Riverdale, NY – No. 4 Manhattan dropped a heartbreaking 15-14 decision to No. 5 Marist in the opening round of the 2019 MAAC Women's Lacrosse Championship at Gaelic Park.
Samantha Mehalick scored three of her school-record 11 goals in the final 4:39, including the game-winner with just seven seconds remaining, to push the Red Foxes into the semifinal round of the conference tournament.
Despite the defeat, the Jaspers qualified for the MAAC Championship for the first time since the 2009 season while matching the program record for victories (11).
Manhattan opened the game with four-straight goals, en route to jumping out to an early 6-1 lead at the 19:44 mark of the first half, before Mehalick responded with four-straight goals.
Senior Caitlin Murphy (Carmel, NY / Carmel) answered the Marist spurt with a goal off a free position attempt, before classmate Molly Fitzpatrick (Yorktown, NY / Lakeland) followed suit in staking the Jaspers to an 8-5 advantage at the break.
The Red Foxes opened the second half with four-straight goals in taking a slim 9-8 lead with 26:41 remaining in regulation.
Junior Emily Sandford (Floral Park, NY / Sacred Heart) and Fitzpatrick responded with free position goals, before Cassidy Burns (Massapequa, NY / Plainedge) delivered an unassisted score to give Manhattan an 11-9 lead with just 16:47 remaining.
After the visitors momentarily quelled the momentum, freshman Grace Lipponer (Lake Grove, NY / Sachem North) and Fitzpatrick each scored to push the advantage out to 13-10 with 6:12 to play.
Marist then scored four-straight to take a one-goal lead with 3:48 remaining, before Fitzpatrick delivered her career-high sixth goal of the game off a Burns pass to tie it up with 22 seconds to play.
Unfortunately, Mehalick netted the aforementioned game winner on a free position attempt to lift the Red Foxes to the win.
Manhattan ends the season at 11-6 while Marist is now 8-9.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Fitzpatrick's career-high six goals, including her 10th hat trick of the year, give her 47 for the season and 135 for her career.
- The 47 are the fourth most in a single season while the 135 are the third most in program history.
- Murphy also registered a hat trick while sophomore Alaina Burgess (Holden, MA / The Governor's Academy) scored twice to round out the multi-goal scorers for the Jaspers.
- In large part to senior Emma Kaishian (Yorktown, NY / Yorktown), Manhattan was a perfect 23-for-23 in clear attempts.
- Kaishian also had three ground balls and three forced turnovers.
- Both teams went 5-for-8 on free position attempts.
- The Jaspers forced Marist into 18 turnovers while the Red Foxes were just 12-for-18 on clears.
- Seven of the first eight Manhattan goals and 10 on the day came off of a Red Fox turnovers.
- The Jaspers registered a 21-15 advantage on ground balls.
- Burns ends the season with a freshman-record 25 assists, which also rank third in the program single-season annals.
- Senior Nikki Prestiano (Yorktown Heights, NY / Yorktown) notched double-figures in saves for the sixth time this year, finishing with 10 on the day.
- Fitzpatrick, Kaishian, Murphy and Prestiano along with fellow seniors Jillian Calandra (Sewell, NJ / Washington Township), Jordyn DiCostanzo (Eastchester, NY / Eastchester), Talia Price (Kinnelon, NJ / Kinnelon) and Nicole Quivelli (Airmont, NY / Suffern) all played in their final collegiate games.
- Mehalick's 11 goals are a school-record and the most in the Division I ranks his year.
- The Red Foxes were 27-for-31 on draw controls.
- Delaney Gavin earned the win, making eight saves.