NIAGARA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
NIAGARA FALLS., N.Y. — The Niagara University women’s lacrosse team outscored the Manhattan Jaspers 7-2 in the second half to seal a victory on the road on Saturday for its second conference victory.
Game Summary
- Final Score: Niagara 11, Manhattan 5
- Records: Niagara (5-7, 2-1 MAAC), Manhattan (3-9, 0-4 MAAC)
- Offensive Leaders: Caroline Crump (4G), Alexis Morales (2G, A), Rachel MacCheyne (G, 2A)
- Defensive Leaders: Alexandra Higgins (4 GB, 8 DC, 2 CT), Rachel MacCheyne (2 GB, 5 DC, CT)
- In Goal: Olivia Schroeder (3-2); 12 SV, 5 GA
- Records: Niagara – (5-7); Manhattan – (3-9)
- Location: Gaelic Park – Riverdale, N.Y.
- Attendance: 190
Game Recap
- Niagara and Manhattan opened the game in a defensive battle as both teams failed to find the back of the net until late in the first half.
- The Jaspers opened the scoring with 12:08 remaining in the first half as Talia Price assisted Molly Fitzpatrick.
- Rachel MacCheyne answered only 26 seconds later after finishing a feed from Alexis Morales.
- Sarah Lang put Manhattan back in front 2-1 with 8:41 remaining before Alyssa Sproule capitalized on a pass from MacCheyne just 27 seconds later to tie the game for Niagara at 2-2.
- Caroline Crump gave the Purple Eagles their first lead of the game, 3-2, after scoring from the free position with 3:53 left in the half.
- The Jaspers tied the game at 3-3 off a man-up free position goal from Caitlin Murphy.
- Sproule scored her second of the game for Niagara with 25 seconds remaining in the first half to give the Purple Eagles a 4-3 halftime lead.
- Caroline Crump scored back-to-back goals for Niagara to open the second half, pushing the lead to 6-3.
- Sarah Lang cut the lead to 6-4 just nine seconds after Crump secured her hat-trick.
- Niagara answered with three goals in a span of 4:38 to extend its lead to 9-4. The charge was fueled by a goal from Shea Swartwout and two goals by Alexis Morales, separated by only 17 seconds.
- After Niagara took a 9-4 lead with 20:38 remaining in the game, both teams hit a defensive wall for the remainder of the half.
- Manhattan scored its final goal of the game through Kara Hodapp with 6:03 remaining to shrink the Niagara lead to 9-5.
- Niagara closed the game with a goal from Crump and a goal from Swartwout to secure the 11-5 road win.
Coach’s Corner
- “Our defense really stepped up today and set the tone for us from the start. The effort was there across the board, and our offense stepped up in the second half. We will look to improve next time out.” – head coach Wendy Stone.
Inside the Numbers
- Caroline Crump brought her season goal tally to 29 after scoring four this morning on five shots on goal. Her 29 goals, 39 points, and 74 shots rank second on the team, respectively. She now has 90 career goals.
- Alexis Morales (2G, A), Rachel MacCheyne (G, 2A), Hailey D’Hont (2A), Shea Swartwout (2G), Alyssa Sproule (2G), and Grace Hunt (2A) all recorded multi-point games for Niagara.
- MacCheyne pushed her team-leading goal and point tally to 36 and 47, respectively. She also has the team lead in draw controls (75) and shots (88) while ranking second with assists (11).
- Alexandra Higgins collected four ground balls against the Jaspers, bringing her career total to 145. She ranks second all-time behind Kara Martin’s 147 career ground balls.
- Olivia Schroeder collected 12 saves with a .706 save percentage. She now has 67 saves on the season.
Up Next
- The Purple Eagles return home on Wednesday, April 11 when they host the Siena Saints. Opening draw is slated for 4:00 p.m.