The goal was simple for the Quinnipiac women’s lacrosse team in their final regular-season game: win and go to the MAAC Tournament. The Bobcats came into the game sitting in seventh place, just outside of the playoff picture. If they could beat the Sacred Heart Pioneers, they would leapfrog them into the playoffs. They did just that, winning 16-9 to punch their postseason ticket.
“I’m super proud of our group, to be able to come to someone else’s turf on their senior and handle their business knowing that we were fighting for our lives,” said head coach Jordan Solari.
Sacred Heart took the first lead of the game just over two minutes in as Maggie Araneo drove to the net and put it past Bobcat goalkeeper Shannon Alden. The Pioneers kept the pressure on as Erin Herrold snuck it in to double the lead less than two minutes later.
Cate Bendowski brought Quinnipiac back within one, but Sacred Heart responded with a goal by Nadine Galiano. Emma Miller-Ayala scored her 32nd goal of the season to keep the Bobcats within a goal.
Quinnipiac capitalized on a free position as Bendowski scored her second goal to tie it at three. With that goal, Bendowski set the Quinnipiac single-season points record.
“I would have never expected this to happen to me,” said Bendowski. “I am really proud of what I have done to help the success of my team today, and in the three years I’ve been here.
The two teams traded three more goals, and the first quarter ended with Quinnipiac up 5-4 thanks to Miller-Ayala’s second of the game.
To begin the second quarter, Maddy Ward once again replaced Shannon Alden in the Quinnipiac net. “I have an all-or-nothing mindset, I have nothing to lose,” Ward said. “So as long as I can play my game and [my teammates] play theirs, it’s a good mix.”
Araneo scored her second of the game to tie the game at five at the 10:58 mark. Bendowski and Julia Givens scored two within a minute of each other to make the score 7-5 QU, but Ryann Kearns scored her eighth of the season to keep the deficit to one.
Just before the end of the first half, the Bobcats pressured the Pioneers in the offensive zone. The Sacred Heart defense would clog up the shooting lanes, and goalkeeper Madalyn Eder-Linell made a few quick saves. Quinnipiac earned a free position chance. It was saved at first, but the rebound went to senior captain Mia Delmond, who scored with one second remaining to give the Bobcats a two-goal advantage at halftime.
The second half was almost all Bobcats, as they outscored the Pioneers 8-3. Julia Givens added two more goals while her sister Anna put one in the back of the net just in the fourth quarter. Delmond and Miller-Ayala added their second and third goals of the game while Kendall Lee and Charlotte DeMaio both put their names on the scoresheet.
Maddy Ward added six saves in the win. “I have full faith in Maddy; she was able to come up with some clutch saves that gave us the momentum.”
With the 16-9 win, the Bobcats clinched a postseason spot, ending the regular season 8-7 overall and 3-4 in MAAC play, earning the sixth and final seed.
“I think we realized that you are only ‘this’ team once, and when you realize that you’re not gonna get those moments again, you start playing for something bigger than yourself, and I think that registered for the team,” said Solari.
They will head up to Buffalo to take on the third-seeded Canisius Golden Griffins next Sunday.
