STAFF REPORTS
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For the third consecutive season and the sixth time in program history, the Niagara Purple Eagles women’s lacrosse team has advanced to the MAAC Championships. Niagara finished fourth in the MAAC with a 5-3 conference record (8-9 overall), tying the program record for most conference wins in a season; Niagara also went 5-3 in MAAC play in the 2016 campaign.
This season, Niagara will host the fifth-seeded Monmouth Hawks (6-11, 4-4 MAAC) in the first round of the MAAC Championships. The winner of Saturday’s contest advances to the conference semifinals, which will be played Friday, March 5 on the campus of Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y.
Saturday’s game can be seen live on MAAC.TV and can also be viewed locally on LCTV. The first 100 Niagara students at the playoff matchup at Niagara Field will receive free admission; after that, student tickets will be available for $5. Tickets for the general public are on sale for $10, while children and seniors receive $5 tickets.
Niagara tied its best record in MAAC play this regular season at 5-3, matching the team’s 2016 conference record. In addition to defeating Monmouth, the Purple Eagles picked up wins over MAAC opponents Iona, Manhattan, Siena, and Quinnipiac. In non-conference play, the Purple Eagles picked up wins over St. Bonaventure (18-5 on Feb. 20), Mount St. Mary’s (15-11 on Mar. 4) and Stetson (16-14 on Mar. 10). Niagara came up on the losing end of a pair of one-goal games, falling 11-10 versus Colgate (Feb. 28) and versus Binghamton (Mar. 22). The Purple Eagles also traveled to play two Big Ten opponents this season, Rutgers and Michigan. Niagara’s non-conference schedule also included a 12-8 loss at Atlantic Sun power Jacksonville.