Manhattan University Athletics

Box Score 

Riverdale, N.Y.  -- The Manhattan College women's lacrosse team celebrated Senior Night by clinching a third seed in next weekend's MAAC Championships with a 16-12 win over Siena College.  The Lady Jaspers are now 10-4 overall and 4-2 in the MAAC, with the 10 wins marking the highest win total in Coach Jim Drivas' five year tenure at Manhattan.

“It was a particularly special win in that we saluted our seniors ? co-captains Julie Wilson and Heidi Sheffer ? on Senior Day,” Drivas said.  He added that  “reaching 10 wins this season is a great accomplishment for this team and we now look forward to the playoffs. 

And we showed a lot of heart this evening, with Phelicia VanOverbeke and Helen Kerrisk really stepping up to the task.”

VanOverbeke and Kerrisk both tallied four goals for Manhattan, with Chrissy Gutenberger and Caralyn Hickey each adding a hat trick and Julia Lavelle and Elizabet Dugan scoring one goal each.  Gutenberger had three assists and Lavelle had two.

“Two of Phelicia's goals belong on a highlight reel; they were really, really well taken,” Drivas said.  “And Gutenberger was Gutenberger, playing a terrific game in midfield.”

The first half was evenly played with the Lady Jaspers going into the halftime locker room up 7-6.  The turning point in the game came midway through the second half when Manhattan went on a 5-0 run between the 22:04 and 6:17 mark to go from a 9-9 tie to a 14-9 lead.  The Lady Jaspers then headed off a brief (2-0 rally) at 4:57 on a free position shot from Kerrisk.

Manhattan outshot Siena 38-34 with Manhattan goalkeepers ? Sheffer and Allison Brown, who split halves ? coming up with 11 saves, many of them big.

Defensively, the Lady Jaspers were led by Brena Leonard, who had four caused turnovers and four ground balls.  Gutenberger also had four ground balls.

For Siena, Caitlin Mikel, Lindsey Rosecrans and Courtney Highsmith each tallied hat-tricks.

The Lady Jaspers have one more regular season contest, a non-conference game on Sunday at 11 a.m. at Saint Francis of Pennsylvania.  Then, the team will play Friday at Iona College, likely at noon.  The game is scheduled to be broadcast via Jaspervision.