Quinnipiac University
Mass Lowell
Ochwat, Babstock and Carey All Tally Career-Highs to Guide QU Women's Lacrosse to 15-5 Road Win Over UMass Lowell
3/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
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LOWELL, Massachusetts – Supporters of the Quinnipiac women's lacrosse team have started to see their Bobcats hit a stride and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time. With conference play set to begin next weekend, Quinnipiac will head into MAAC competition fresh off a convincing 15-5 victory over UMass Lowell on Saturday from Cushing Field.
Quinnipiac (1-6) snaps their winless streak at six games as the Bobcats dominated a UMass Lowell (0-7) women's lacrosse team that is in their inaugural season as a program. MAAC play opens on Saturday, March 21 for the Bobcats with a trip up to the defending conference champs Canisius.
Having to deal with a ravenous wind and sideways rains all afternoon, the QU offense showed no ill-effects as the 15 goals scored represent the first time the Bobcats have scored in double figures all season. It also signals the most goals scored by Quinnipiac in a game since April 9, 2014 vs. Iona (W, 15-9) and the most on the road in a non-conference win since March 12, 2012 vs. St. Mary's (Calif.) (W, 18-14).
On the defensive end, Quinnipiac was just as impressive in allowing their fewest goals in a game since defeating Robert Morris, 6-5, back on April 7, 2012 (42 games ago).
"It was a sloppy game in the rain, but any time you get a win, you have to be happy," said Quinnipiac head coach Danie Caro.
Aileen Carey (Long Beach, New York) led all goal scorers with five on the afternoon to set a new career-high. She had previously notched three goals twice in her 35-game career prior to play on Saturday.
Kyra Ochwat (Farmingdale, New York) was all over the field as she matched a career-high with seven points on the strength of four goals and three assists. This is the fourth time in Ochwat's career in which she has posted seven points in a single-game. She also racked up double digit shots for just the fourth time in her career as she finished with a career-high 13 shots attempted. In addition, Ochwat totaled a new career-high with four draw controls, besting her previous career-best of three.
No Bobcat has been more dangerous of late than Kelly Babstock (Mississauga, Ontario) as she finished with a career-high five points (four goals, one assist) in the victory. In her last two games, Babstock is behind only Ochwat in points with eight (five goals, three assists) after tallying just two points in the team's first five games of the season. Babstock also matched her career-high with seven draw controls.
"Kyra and Kelly both played well on offense for us," Caro said. "Aileen and Briana (Fountain) worked really hard in transition and were able to finish on offense."
Rounding out the scoring column for Quinnipiac was Devin Kelly (Miller Place, New York) who posted one goal and one assist on her way to the third multi-point game for her over the last five contests. The sophomore attack also added a career-high four draw controls to swing time of possession clearly in favor of the Bobcats. Briana Fountain (Marshfield, Massachusetts) scored the first goal of the game while Kathleen DeVito (Glastonbury, Connecticut) added one assist.
Stats continued to litter the score sheet as Kayla Murphy (Garden City, New York) tallied a career-best five ground balls while Audrey Samuelman (North Andover, Massachusetts) enjoyed a career-game with four ground balls (new career-high) and two caused turnovers (tied career-high).
Freshman goalkeeper Kyle Larkin (Holbrook, New York) was solid in net as she led the QU defensive effort, finishing with four saves and two ground balls in 53:47 to pick up her first career win.
"I thought Kyle did a good job in net," Caro said. "She was a great spark to our transition out of the defensive end."
The Bobcats defensive core of Vicki Kuhn (Hempstead, New Hampshire), Carly Knowles (Garden City, New York), Kiera Kelly (West Islip, New York) and Samuelman all played key roles in the best team defensive showing since 2012.
"We were pleased to see some of our younger players step up and contribute," Caro said. "Kiera Kelly, Audrey Samuelman, and Carly Knowles were all solid on defense. And Devin Kelly did a really good job on the draw and in transition."
The game was a back-and-forth affair to start as the Bobcats' first goal of the game from Fountain was answered by the River Hawks less than two minutes later. And then the similar pattern followed as UMass Lowell answered Babstock's free position strike with a goal from Jesse Jay to make it 2-2 with 18:17 left in the first half.
This, however, was the closest the score would be for the remainder of play as the Bobcats scored 10 straight goals while holding the River Hawks scoreless for 32:17 of play. Babstock got things going with a wicked forehand fake back to the backhand where she finished five-hole on the goalkeeper.
Ochwat then finished her free position attempt before finding Carey open in the middle of the arc in what resulted as another Bobcat tally.
Carey and Babstock closed the half with back-to-back goals as Quinnipiac took the 7-2 advantage into halftime.
The QU onslaught continued with five more unanswered goals to open the second half of play. Devin Kelly got herself involved in the action with an unassisted marker followed by a great feed to Ochwat open in front after she drew the double team at the wing.
Carey continued to finish with purpose in front of the net as she scored three of the next four Bobcat goals before Ochwat rang in the last two on the day for Quinnipiac.
UMass Lowell broke through with another Jay goal at 16:00 in the second half before junior Rachel Massicotte (Wayland, Massachusetts) entered for her first action of the season and finished with two saves and no goals allowed in 6:13 of action.
Quinnipiac now enters conference play with some momentum to work with as the Bobcats open MAAC competition with a difficult trip up to Buffalo where QU will take on the four-time defending conference champs Saturday, March 21 at 11:00 a.m. from the Demske Sports Complex.
Contact: Maxx McNall; maxx.mcnall@quinnipiac.edu
