April 5, 2011

Wednesday, April 6, 2011 - 3 p.m.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (6-3, 4-0 Northeast Conference) vs.
Columbia University Lions (1-7, 0-1 Ivy League)

Robert K. Kraft Field - New York, N.Y.

Non-Conference Action
The Quinnipiac women's lacrosse team (6-3, 4-0 NEC) carries its six-game winning streak into New York, N.Y. when it travels to face Columbia on Wednesday, Apr. 6 at 3 p.m.

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

About Columbia
Columbia is coming off a 13-6 loss against No. 8-ranked Pennsylvania on Sunday, Apr. 3. Pennsylvania's Erin Brennan led all scorers with five goals and one assist, as the Quakers extended Columbia's losing streak to five games. Taylor Gattinella scored two goals for Columbia, while Kacie Johnson added one goal and one assist. Goalkeeper Karlee Blank made 14 saves for the Lions. Overall, Johnson leads the team with 24 points (15 goals, nine assists), while Gattinella (17 goals, one assist) and Olivia Mann (16 goals, one assist) rank second and third on the team. Blank has made 89 saves for a .489 save percentage and a 11.48 goals against average on the year.

All-Time Against The Lions
Wednesday's game will be the fifth time the two sides face each other, as Columbia holds a 3-1 all-time series lead. In their last meeting on Wednesday, Apr. 14, the Lions defeated the Bobcats 13-12. Kacie Johnson scored the game-winning goal with 1:49 remaining in the contest, snapping Quinnipiac's eight-game win streak. The Bobcats were led offensively by junior Lauren Matuszczak's (East Longmeadow, Mass.) five point (four goals, one assist) afternoon, while senior Katie Latonick (Severna Park, Md.) contributed one goal and three assists in the game. Junior defender Kaitlyn Kelly (North Massapequa, N.Y.) led the team with six draw controls and shared the team-lead with four ground balls. Junior goalie Lexi DeStefano (Brookfield, Conn.) made nine saves in net for the Bobcats.

Last Time Out
Quinnipiac extended its win streak to six games, earning a thrilling 16-15 double overtime victory over non-conference opponent Denver on Sunday, Apr. 3. Senior Lauren Matuszczak scored the game-winning goal just 16 seconds into the second overtime period to lift the Bobcats to its second non-conference victory of the season. Senior Christine Sinnigen (Sudbury, Mass.) led Quinnipiac with five points (three goals, two assists), while junior Marissa Caroleo (North Babylon, N.Y.) finished second on the squad with four (three goals, one assist). Junior Noelle Martello (Westbury, N.Y.) made 14 saves in net for Quinnipiac.

NEC Player of the Week
Caroleo earned her first-career NEC Player of the Week honors, as announced by the league on Monday, Apr. 4. The junior posted an amazing 10 total points (nine goals, one assist) during the week, to lead the Bobcats to wins over Sacred Heart and Denver. On Friday, Apr. 1 against Sacred Heart, Caroleo scored a game-high six goals (her second career six-goal game) to lead Quinnipiac to a decisive 14-5 victory. On Sunday, Apr. 3 against Denver, Caroleo's three goals and one assist, including a score in the first period of the first overtime, helped Quinnipiac defeat Denver, 16-15, in its first-ever meeting with the Pioneers. Caroleo also added three ground balls, four draw controls and two caused turnovers combined in both weekend games.

NEC Co-Defensive Player Of The Week
Kelly received her third-career Defensive Player of the Week honors on Monday, Apr. 4. She strung together the two best games of her 2011 season, as she collected eight ground balls, six caused turnovers and one draw control in both weekend games combined. The senior led Quinnipiac in both games with four ground balls and three caused turnovers, improving her season number to 18 and 10, respectively. Kelly rose to the challenge of defending the opposition's top talents, holding both foes to just two points total during the weekend.

Synapse Sports Honor Roll Selection
Senior Jennifer Skipper (Centerport, N.Y.) has been named to this week's Synapse Sports Honor Roll team, as announced on Monday, Apr. 4. Synapse Sports, formerly womenslacrosse.com, makes weekly Defensive, Offensive and Rookie of the Week selections, as well as honor roll selections for NCAA Division I, II and III schools. Skipper is the first women's lacrosse player to earn a Synapse Sports Selection during the 2011 season

Miracle Matuszczak
Matuszczak capped off a six point (three goals, three assist) weekend in style, scoring the game-winning, double overtime goal against Denver. She scored one goal and two assist, as well as grabbing one ground ball and three draw controls on Friday, Apr. 1 against Sacred Heart. On Sunday, Apr. 3 against Denver, Matuszczak scored two goals and one assist, to go along with a ground ball and caused turnover. The senior currently ranks second on the team with 19 goals and 11 assists. In the NEC, Matuszczak ranks fifth in points per game (3.33) and is now tied for second with two game-winning goals.

Solid In The Cage
Junior goalie Noelle Martello (Westbury, N.Y) made 22 saves over the weekend in both games combined. She turned away eight shots against Sacred Heart on Friday, Apr. 1 and made a season-high 14 saves on Sunday, Apr. 3 against Denver. On the season overall, she ranks third in the NEC with a 11.02 goals against average and is fifth with a .472 save percentage.

Senior Leadership
Senior Christine Sinnigen (Sudbury, Mass.) collected seven points (three goals, four assists) over the weekend. She collected two assists on Friday, Apr. 1 against Sacred Heart and scored three goals and two assists on Sunday, Apr. 3 against Denver. Sinnigen currently ranks fourth on the team with 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists).

Next Time Out
Quinnipiac returns to action on Sunday, Apr. 10 when it travels to Smithfield, R.I. to face Bryant at 12 p.m.