March 19, 2011

Sunday, March 20, 2011 - 1 p.m.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (1-3, 0-0 NEC) vs.
Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils (5-2, 0-0 NEC)
Arute Field - New Britain, Conn.

First Northeast Conference Game
The Quinnipiac women's lacrosse team (1-3, 0-0 NEC) opens its 2011 Northeast Conference schedule when it travels to face in-state rival Central Connecticut (5-2, 0-0 NEC) this Sunday, Mar. 20 at 1 p.m.

Live Stats
Live Stats for Sunday's game can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate links on the women's lacrosse schedule at quinnipiacbobcats.com.

About Central Connecticut
Central Connecticut extended its winning streak to four games following its most lopsided victory of the season, defeating Howard, 20-10, on Friday, Mar. 18. The Blue Devils were led by sophomores Meaghan McCurry and Betsy Vendel, as well as senior Michele Conway, who all recorded five points in the game. On the season overall, Vendel leads the squad with 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists), while McCurry is a close second with 29 points (19 goals, 10 assists). Vendel also leads the team with an incredible 27 draw controls, and is first among field players with 14 ground balls. In net for the Blue Devils is junior Erin DeLancey, who has compiled a .466 save percentage and a 13.29 goals against average.

All-Time Against The Blue Devils
Sunday's game will be the 12^th time the two sides face each other. Quinnipiac owns a perfect 11-0 all-time record against the Blue Devils, which marks the most wins the Bobcats have against any opponent in its Division I program history. In their last meeting on Sunday, Mar. 21, 2010, Quinnipiac cruised to a 20-4 victory. Four different Bobcats scored three or more goals on the afternoon, as senior Katie Laltonick (Severna Park, Md.) led the charge with four goals and four assists. Junior Laura Iannotti (Rocky Point, N.Y.) and freshman Sarah Allen (Glastonbury, Conn.) each netted three goals, while sophomore Devon Gibney (Hopkinton, Mass.) tied her career-high with six points on the afternoon (three goals, three assists). Junior Lexi DeStefano (Brookfield, Conn.) made four saves en route to her first win of the season.

Last Time Out
Quinnipiac emerged victorious for the first time this season, defeating Vermont, 12-11, on Sunday, Mar. 13. The Bobcats were led by senior Lauren Matuszczak's (East Longmeadow, Mass.) three goals and one assist, as well as junior Marissa Caroleo's (North Babylon, N.Y.) two goals and two assists outing. The Bobcats jumped out to their largest lead of the season, stretching the score to 7-1 with just under 16 minutes remaining in the first half. Vermont then staged a tremendous comeback and eventually took the lead, 9-8, early in the second half. Quinnipiac responded by scoring four straight goals to take the 12-10 lead with six minutes remaining in the game. Following a Vermont goal with 4:35 remaining in the contest to tighten the score to a one goal game, Quinnipiac's defense held strong to keep the Catamounts scoreless and preserve the victory.

More From Matuszczak
Matuszczak led the Bobcats in scoring in both games last week, as she compiled six goals and two assists overall. Aside from Matuszczak's three key goals and one assist on Sunday, Mar. 13 against Vermont, she also fought to collect three draw controls and cause one turnover in the outing. On Tuesday, Mar. 8 against Brown, she netted three goals and two assists in a 16-11 loss. She also collected one draw control and caused two turnovers.

Gritty Gibney
Junior Devon Gibney's (Hopkinton, Mass.) defensive prowess in the middle of the field was evident this past week, as she her aggressive play was instrumental in helping the team earn its first victory of the season on Sunday, Mar. 13 against Vermont. Gibney grabbed three draw controls, one ground ball and caused one turnover in the game. On Tuesday, Mar. 8 against Brown, the junior collected one ground ball and one draw control. During the week, she added a total of three goals and one assist.

Doing Her Part
Sophomore Sarah Allen (Glastonbury, Conn.) gathered three points (one goal, two assists) on Sunday, Mar. 13 against Vermont. She now has three goals and two assists on the season, ranking fifth on the team in overall points with five.

Steady Numbers For Caroleo
Caroleo tallied a combined five goals and two assists during the week against Brown and Vermont. On Sunday, Mar. 13 against Vermont, she also collected two ground balls, three draw controls and three caused turnovers.

Pass It Too-Mey
Sophomore Lianne Toomey (Hicksville, N.Y.) netted two second half goals to spur the Bobcats in their comeback victory over Vermont on Sunday, Mar. 13. The goals for the sophomore were her second and third of the season.

Home Sweet Home
Quinnipiac kicks off its season-long four-game home stretch when it hosts NEC opponent Saint Francis (Pa.) on Friday, Mar. 25 at 3 p.m.