Riverdale, NY - Senior captain Sarah Lang (Golden's Bridge, NY) surpassed 100 career points in an outstanding effort, junior Nikki Prestiano (Yorktown Heights, NY / Yorktown) moved into fourth place in program history on Manhattan's all-time saves list and the Jaspers' eight-person senior class celebrated a 17-10 victory over Siena on Senior Day at Gaelic Park.
With its second straight win, the Jaspers improve to 5-9 overall and 2-4 in conference play. The Saints remain winless against MAAC foes at 0-5 and 4-10 on the season.
It was also a memorable day for a number of 2018 seniors. Every member of the Class of 2018 saw game action. Midfielder Molly Flores (Chevy Chase, MD) notched her first-career goal in 33 games in the second half, while classmates Melissa Vogelgesang (Downingtown, PA / Downingtown West) and Maddie Regal (Ellicott City, MD / Howard) lit the lamp for the first time this season. Defenders Julia LoRusso (Oyster Bay, NY / St. Dominic) and Katie Tucker (Gorham, ME / Gorham) helped Manhattan preserve its wire-to-wire win. Netminder Liz Pierson (Carlisle, PA / Cumberland Valley) answered the call in the second half and had two saves.
Lang, who entered the game with 94 career points, totaled four goals and five assists in a career-high nine-point afternoon. She now has 73 goals and 30 assists in her two-plus years in Riverdale. She ignited the scoring in two and a half minutes into the ballgame, receiving a pass from freshman Carmella Liscio (Blauvelt, NY / Tappan Zee) and finishing from five meters out.
The Jaspers would score three more times as they built a 4-0 lead in the first 10 minutes. Senior Kara Hodapp (Oak Ridge, NJ / Jefferson Township) was responsible for two of those goals, setting a new career-high with her 20th and 21st goals of the season.
Siena finally got on the board 11 minutes in, but junior Molly Fitzpatrick (Yorktown, NY / Lakeland) took over on offense from that point. Fitzpatrick scored four goals, including three from the eight-meter, within a 14-minute span to extend the Jaspers' lead to 9-3 with 6:32 left until halftime. Fitzpatrick ended the afternoon with those four goals and an assist.
Prestiano's milestone save came with 3:34 to play in the opening stanza, denying Julia Sardella at the doorstep. Prestiano recorded nine stops and now has 383 career saves. She moves ahead of Daphney Mickle '98, who had 377 career saves in Manhattan's first two seasons of Division I play.
Vogelgesang capped the first half scoring thanks to a stretch pass from Lang. Siena goalkeeper Sammy Horton attempted to intercept the pass, but was too late, leaving a wide-open net for the Pennsylvanian.
Lang's 100th career point came 11 minutes into the second half. Lang drew contact from the Saints' Emily Fiorillo, lined up on the left side of the arc and fired low for her sixth point of the contest. Manhattan took a 13-8 advantage at that point.
Flores' chance came in transition following a Siena turnover with six minutes to go in regulation. Lang fed her 15 meters away, and Flores utilized an open lane down the middle to put one past Horton.
The Jaspers' offense secured its final goal of the day from Regal. Lang tossed the ball over multiple Saints to a streaking Regal down the right side. Regal crossed up Horton and shot high to give Manhattan a 17-8 lead with 2:17 to go.
Pierson, who took over for Prestiano in net on the previous possession, made two saves in the waning minutes.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Manhattan's 17 goals are a season-high and the most the team has scored since it dropped 18 on Delaware State on March 15, 2014.
- The Jaspers scored 10 goals in the first half, the most they have scored in a half this season.
- The Class of 2018 accounted for nine of Manhattan's 17 goals.
- The Jaspers' 27 points on the day are tied for the second-most a MAAC team has accumulated in a game this season.
- Fitzpatrick's five points have moved her into eighth-place on Manhattan's all-time scoring list with 123 points, moving past Megan Yarusso '16, Molly Pheterson '06 and Phelicia Vanoverbeke '11.
- Lang is now 19th on Manhattan's all-time scoring list with 103 points.
- Vogelgesang notched her first goal since April 2, 2017, while Regal recorded her first tally since March 30, 2016.
- Manhattan's 33 shots and 28 shots on goal were also season-highs.
- The Jaspers outnumbered the Saints in clears (15-14), ground balls (25-21), draw controls (17-12) and free-position shots (9-6).
- Junior Emma Kaishian (Yorktown, NY / Yorktown) cobbled together a career-high nine draw controls.