The Kelly Green and White earns its third consecutive MAAC win, improving to 3-0 in-conference and 8-3 overall. The Saints suffer their first loss in the MAAC and now boast a 6-5 overall record.
Defense highlighted the first half, as both squads only scored once in the game's first 19 minutes. However, the Jaspers recorded three of the four goals scored in the other portion of the half, capped with Fitzpatrick's second of the contest with three seconds on the clock until halftime.
In the first six minutes of the second stanza, Lipponer notched two tallies to push Manhattan's edge to 6-2. Siena responded with three-straight goals to make it 6-5 Manhattan, but senior midfielder Caitlin Murphy (Carmel, NY / Carmel) and sophomore midfielder Carmella Liscio (Blauvelt, NY / Tappan Zee) struck on free position attempts for insurance goals in the final seven minutes of the half.
Lipponer led the Jaspers with three points, while freshman attacker Cassidy Burns (Massapequa, NY / Plainedge) added a goal and an assist. Senior tri-captain Nikki Prestiano (Yorktown Heights, NY / Yorktown) tied a season-high with 11 saves.
Nicole McNeely paced the Siena offense, chipping in two goals and an assist. Goalkeeper Sammy Horton made 10 saves in net.
Manhattan aims to build its MAAC streak to four games when they visit Fairfield on Wednesday, April 3 at 3:00 pm.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Manhattan rockets to a 3-0 start in the MAAC for the first time since 2005.
- The Jaspers have won three consecutive matchups over the Saints.
- During this season, Manhattan has rattled off two win streaks of at least three games.
- Fitzpatrick is one goal shy of reaching third place on the Jaspers' all-time goals list. She has 118 career scores.
- Lipponer has earned multiple points in four-straight affairs and eight of her 11 games this season.
- Burns has recorded a point in nine of her 11 contests this year.
- Sophomore attacker Alaina Burgess (Holden, MA / The Governor's Academy) scored a goal for the fifth time in her last six games. She has 10 goals in MAAC play.
- Burgess also led the team with five ground balls, tying her career-high, and two draw controls.
- Senior tri-captain Emma Kaishian (Yorktown, NY / Yorktown) had five draw controls to lead the team.
FIRST HALF
- Prestiano's first save came 3:07 into the game as she denied Kerry Gerety.
- She made another stop with 20:44 left in the first half.
- Burns got Manhattan on the board at the 13:17 mark with a free position score, knotting the game at one.
- Prestiano kept the game tied with a snag against McNeely with 12:07 to play.
- Fitzpatrick's first goal came via the free position 1:30 later to put the Jaspers ahead 2-1.
- Mary Soures notched the equalizer for Siena with 7:31 remaining.
- Burgess' snipe came with 1:50 until halftime, scoring after she was initially stopped by Horton.
- Horton turned the ball over with 12 seconds left. Burgess got the ground ball, and Lipponer connected with Fitzpatrick for the score to make it 4-2.
SECOND HALF
- Gerety drew a foul for a free position chance, but Prestiano got the stop 2:19 in.
- Lipponer responded with an unassisted goal exactly two minutes later.
- Fitzpatrick fired a shot wide, but Burns fed Lipponer for a Manhattan goal at 24:08 for the Jaspers' 6-2 lead.
- Kaitlyn Dowsett almost had the equalizer for Siena, but Prestiano came up strong with the save as 17:31 read on the clock.
- Dowsett then hit the post on a free position opportunity at the midway point of the half.
- After she laced a shot wide, Murphy drew a foul and garnered a free position chance, converting for the 7-5 edge with 6:03 to play.
- Liscio won the ensuing draw and capitalized on the free position to make it 8-5 with exactly 5:00 to go.
- Siena scored with 1:22 left, but Prestiano garnered a pair of saves in the final 40 seconds of regulation.