Quinnipiac University
Canisius
Quinnipiac, Canisius Open MAAC Postseason Sunday in Buffalo
4/25/2026 3:30:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
BUFFALO, N.Y. — After ending its regular season strong with decisive victories in two of its last three seasons, the Quinnipiac women's lacrosse program hits the road for the quarterfinal round of the 2026 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference playoffs, taking the trek across I-90 for a bout with Canisius on Sunday afternoon in Western New York.
The Bobcats and Golden Griffins have already played once this season, with Canisius erasing a two-goal deficit with under 2:00 to go to win at the buzzer. This will be the second time in the last four seasons the two teams have met in the postseason, with Quinnipiac knocking off the Griffs 10-4 in the 2023 MAAC Quarterfinals.
SUNDAY'S MATCHUP
Teams: Quinnipiac (9-7, 4-4 MAAC) at Canisius (12-4, 6-2 MAAC)
Watch Live: ESPN+
Live Stats: SidearmStats
THE MATCHUP VS. CANISIUS
It has been a fairly even series in a matchup that dates back to 2001, with the Golden Griffins overall having an 8-7 edge over the 15 matchups. The teams have only met in the postseason once, a 10-4 victory for Quinnipiac as the No. 4 seed and home team in that quarterfinal matchup. Back on March 25, the Bobcats had a two goal lead with 80 seconds left, but tallies with 79, 39 and 1 second left erased that and gave the win to the home team.
Peyton Choma and Cate Bendowski led the way with five points each, while Emma Miller-Ayala and Julia Givens also each had a hat trick that afternoon.
WITH A WIN...
The winner of Sunday's game will move on to Friday and the MAAC Semifinals to be held at Fairfield on May 1. If the Bobcats are victorious on Sunday, they will get a rematch with their in-state foe Fairfield in the semifinals. A Canisius victory would set up a Battle of the Bridge rematch against Niagara.
BENDO BREAKS THE RECORD
A 15-year record fell by the wayside on Saturday at Sacred Heart, as Cate Bendowski became the program's single-season point queen, currently standing with 74 on the season. She broke Katie Latonick's record from 2011 of 70 points and also earned MAAC First Team All-Conference accolades as well.
MAAC MENTIONS
Five Bobcats earned All-MAAC accolades, the league announced on Friday morning, led by Cate Bendowski and Emma Miller-Ayala earning First Team All-Conference honors. Miller-Ayala earned her second consecutive all-conference nod after an All-Rookie selection a season ago. Julia Givens and Mia Delmond were selected Second Team All-Conference, while first-year Brie Provenzano earned an All-Rookie honor. It is the first time in program history that the Bobcats had multiple selections to the All-Conference First Team, and their four All-Conference Selections combined amongst the two teams are also tied for the most since the program moved to the MAAC.
GOING BACK TO BACK
With a win at Sacred Heart on Saturday and Fairfield's defeat of Marist, Quinnipiac locked up its second consecutive berth in the MAAC postseason. Since joining the league in 2013-14, the Bobcats had never made consecutive MAAC postseasons but they have now made four of the last six conference tournaments. They also clinched back to back winning seasons, 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.
