QU Women's Lacrosse Heads to Monmouth on Saturday for Showdown on ESPN3
4/7/2016 4:36:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
Bobcats Have Played the Hawks More Times (22) Than Any Opponent in Program History
Quinnipiac Bobcats (2-9, 0-3 MAAC) at
Monmouth Hawks (7-5, 3-0 MAAC)
Saturday, April 9, 2016 – 1:00 PM
Kessler Field – West Long Branch, NJ
All-Time Series vs. Monmouth: MON 5-17
Follow the Game
Live Stats: MonmouthHawks.com
Free Live Video: ESPN3
Twitter: @QU_WLAX
The heart of the 2016 season schedule is now upon the Quinnipiac women's lacrosse team as the Bobcats continue MAAC play with a road game against the top team in the conference Monmouth on Saturday, April 9. Play is set to begin at Kessler Field at 1 PM as the Hawks look to make it four straight wins while the Bobcats look to overcome a six-game losing streak.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Monmouth (7-5, 3-0 MAAC) comes in riding a wave of momentum as the Hawks are standing atop the conference standings nearing the midway point of league play, owning an undefeated 3-0 mark heading into Saturday. In their three league games to date, Monmouth has benefitted greatly from two one-goal road victories first over Siena (W, 16-15) and most-recently against Manhattan (W, 7-6) on Wednesday. Monmouth came into Wednesday's meeting have been primarily an offensively driven team as the Hawks have allowed at least 13 goals in four of their 12 games this season. The Hawks sit in the middle of the pack in the MAAC in scoring offense as Monmouth puts up 10.67 goals per game (3rd MAAC) while having allowed 10.83 goals per game (4th MAAC). Perhaps their best equalizing presence is the play of goalkeeper Caroline Huelster who comes in leading the MAAC in save percentage (.492), saves (122) and saves per game (10.17). Not only does Huelster lead the conference in all three aforementioned statistics but she also ranks fourth in the nation in saves and eight in saves per game. Another interesting note for Huelster is she also is the ground ball leader in the conference, coming in averaging 3.83 ground balls per game which also ranks third in the entire nation. Her play in the cage will be a major key in this weekend matchup and also possesses a significant problem the Bobcats need to overcome if they hope to walk away with the victory. In the midfield, Marial Pierce makes everything happen as she comes in second in the MAAC in draw controls per game (4.27) while also ranking second in the conference in assists (19) and assists per game (1.73). Keeping Pierce in check as the main offensive weapon for the Hawks will be another key for the Bobcats as they hope to control play in the midfield position and gain offensive possession. Other scorers to watch out for on the Hawks include Olivia Higson (24-5-29) and Alexa Smith (24-3-27) who come in tied for the team-lead in goals with 24 each. Michelle Gonzales offers great depth with 14 goals and 13 assists while Kate Ryan (16-4-20) is another 20-point contributor. Kristina Vangeli is a well-rounded defender having a stat line of 28 ground balls, 27 draw controls and 20 caused turnovers throughout 2016 as she anchors the Hawks' defensive core in front of Huelster.
SERIES HISTORY
Quinnipiac's transition to the MAAC was made a little more seamless with Monmouth making the move in the same athletic year (2013-14). The Bobcats and Hawks should be quite familiar with one another as the two sides have played more games against one another (22) than any other team in Quinnipiac women's lacrosse history. Monmouth owns the all-time edge with a 16-6 record against Quinnipiac. The lone bright spot in the all-time series for QU came in 2009-12 when the Bobcats won five straight against the Hawks. Other than that 5-0 run, the Bobcats are 0-17 against their longtime conference opponent and have lost four straight heading into the weekend showdown.
STREAKING
Kathleen DeVito has been the guiding force behind the Bobcats' offensive attack throughout the majority of the season and comes into Saturday riding an eight-game point streak (one shy of matching her career-high). In the point streak, DeVito has recorded a team-high 18 points (7-11-18) while she currently leads the team with 20 points (9-11-20) on the season. DeVito has also tallied two goals in three of the last four games to move her career total to 18 multi-goal games in her four years as a Bobcat.
ANTONACCI'S APPLES
After not seeing any game time as a freshman in 2015, sophomore Loren Antonacci has stepped into a large role as the Bobcats' main distributor and has exceled over the last three games. Stepping into the starting lineup five games ago, Antonacci has tallied seven points (1-6-7) over the last three games alone to hold the team-lead in that department. Antonacci picked up three assists, the most by any Bobcat this season, against CCSU (3/30) and tallied her first career goal against Canisius (4/2).
LARKIN LEADING THE WAY
The vastly improved play of Kyle Larkin in the cage has played a big role in the Bobcats' defensive dominance this season, highlighted by a career-high 14 save effort (10 in first half alone) at Siena (4/6). In the past 10 games, Larkin has posted double digit save totals in five-of-10 in the stretch. Larkin's cumulative totals of 92 saves (9.2 per game), .467 save percentage and 10.38 GAA in the last 10 games (606:48 minutes played) has helped lead the way in a turnaround inspired on the defensive end.
KEEP TRYING TO GET ONE PAST KYLE
The recent 10-game turnaround has seen Kyle Larkin rise up the national rankings as she now sits 12th in the nation in saves per game (9.18) and tied for 52nd in ground balls per game (2.55). If you subtract the 21-0 loss to UConn (2/17), Larkin would sit 30th nationally in save percentage (.467).
AT THE TOP OF HER CRAFT
Kiera Kelly has seen an immediate rise in her production through 11 games in 2016. Having compiled 38 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers, Kelly currently leads the MAAC caused turnovers per game while ranking second in ground balls per game. Kelly also stands seventh in the nation in ground balls per game (3.45) and tied for ninth in caused turnover per game (2.36).
FRESH FACES
Quinnipiac's freshmen class has factored heavily in the Bobcats' scoring throughout the season as Allison Kuhn (13-4-17), Cara O'Meally (7-0-7), Ellie Swenson (2-2-4), Aubrey Conti (1-1-2), and Alexa Paul (1-0-1) have accounted for 31 of the Bobcats' 88 total points (35.2 percent) so far through 11 games in 2016. In terms of just goal scoring, 24 of the Bobcats' 59 goals (40.7 percent) have been scored by Quinnipiac freshmen this season.
SENIOR CENTER
After notching just three combined goals in the first three games of 2016, the Bobcats' senior tandem of Aileen Carey (14-0-14) and Kathleen DeVito (7-11-18) have combined for 32 points in the last eight games as the two have combined to either score or assist on 25 of the 48 total goals scored (52.1 percent) for the Bobcats.
CAREY-ING THE OFFENSE
Aileen Carey's career-high five-game goal scoring streak was snapped at Niagara (3/26). The senior midfielder was also riding a four-game multi-goal scoring streak. She still managed to restart her scoring touch against CCSU (3/30) as she picked up two goals while adding four ground balls (tied career-high) and four draw controls and four caused turnovers (career-high). She leads the team with 16 goals in 2016 and is just one goal shy of setting a new single-season career record with five games still remaining in the regular season. Coming into her senior season with just three career hat tricks, Carey has already posted three hat tricks in 11 games this season.
OFFENSIVE POWER OUTAGE
Facing two of the most lethal scorers in the conference in Taylor Giglio (21-10-31) and Erica Evans (21-5-26; Preseason MAAC Player of the Year), the Bobcats designed and executed their defensive game plan perfectly as the two top scorers for the Golden Griffins (4/2) were held to just one combined point (Giglio assist) on the day which easily stands as the lowest combined total for the pairing all season. The sophomore midfielder Evans was held scoreless in a game for the first time in her career.
SPEEDY STREAK
Quinnipiac mounted a furious second half comeback against CCSU (3/30) as the Bobcats put together a 6-0 run over a matter of 8:35. The six straight goals in that time span marks the fastest six-goal run for the Bobcats since April 9, 2014 when Quinnipiac tallied a 6-0 run over a span of 4:42 at Iona (28 games ago).
ALEX IS EVERYWHERE
Alex Hlesciak put together the best game of her three-year career against CCSU (3/30) as she tallied a career-high three points (two goals, one assist) while she also notched her fourth career multi-goal game. Hlesciak wasn't done on the offensive end as she also chipped in a career-high four ground balls to go along with five draw controls (one off career-high). Ever since moving into the starting lineup four games ago, Hlesciak has tallied four points (three goals, one assist) with 17 draw controls.
GOING BACK-TO-BACK
After not seeing a Bobcat win an individual MAAC weekly award in the first two full seasons since joining the conference in 2014, Quinnipiac's sophomore goalkeeper Kyle Larkin has picked up back-to-back MAAC Defensive Player of the Week awards. Over those two weeks, no goalkeeper in the MAAC was hotter as Larkin as she allowed nine goals (4.50 GAA) and posted 19 saves (.679 save percentage) in picking up two straight wins for the Bobcats. In a meeting against UMass Lowell, Larkin allowed a career-low four goals in a 7-4 win while tallying eight saves on 12 shots (.667 save percentage).
SHUTOUT STREAK
The first goal for UMass Lowell (3/12) which came with 27:32 remaining in the second half broke up the Bobcats' scoreless streak which spanned the course of the two games. Quinnipiac held Army West Point (3/5) scoreless for the final 17:56 of play in a 6-5 win and held UMass Lowell without a goal for 32:28 of play in a 7-4 win. Quinnipiac's scoreless streak lasted a total of 50:24 as Larkin made 10 straight saves in that time frame.
DEFENSIVE DYNAMOS
Heading up a lockdown defensive effort against UMass Lowell (3/12) was the tandem of Leah Walter and Kiera Kelly. The two leading shutdown defenders for the Bobcats contributed in big ways as Walter tied her career-high in ground balls (five) and caused turnovers (three) while Kelly snagged four ground balls and tied her career-high with four caused turnovers. The pairing combined to hold the top three River Hawk scorers entering the game to no points throughout 60 minutes of action. This was one game following a total shutdown of Army West Point's leading scorer Amy Johnston, holding her without any points in the one-goal win.
DEFENSE FIRST
Quinnipiac has predicated themselves on the defensive end all season and their stellar efforts protecting their cage has played a large role during the two-game winning streak. The hot streak started in a 6-5 win over Army West Point (3/5) as the 11 combined goals represents the lowest combined score total in a Quinnipiac victory since the Bobcats defeated Robert Morris by the identical score on the road back on April 7, 2012. Most recently, Quinnipiac's 7-4 win over UMass Lowell (3/12) saw Quinnipiac allow their fewest goals to an opponent in a single game since an 8-4 win over Monmouth back on April 23, 2010 (86 games ago).
FORTUNATO'S FIRST WIN
A defensive-minded midfielder in her four years as a player for Quinnipiac (2004-08), first-year head coach Brittany Fortunato's first career victory was very reminiscent of her playing style. The 11 combined goals in the 6-5 victory over Army West Point (3/5) represents the lowest combined score total in a Quinnipiac victory since the Bobcats defeated Robert Morris on the road by the identical score back on April 7, 2012.
FRESH FACE
Among the many freshmen to shine on the day against Binghamton (2/27) included Allison Kuhn who posted a team-leading four-point day (three goals, one assist) as she either scored or assisted on more than half of the goals scored for Quinnipiac on the day. She also becomes the first Quinnipiac freshman to tally at least four points in a game since Maria Blois tallied four points (one goal, three assists) back on April 19, 2013. Kuhn also added a game and personal-high four draw controls.
FINDING THEIR IDENTITY
Coming off a disappointing 21-0 loss in the 2016 season opener, Quinnipiac certainly found their defensive identity in the second half at Yale (2/24) as the Bulldogs scored just three of their 11 goals in the final 30 minutes of play. The 11-goal total for the Bulldogs also easily stands as the fewest allowed by Quinnipiac in the series history as the previous fewest came in 2014 when Yale defeated the Bobcats, 15-8.
THAT'S MINE!
Sophomore Kiera Kelly filled the stat sheet with career highs in ground balls (eight) and caused turnovers (four) at Yale (2/24). After becoming the first freshman in program history to lead Quinnipiac in ground balls and caused turnovers last season, Kelly came one ground ball shy of matching the single-game program record (nine) which was compiled by Christy Smallman against Vermont on March 4, 2005.
Monmouth Hawks (7-5, 3-0 MAAC)
Saturday, April 9, 2016 – 1:00 PM
Kessler Field – West Long Branch, NJ
All-Time Series vs. Monmouth: MON 5-17
Follow the Game
Live Stats: MonmouthHawks.com
Free Live Video: ESPN3
Twitter: @QU_WLAX
The heart of the 2016 season schedule is now upon the Quinnipiac women's lacrosse team as the Bobcats continue MAAC play with a road game against the top team in the conference Monmouth on Saturday, April 9. Play is set to begin at Kessler Field at 1 PM as the Hawks look to make it four straight wins while the Bobcats look to overcome a six-game losing streak.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Monmouth (7-5, 3-0 MAAC) comes in riding a wave of momentum as the Hawks are standing atop the conference standings nearing the midway point of league play, owning an undefeated 3-0 mark heading into Saturday. In their three league games to date, Monmouth has benefitted greatly from two one-goal road victories first over Siena (W, 16-15) and most-recently against Manhattan (W, 7-6) on Wednesday. Monmouth came into Wednesday's meeting have been primarily an offensively driven team as the Hawks have allowed at least 13 goals in four of their 12 games this season. The Hawks sit in the middle of the pack in the MAAC in scoring offense as Monmouth puts up 10.67 goals per game (3rd MAAC) while having allowed 10.83 goals per game (4th MAAC). Perhaps their best equalizing presence is the play of goalkeeper Caroline Huelster who comes in leading the MAAC in save percentage (.492), saves (122) and saves per game (10.17). Not only does Huelster lead the conference in all three aforementioned statistics but she also ranks fourth in the nation in saves and eight in saves per game. Another interesting note for Huelster is she also is the ground ball leader in the conference, coming in averaging 3.83 ground balls per game which also ranks third in the entire nation. Her play in the cage will be a major key in this weekend matchup and also possesses a significant problem the Bobcats need to overcome if they hope to walk away with the victory. In the midfield, Marial Pierce makes everything happen as she comes in second in the MAAC in draw controls per game (4.27) while also ranking second in the conference in assists (19) and assists per game (1.73). Keeping Pierce in check as the main offensive weapon for the Hawks will be another key for the Bobcats as they hope to control play in the midfield position and gain offensive possession. Other scorers to watch out for on the Hawks include Olivia Higson (24-5-29) and Alexa Smith (24-3-27) who come in tied for the team-lead in goals with 24 each. Michelle Gonzales offers great depth with 14 goals and 13 assists while Kate Ryan (16-4-20) is another 20-point contributor. Kristina Vangeli is a well-rounded defender having a stat line of 28 ground balls, 27 draw controls and 20 caused turnovers throughout 2016 as she anchors the Hawks' defensive core in front of Huelster.
SERIES HISTORY
Quinnipiac's transition to the MAAC was made a little more seamless with Monmouth making the move in the same athletic year (2013-14). The Bobcats and Hawks should be quite familiar with one another as the two sides have played more games against one another (22) than any other team in Quinnipiac women's lacrosse history. Monmouth owns the all-time edge with a 16-6 record against Quinnipiac. The lone bright spot in the all-time series for QU came in 2009-12 when the Bobcats won five straight against the Hawks. Other than that 5-0 run, the Bobcats are 0-17 against their longtime conference opponent and have lost four straight heading into the weekend showdown.
STREAKING
Kathleen DeVito has been the guiding force behind the Bobcats' offensive attack throughout the majority of the season and comes into Saturday riding an eight-game point streak (one shy of matching her career-high). In the point streak, DeVito has recorded a team-high 18 points (7-11-18) while she currently leads the team with 20 points (9-11-20) on the season. DeVito has also tallied two goals in three of the last four games to move her career total to 18 multi-goal games in her four years as a Bobcat.
ANTONACCI'S APPLES
After not seeing any game time as a freshman in 2015, sophomore Loren Antonacci has stepped into a large role as the Bobcats' main distributor and has exceled over the last three games. Stepping into the starting lineup five games ago, Antonacci has tallied seven points (1-6-7) over the last three games alone to hold the team-lead in that department. Antonacci picked up three assists, the most by any Bobcat this season, against CCSU (3/30) and tallied her first career goal against Canisius (4/2).
LARKIN LEADING THE WAY
The vastly improved play of Kyle Larkin in the cage has played a big role in the Bobcats' defensive dominance this season, highlighted by a career-high 14 save effort (10 in first half alone) at Siena (4/6). In the past 10 games, Larkin has posted double digit save totals in five-of-10 in the stretch. Larkin's cumulative totals of 92 saves (9.2 per game), .467 save percentage and 10.38 GAA in the last 10 games (606:48 minutes played) has helped lead the way in a turnaround inspired on the defensive end.
KEEP TRYING TO GET ONE PAST KYLE
The recent 10-game turnaround has seen Kyle Larkin rise up the national rankings as she now sits 12th in the nation in saves per game (9.18) and tied for 52nd in ground balls per game (2.55). If you subtract the 21-0 loss to UConn (2/17), Larkin would sit 30th nationally in save percentage (.467).
AT THE TOP OF HER CRAFT
Kiera Kelly has seen an immediate rise in her production through 11 games in 2016. Having compiled 38 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers, Kelly currently leads the MAAC caused turnovers per game while ranking second in ground balls per game. Kelly also stands seventh in the nation in ground balls per game (3.45) and tied for ninth in caused turnover per game (2.36).
FRESH FACES
Quinnipiac's freshmen class has factored heavily in the Bobcats' scoring throughout the season as Allison Kuhn (13-4-17), Cara O'Meally (7-0-7), Ellie Swenson (2-2-4), Aubrey Conti (1-1-2), and Alexa Paul (1-0-1) have accounted for 31 of the Bobcats' 88 total points (35.2 percent) so far through 11 games in 2016. In terms of just goal scoring, 24 of the Bobcats' 59 goals (40.7 percent) have been scored by Quinnipiac freshmen this season.
SENIOR CENTER
After notching just three combined goals in the first three games of 2016, the Bobcats' senior tandem of Aileen Carey (14-0-14) and Kathleen DeVito (7-11-18) have combined for 32 points in the last eight games as the two have combined to either score or assist on 25 of the 48 total goals scored (52.1 percent) for the Bobcats.
CAREY-ING THE OFFENSE
Aileen Carey's career-high five-game goal scoring streak was snapped at Niagara (3/26). The senior midfielder was also riding a four-game multi-goal scoring streak. She still managed to restart her scoring touch against CCSU (3/30) as she picked up two goals while adding four ground balls (tied career-high) and four draw controls and four caused turnovers (career-high). She leads the team with 16 goals in 2016 and is just one goal shy of setting a new single-season career record with five games still remaining in the regular season. Coming into her senior season with just three career hat tricks, Carey has already posted three hat tricks in 11 games this season.
OFFENSIVE POWER OUTAGE
Facing two of the most lethal scorers in the conference in Taylor Giglio (21-10-31) and Erica Evans (21-5-26; Preseason MAAC Player of the Year), the Bobcats designed and executed their defensive game plan perfectly as the two top scorers for the Golden Griffins (4/2) were held to just one combined point (Giglio assist) on the day which easily stands as the lowest combined total for the pairing all season. The sophomore midfielder Evans was held scoreless in a game for the first time in her career.
SPEEDY STREAK
Quinnipiac mounted a furious second half comeback against CCSU (3/30) as the Bobcats put together a 6-0 run over a matter of 8:35. The six straight goals in that time span marks the fastest six-goal run for the Bobcats since April 9, 2014 when Quinnipiac tallied a 6-0 run over a span of 4:42 at Iona (28 games ago).
ALEX IS EVERYWHERE
Alex Hlesciak put together the best game of her three-year career against CCSU (3/30) as she tallied a career-high three points (two goals, one assist) while she also notched her fourth career multi-goal game. Hlesciak wasn't done on the offensive end as she also chipped in a career-high four ground balls to go along with five draw controls (one off career-high). Ever since moving into the starting lineup four games ago, Hlesciak has tallied four points (three goals, one assist) with 17 draw controls.
GOING BACK-TO-BACK
After not seeing a Bobcat win an individual MAAC weekly award in the first two full seasons since joining the conference in 2014, Quinnipiac's sophomore goalkeeper Kyle Larkin has picked up back-to-back MAAC Defensive Player of the Week awards. Over those two weeks, no goalkeeper in the MAAC was hotter as Larkin as she allowed nine goals (4.50 GAA) and posted 19 saves (.679 save percentage) in picking up two straight wins for the Bobcats. In a meeting against UMass Lowell, Larkin allowed a career-low four goals in a 7-4 win while tallying eight saves on 12 shots (.667 save percentage).
SHUTOUT STREAK
The first goal for UMass Lowell (3/12) which came with 27:32 remaining in the second half broke up the Bobcats' scoreless streak which spanned the course of the two games. Quinnipiac held Army West Point (3/5) scoreless for the final 17:56 of play in a 6-5 win and held UMass Lowell without a goal for 32:28 of play in a 7-4 win. Quinnipiac's scoreless streak lasted a total of 50:24 as Larkin made 10 straight saves in that time frame.
DEFENSIVE DYNAMOS
Heading up a lockdown defensive effort against UMass Lowell (3/12) was the tandem of Leah Walter and Kiera Kelly. The two leading shutdown defenders for the Bobcats contributed in big ways as Walter tied her career-high in ground balls (five) and caused turnovers (three) while Kelly snagged four ground balls and tied her career-high with four caused turnovers. The pairing combined to hold the top three River Hawk scorers entering the game to no points throughout 60 minutes of action. This was one game following a total shutdown of Army West Point's leading scorer Amy Johnston, holding her without any points in the one-goal win.
DEFENSE FIRST
Quinnipiac has predicated themselves on the defensive end all season and their stellar efforts protecting their cage has played a large role during the two-game winning streak. The hot streak started in a 6-5 win over Army West Point (3/5) as the 11 combined goals represents the lowest combined score total in a Quinnipiac victory since the Bobcats defeated Robert Morris by the identical score on the road back on April 7, 2012. Most recently, Quinnipiac's 7-4 win over UMass Lowell (3/12) saw Quinnipiac allow their fewest goals to an opponent in a single game since an 8-4 win over Monmouth back on April 23, 2010 (86 games ago).
FORTUNATO'S FIRST WIN
A defensive-minded midfielder in her four years as a player for Quinnipiac (2004-08), first-year head coach Brittany Fortunato's first career victory was very reminiscent of her playing style. The 11 combined goals in the 6-5 victory over Army West Point (3/5) represents the lowest combined score total in a Quinnipiac victory since the Bobcats defeated Robert Morris on the road by the identical score back on April 7, 2012.
FRESH FACE
Among the many freshmen to shine on the day against Binghamton (2/27) included Allison Kuhn who posted a team-leading four-point day (three goals, one assist) as she either scored or assisted on more than half of the goals scored for Quinnipiac on the day. She also becomes the first Quinnipiac freshman to tally at least four points in a game since Maria Blois tallied four points (one goal, three assists) back on April 19, 2013. Kuhn also added a game and personal-high four draw controls.
FINDING THEIR IDENTITY
Coming off a disappointing 21-0 loss in the 2016 season opener, Quinnipiac certainly found their defensive identity in the second half at Yale (2/24) as the Bulldogs scored just three of their 11 goals in the final 30 minutes of play. The 11-goal total for the Bulldogs also easily stands as the fewest allowed by Quinnipiac in the series history as the previous fewest came in 2014 when Yale defeated the Bobcats, 15-8.
THAT'S MINE!
Sophomore Kiera Kelly filled the stat sheet with career highs in ground balls (eight) and caused turnovers (four) at Yale (2/24). After becoming the first freshman in program history to lead Quinnipiac in ground balls and caused turnovers last season, Kelly came one ground ball shy of matching the single-game program record (nine) which was compiled by Christy Smallman against Vermont on March 4, 2005.
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