Staten Island, NY - Following a tightly-contested first half dominated with defense, Wagner pulled away from Manhattan women's lacrosse to take a 10-5 decision on Saturday afternoon at Hameline Field.
The Jaspers drop their second straight and fall to 5-3 on the season, while Wagner defeats its fourth MAAC opponent on the year to improve to 6-2.
After the first 30 minutes of action, the Seahawks held a 4-2 advantage as both teams racked up double-digit numbers in turnovers and clears. Freshman attacker
Grace Lipponer (Lake Grove, NY / Sachem North) potted her 12th goal of the season just 45 seconds out of the break to put Manhattan within one. However, Wagner went on a 6-0 scoring run over a span of 19 minutes to put the game away.
Senior midfielder
Caitlin Murphy (Carmel, NY / Carmel) paced the Kelly Green and White with three points off two goals and an assist, while classmate
Molly Fitzpatrick (Yorktown, NY / Lakeland) also added two tallies.
Erin Kerstteter's four points led Wagner, with Madeline Seims adding three goals.
With the 2019 non-conference slate in the books, Manhattan begins MAAC play on Friday, March 22 when it hosts Canisius at Gaelic Park. The opening draw takes place at 11:00 am.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Manhattan's five wins out of conference are the most since it won seven non-conference games in 2009.
- Fitzpatrick moved into fifth all-time with 110 career goals, passing Victoria Carman '05 and Molly Pheterson '06.
- She also extended her multi-goal scoring streak to 12 games.
- With three ground balls on the day, senior tri-captain Emma Kaishian (Yorktown, NY / Yorktown) entered the top-five in program history with 151 in her career, also moving ahead of Pheterson.
- She controlled a season-high eight draws as well.
- With a goal and an assist, Lipponer recorded her fifth-career multi-point effort.
- Fresman attacker Cassidy Burns (Massapequa, NY / Plainedge) notched an assist to increase her points streak to five games.
- The Jaspers outshot Wagner 28-23, which includes an 18-14 edge in shots on goal.
- Manhattan controlled 22 draws to Wagner's six.
FIRST HALF
- The first goal of the game came from the Seahawks' Stefani Peluso on a shot from the far right wing 2:22 after the opening draw.
- With the shot clock winding down almost seven minutes in, Wagner's Victoria Tucci laced the ball towards the net, but senior tri-captain Nikki Prestiano (Yorktown Heights, NY / Yorktown) got to it for her first save of the afternoon.
- Prestiano went high to stop a free position shot from Kerstetter with 19:50 on the clock.
- A minute later, after junior midfielder Emily Sandford (Floral Park, NY / Sacred Heart) and senior attacker Talia Price (Kinnelon, NJ / Kinnelon) staved off checks, Burns worked right of the net and found Fitzpatrick cutting from the left wing, allowing the senior to equalize the game.
- When Wagner responded with two goals, the J's got two free position oppottunities near the halfway point, but freshman midfielder Annie Freshour (Smithtown, NY / Smithtown East) shot high and Murphy's attempt met Seahawks netminder Kelsey Fee's stick.
- After two wide Wagner shots, the Jasper defense forced a shot clock violation with 7:46 left to keep the score 3-1.
- After a Wagner timeout, Manhattan coerced a turnover. From the left post, Lipponer connected with Murphy, who fired a one-timer into the net to make it 3-2 with 5:11 remaining in the half.
- Megan Drum's free position snipe with 39 seconds on the clock put Wagner ahead 4-2.
SECOND HALF
- Seeking her second consecutive goal and the tie, Lipponer had a shot 3:10 after her score stuffed by Fee.
- From the 16:53 mark to 14:13, Manhattan had six consecutive shots, including three from the eight-meter fan. The Jaspers couldn't convert, however.
- Fee robbed Lipponer again, this time right in front of the left post, with 10:47 to play.
- As the lock read 3:43, Prestiano extended to her right to save a shot from Seims.
- Just over a minute later, junior attacker Emily Englert (Somers, NY / Somers) sat at the top of the 12-meter arc and tossed the ball to Murphy, whose left-handed flick went in to make it 10-4.
- With less than two minutes left, Murphy occupied the right wing and floated it for a cutting Fitzpatrick five meters away, leading to Manhattan's final goal of the day.
