For only the second time this season, the Quinnipiac Bobcats were able to call themselves winners, defeating the Rider Broncs 18-13 for their first win in the conference this season.
A day that started off honoring 11 seniors and graduate students looked like it would be filled with doom and gloom after a quick Rider goal after one minute. After the Bobcats responded with their first goal less than a minute later, the Broncs never led again.
“Our team dug deep today,” head coach Jordan Christopher said. “We connected both sides of the field probably for the first time all season.”
In the MAAC, Rider is ranked top five in every major statistic offensively, including first in shots on goal. The Broncs average 24 on the season. Today, they finished above their average with 29.
Defensively, Quinnipiac played one of their most complete games this year, Christopher said after the game.
“Our defenders were locked down,” Christopher said. “They (Rider) were not getting a ton generated off the one-on-one, which was really nice to see.”
When every phase of the team is working together, in any sport, success will be found. For the Bobcats, today was that day.
Three players for the Bobcats were able to score three or more goals in today’s game. Junior EllaGrace Delmond and Senior Lauren Kenny each led the way with five goals on the day. Eighteen total goals is the most that the Bobcats have scored in one game since April 19, 2023 against the Iona Gaels.
“We have worked a lot on that side of the ball recently,” Christopher said. “Obviously, you can’t score if you don’t shoot. It finally paid off”
After the Bobcats scored in the second half, you could look down at the bench and see the bench players getting creative on the sidelines. Bench presses with their sticks, paparazzi with a runway and multiple human pyramids made the win that much sweeter.
“I think we were really celebrating more than we had usually,” Delmond said. “I think we just finally connected and got our heads all together on the right idea.”
Christopher is only in her first season as a head coach and her first home win in her head coaching career.
“It’s definitely nice to finally win on the home turf and be able to celebrate with a lot of the student body, fans, and friends.” Christopher said.
Yes, the senior day made the win that much sweeter, but it is still only the team’s second win of the season. The team recognizes that there is still room to improve with four games remaining.
If you were to take the 2-9 record out of the equation and solely look at the team, you wouldn’t be able to tell that they are currently at the bottom of the MAAC.
“We have nothing to lose,” Delmond said. “We have each other’s back no matter what it is.”
After getting its first win of the season, the rest of the regular season does not get any easier as the team continues to get closer to postseason play.
They have to go up against a Fairfield team that is currently the No.1 seed in the MAAC and, like Iona, are in the top five in everage major statistical category offensively.
Quinnipiac will have to play that same cohesive style of lacrosse if they want to put together a fighting chance against the Stags, who have won the past five MAAC championships.
