the Week... Jessica Ingrilli took home back-to-back NEC Rookie of the Week awards this season. Ingrilli netted seven goals and grabbed nine ground balls in Sacred Heart's wins over Long Island and Wagner. The previous week, Ingrilli had four goals, an assist, four draw wins and two caused turnovers in wins over Lafayette and Robert Morris.
Balanced Attack... Coming into the season, SHU had eight players returning who scored double digit points last season. Heading into the Play-In game, nine Pioneers are in double figures this season with seven at 20 or more points. SHU has six scorers with 20 or more goals led by junior Amanda Williams who has 45. Seniors Katie Salamone and Liz Ottey are over 30 goals with 36 and 30, respectively. The Pioneers are averaging 25.5 shots per game with a .463 shooting percentage.
NEC Stats... The Sacred Heart Pioneers are ranked third in the league in goals per game (11.79), third in assists per game (5.53) and fourth in points per game (17.32). SHU is first in shot percentage (.463). The Pioneers have the top-ranked defensive unit allowing just 9.32 goals per game. Amanda Williams is fourth in goals per game (2.37) and ninth in points per game (2.95). Mary Montesarchio is second in the NEC in assists per game (2.00) and is eighth in points per game (3.05). Williams is tied for first with Katie Salamone with four game-winning goals. Carissa Hauser is fifth in goals per game (2.37) and fourth in points per game (3.18). Chelsea Wagner leads the league in save percentage (.521) and goals against average (9.50) and is fourth in saves per game (9.63). Liz Ottey and Williams are tied for fourth in the NEC in 8meter goals, with 13 each (0.68). Ottey is 10th in assists per game (0.95).
2008 Captains... Senior Alyssa Harris and junior Mary Montesarchio were named as the 2008 Pioneer team captains. Harris served as a team captain last season.
NEC Preseason Poll... The Sacred Heart Pioneers were picked to finish 5th in this year's Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Monmouth Hawks and Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers were picked as co-favorites in this year's poll, each receiving four first place votes. Robert Morris was the third pick with one first place vote, followed by Quinnipiac in fourth and SHU in fifth. Long Island, Wagner, Central Connecticut and Saint Francis (PA) round out this year's poll in that order.
Pioneers in NEC Tournament Play... The Pioneers made their seventh trip to the Northeast Conference Tournament this spring and their second trip all-time to the title game. After beating Monmouth in the semifinal round, the Pioneers posted a 15-14 win over top-seeded Quinnipiac to claim their first-ever championship. This year marked SHU's third-straight appearance as they entered this year's tournament as the #2 seed. Sacred Heart was the #3 seed in last year's tournament and fell to the #2 seed Hawks in the semifinal round, 15-13, at Mount St. Mary's. SHU was the #2 seed in the 2006 tournament and picked up their first-ever playoff win, beating Quinnipiac, 12-9 to advance to the championship game. The Pioneers fell to Monmouth, 10-5, in the title game. Prior to their run in 2006, the Pioneers were 0-4 in the tournament all as the #4 seed, losing three times to UMBC and once to Mount St. Mary's. In 2004, SHU fell to the Mount, 6-5. In 2002, SHU lost to UMBC 16-4 and in 2000 they fell to the Retrievers 14-8. The Pioneers first tournament trip came in 1999 when they lost to UMBC, 19-6.
History... 2008 is the SHU's 11th year of competition in the Northeast Conference. The Pioneers have qualified for the NEC Tournament five times and post a 98-79 Division I record.
