QU Women’s Lacrosse Clinches First-Ever MAAC Tournament Berth in Victory Over Siena

Wednesday, April 19

Reese Stadium - New Haven, CT

8:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

4-11, 3-4MAAC

Siena

1-13, 0-6MAAC

Siena

Quinnipiac

QU Women’s Lacrosse Clinches First-Ever MAAC Tournament Berth in Victory Over Siena

4/19/2017 11:04:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

Quinnipiac Pulls Out Their Third One-Goal MAAC Victory of the Season, Advances to Postseason for First Time Since Joining the MAAC in 2014

By: QU Sports Information

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut – History was made on Wednesday night as the Quinnipiac women's lacrosse team clinched a MAAC Tournament berth for the first time in program history via their 11-10 home win over Siena from Reese Stadium.

Recording just four conference victories in the Bobcats' first three seasons in the MAAC (2014-16) and picked to finish last in the 2017 MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Quinnipiac proved many wrong with their triumph as the team now stands 3-4 in conference play while clinching at least the No. 6 seed in the 2017 MAAC Tournament.

"I think it means more to see them achieve what they're achieving," said first-year Quinnipiac head coach Tanya Kotowicz, who helped lift the Bobcats into the postseason for the first time since 2012 when Quinnipiac was still a member of the Northeast Conference. "Honestly I owe everything to the players who're working everyday tirelessly to earn this."

QU defeats Siena 11-10!!! BOBCATS ADVANCE TO #MAACLAX TOURNAMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY pic.twitter.com/TIHXXA5zEK
— QU Women's Lacrosse (@QU_WLAX) April 20, 2017

Heading into the evening having seen Manhattan and Iona both loss in the afternoon, the scenario was clear for the Bobcats as all the team needed was a win over the Saints to clinch the postseason berth.

Facing a Siena team who was coming in winless in the MAAC (0-5) but still aiming for a late season playoff push, Quinnipiac fell behind early and needed to overcome a two-goal second half deficit.

After the Saints found a goal just 1:01 into the second half that made it 6-4, Quinnipiac surged forward with a game-deciding 10-minute surge wherein the Bobcats outscored Siena 5-1 to suddenly lead 9-7 with 19:13 remaining.

Allison Kuhn (Kingsville, Maryland) ignited the run with her 20^th goal of the season and first of three on the day as she took the Julia Corrice (Sparta, New Jersey) feed along the left wing before darting in front for the tally. Emily Byrne (Huntington, New York) followed soon after off a feed from Aubrey Conti (Latham, New York) in transition that knotted the score at 6-6.

Siena broke-up the mini run with an Alexis Deaken goal that made it 7-6 Saints but the ensuing 2+ minutes was all Bobcats as a 3-0 run catapulted Quinnipiac out in front for a two-goal lead, their biggest of the game.

Underclassmen came through in the clutch as freshman Brianna Fitzgerald (Norwalk, Connecticut) netted her first of the day to even the score before the sophomore tandem of Kuhn and Ellie Swenson (Ipswich, Massachusetts) went back-to-back making it 9-7.

Armed with the two-goal cushion, Siena wasn't about ready to go away as the Saints responded with a pair of goals that evened the score at 9-9.

As the clock wound down under 10 minutes, the Bobcats' leading scorer Kuhn sealed her hat trick (all in the second half) with a go-ahead free position tally making it 10-9.
Perhaps the biggest goal of the game followed 2:10 later as the freshman Bobinski twins linked up for the ultimate game-winning tally as Ashley found her sister Victoria cutting through the middle that gave Quinnipiac the 11-9 lead.

Siena had multiple opportunities to fight back with possessions on offense but Kyle Larkin (Brightwaters, New York) came up huge in the cage with her 12^th and 13^th saves of the day while also forcing a turnover in the final seven minutes.

The Saints managed to find a last minute goal with 28 seconds remaining that made it 11-10 but Kiera Kelly (West Islip, New York) won the ensuing draw control to whip away any hope for the Saints of a last second comeback.

Here's the moment when the postseason became a reality for the first time in the MAAC pic.twitter.com/L47tWZEL0W
— QU Women's Lacrosse (@QU_WLAX) April 20, 2017

Kuhn paced the Bobcats on offense with a game-high six points while she dished out a career high three assists all in the first half. Ashley Bobinski (Kinnelon, New Jersey) added three points (one goal, two assists) while Alex Hlesciak (Lumberton, New Jersey) also posted three points (two goals, one assist). In all, eight different Bobcats scored while nine registered at least one point.

"Well I cried when the game was over," said Hlesciak, a senior playing in her 55^th career game as a Bobcat. "I had a good feeling that we were going to win today but I didn't think about how hard the last couple years have been so honestly it meant a lot. It was the best birthday gift I could have asked for."

Larkin came up big in the cage with 13 saves which is good enough for her ninth double digit save outing of the season and the 17^th of her career. Kelly also spearheaded the defensive end with another impressive outing as the junior notched a season high six ground balls to go along with three caused turnovers and three draw controls.

Quinnipiac heads into their regular season finale on Sunday as the Bobcat seniors take the field for the final time at home in their careers. Senior Day for Quinnipiac will begin at 12:00 PM as the Bobcats take on Niagara at Reese Stadium.