NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY – After opening up a 5-0 lead over Siena, Niagara held the Saints at arm’s length to earn a 16-8 win on Wednesday.
Game Summary
Final Score: Niagara Purple Eagles 16, Siena Saints 8
Offensive Leaders: Rachel MacCheyne (4 G, 2 A), Caroline Crump (4 G, 1 A, 11 SH), Grace Hunt (4 A)
Defensive Leaders: Alexandra Higgins (7 DC), Samantha Brill (5 DC), Rachel MacCheyne (5 DC), Caroline Crump (3 GB, 3 CT)
In Goal: Olivia Schroeder (11 saves)
Records: Niagara (6-7, 3-1 MAAC), Siena (4-9, 0-4 MAAC)
Location: Niagara Field
Attendance: 127
Game Recap
- Niagara opened the game with five unanswered goals, with Alexis Morales opening up the scoring just 73 seconds in.
- 22 seconds after Morales, Rachel MacCheyne doubled the lead for the Purple Eagles. She tallied again at the 4:43 mark to increase the lead to 3-0.
- Caroline Crump and Shea Swartwout scored less than two minutes apart to bump Niagara’s advantage to 5-0.
- The Purple Eagles held Siena scoreless for the first 14:23 of the game and without a shot for the first 11:33.
- 15 seconds after Siena’s first goal of the contest, MacCheyne netted her third goal of the game on a free position shot to restore the five-goal lead.
- At the 19:25 mark of the first half, MacCheyne scored again with a man down to make it 7-1 in favor of the Purple Eagles.
- Swartwout’s second of the game came almost two minutes later, with 8:39 left in the opening half.
- After Siena recorded three straight goals to cut the Niagara lead to 8-4, Crump padded the lead with her 27th goal of the season with 47 seconds remaining on the clock in the first half.
- Niagara came out of the halftime break on a 6-0 run, netting all six goals in a span of 14 minutes.
- Siena responded with two goals of its own to set the score at 15-6 before Mackenzie Travis’ man-up goal put the Purple Eagles back up by 10 and restore the running clock.
Coach’s Corner
- “We started strong today, which was a goal for us. We were solid on both ends of the field and played our most complete game so far this year. We still need to clean things up in transition, but we will work to be better next time out.” – head coach Wendy Stone
Inside The Numbers
- Niagara’s 16 goals are the most the Purple Eagles have scored at home this season.
- The team also set home highs for points (23), assists (7) and shots on goal (27), and tied its overall season mark with 42 total shots taken.
- The Purple Eagles held Siena to 21 total shots, the fewest any opponent has generated all season.
- Rachel MacCheyne and Caroline Crump led the offense with four goals apiece.
- MacCheyne’s four goals and two assists put her over the 50-point plateau on the season (40 G, 13 A).
- Grace Hunt supplied a personal season-high four assists in the matchup. The four point outing was tied for her best offensive performance of the year.
- Samantha Brill’s five draw controls set a season high for her, and helped Niagara win 20 of 26 overall.
- With three goals, Hailey D’Hont tied her season highs for goals and points. She also had five shots on goal in seven attempts, both season bests for her as well.
Up Next
- Niagara will hit the road to face Monmouth on Saturday, April 14. Game time is set for 12 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN3.
Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for lacrosse updates, follow Niagara women’s lacrosse on Twitter and Instagram. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook.com/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.
