April 22, 2011

Saturday, April 23, 2011 - 1 p.m.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (10-4, 7-1 Northeast Conference) vs.
Monmouth University Hawks (10-6, 5-3 Northeast Conference)

Kessler Field - West Long Branch, N.J.

Final Regular Season Game
The Quinnipiac women's lacrosse team (10-4, 7-1 NEC) faces Northeast Conference opponent Monmouth (10-6, 5-3 NEC) in its final game of the regular season on Saturday, Apr. 23 at 1 p.m. Quinnipiac can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NEC Playoffs with a victory.

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

About Monmouth University
Monmouth comes into the contest following a 12-6 loss against Sacred Heart on Friday, Apr. 21. The Hawks were led by Molly O'Brien's three point (two goals, one assist) outing and Rachel Feirstein's two points (one goal, one assist). Kirby Mundorf played the entire game in net for the Hawks and turned away four shots overall. Feirstein led the squad with 45 points on the season, while Sam Lillo and O'Brien are tied for second on the team with 40 points. Mundorf has compiled a .490 save percentage and a 9.31 goals against average on the season overall.

All-Time Against The Hawks
Saturday's game will be the 15^th time the two sides will face each other, with Monmouth holding a 11-3 all-time series lead. In the recent history, the Bobcats have fared well, winning the last three meetings, including an 8-7 victory in their last game held on April, 1, 2011. Senior Katie Latonick, who led the Bobcats with three points, netted the game-winning goal with just five seconds remaining in regulation to give Quinnipiac its fourth NEC victory of the season. Junior Lauren Matuszczak (East Longmeadow, Mass.) added a goal and two assists in victory, while sophomore Devon Gibney (Hopkinton, Mass.) and junior Marissa Caroleo (North Babylon, N.Y.) each scored two goals. Junior Lexi DeStefano (Brookfield, Conn.) made seven saves in the cage for the Bobcats.

Last Time Out
Led by senior Lauren Matuszczak's seven points (three goals, four assists), Quinnipiac defeated Mount St. Mary's, 11-8, on Thursday, Apr. 21. Junior Kim Davis (Darien, Conn.) led the team with five ground balls, while senior Kaitlyn Kelly (North Massapequa, N.Y.) earned a team-high three draw controls and two caused turnovers. The teams were deadlocked at four apiece at the half, but the Bobcats scored five of the first seven goals of the second half to take a 9-6 lead with 16:50 remaining in the game. Mount St. Mary's would come as close as 8-7, but the Bobcats scored the game's final two goals to pull away for the victory. Junior goalie Noelle Martello (Westbury, N.Y.) made nine save for the Quinnipiac in the win.

Career-High Thursday
On Thursday against Mount St. Mary's, both Matuszczak and Davis set personal best marks in single-game highs. Matuszczak's seven points eclipsed her previous six-point game high, while Davis' five ground balls eclipsed her previous game-high of three ground balls.

Lights Out
Quinnipiac's defense once again played extremely well, holding Mount St. Mary's to just four first-half goals and eight goals overall. This marks the third-straight game in which the Bobcats have held the opposition to less than 10 goals and the fifth time it they have accomplished this feat on the season overall. Quinnipiac leads the NEC in goals against average, holding a 8.25 mark in conference play.

No-Nonsense Noelle
Martello's play in net is a clear determinant of how Quinnipiac fares in its games. When her save percentage is above .500, the Bobcats are 6-0. She has accumulated a career-high nine wins this season, needing just one more victory to tie the program-record set by both Meghan Matthews in 2002 and Hannah Nelson in 2008.

Playoff Picture Shapes Up
The Bobcats can clinch the No. 1 overall seed in the NEC Playoffs with a win on Saturday against Monmouth, and can finish no worse than a No. 2 seed. Quinnipiac, which has made it to the Championship game three years in a row, last hosted the NEC Championships in 2008. Robert Morris is the only other team to have clinched a playoff spot, with Monmouth, Sacred Heart, and Mount St. Mary's all vying for the final two seeds in the tournament.