Quinnipiac University
Sacred Heart
Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart Battle for Potential Playoff Spot in Regular Season Finale
4/17/2026 10:25:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — It all comes down to Saturday in Fairfield in the MAAC Women's Lacrosse regular season, as the Quinnipiac women's lacrosse program treks to Sacred Heart with a potential playoff berth on the line between the two teams.
A loss would eliminate the Bobcats from playoff contention but a win would put them in a prime spot to take the sixth and final postseason place in the MAAC playoffs that begin the following weekend.
SATURDAY'S MATCHUP
Teams: Quinnipiac (8-7, 3-4 MAAC) at Sacred Heart (5-9, 4-3 MAAC)
Watch Live: ESPN+
Live Stats: SidearmStats
THE MATCHUP VS. SACRED HEART
It has been a fairly even series in a matchup that dates back to the two schools' Northeast Conference days, with Sacred Heart winning nine of the 15 overall meetings. The two teams met twice last season, splitting the affairs as the Pioneers won in Hamden in the regular season matchup before the Bobcats knocked off the then-sixth seed Sacred Heart in the MAAC First Round.
THE SCENARIOS
Quinnipiac can clinch the No. 6 seed in the MAAC postseason with a win and a little help on Saturday afternoon but have no scenarios in which they can back their way in with a loss. The Bobcats need a victory at Sacred Heart to start the day and then a Siena victory at Manhattan and Fairfield victory home to Marist, both of which are games that will occur after the Quinnipiac-Sacred Heart matchup.
CHASING HISTORY
Seniors Mia Delmond, Cate Bendowski and Sophia Coan are rewriting the Quinnipiac record books during the 2026 campaign. Bendowski is currently two points from breaking the single-season points record at Quinnipiac, held for 16 seasons by Katie Latonick, who posted 70 during the 2010 campaign. Coan and Delmond are etching their names in the career rankings, with Coan climbing to 157 draw controls and counting in a Bobcat uniform, which is the most in program history. Delmond is third all-time in career goals with 136, with Kyra Ochwat '15 and Marissa Caroleo '12 the only two who stand above her.
GOING BACK TO BACK
Quinnipiac is chasing a program first on Saturday afternoon, looking for its second consecutive berth in the MAAC postseason. Since joining the league in 2013-14, the Bobcats have never made consecutive MAAC postseasons but they have made three of the last five conference tournaments. They also are looking for back to back winning seasons, which the team would clinch with a win Saturday, a feat that hasn't happened since the team went 13-5 in both the 2010 and 2011 campaigns.
SENT OFF THE SENIORS RIGHT
Quinnipiac defeated Manhattan on Senior Saturday, knocking off the Manhattan Jaspers by a 17-9 final. Emma Miller-Ayala led the way offensively with five goals, while Mia Delmond and Julia Givens added four apiece. Quinnipiac rallied from a 7-4 deficit in the second quarter, scoring 13 of the game's last 15 goals to run away with the contest.
TWO FOR NUMBER TWO
First-year attacker Brie Provenzano earned her second MAAC Rookie of the Week honors after a seven-point week against Gardner-Webb and Furman in two wins. She has 16 points in her last four outings, helping aid the Bobcats to a 3-1 record in that span. Her 1.50 assists per game are currently leading the MAAC and eighth in the country amongst first-year players.
BALANCED ATTACK
The Bobcats used 11 different goalscorers in its win over CCSU. A tight game to start, the Bobcats rattled off a 12-0 run to make a 4-3 close contest into a controlled 16-3 scoreline late in the game. Cate Bendowski led the way for all Quinnipiac players, scoring four goals.
ON THE BOARD
The Bobcats earned their first win of the 2026 campaign on Sunday afternoon, knocking off New Hampshire by a 12-7 final in Durham, N.H.
Emma Miller-Ayala was all over the stat sheet, finishing with four points, four ground balls and five draw controls to aid the Bobcat cause. Giordan Peck and Mia Delmond each had a pair of goals, while Cate Bendowski had a three-point day.
GIVEN TAKE
Sophomore Anna Givens got off to a strong start in her second season in Hamden, posting a career-best four points in the matchup against Hofstra. She tossed in a goal and three assists, including a helper to her older sister Julia Givens in the first half.
RETURNING PROWESS
The 2026 roster is highlighted by the return of the 2025 MAAC Goalie and Rookie of the Year in Shannon Alden, along with All-Rookie selections Emma Miller-Ayala and Anna Givens returning to the roster.
The Bobcats also bring back an experienced offensive core, returning six of their top eight scorers from a season ago led by seniors Mia Delmond (59 points), who was a preseason All-MAAC selection, and Cate Bendowski (49 points) and the aforementioned Givens (28 points) and Miller-Ayala (15 points).
THE ROAD AHEAD
The 2026 slate includes a some perennial NCAA Tournament contenders, including Hofstra and Yale to open up the season. They will be two of the eight non-conference games the Bobcats have on their slate before league play begins on March 22. They welcome Niagara and Fairfield to Hamden for the first time since the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, respectively, as well has close out the league slate with Sacred Heart on April 18.
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For an inside look at the Quinnipiac women's lacrosse program, be sure to follow it on social media @QU_WLAX or go to gobobcats.com/wlax.
