New Britain, CT – Senior tri-captain
Molly Fitzpatrick (Yorktown, NY / Lakeland) tallied her 100th career goal as part of the three-goal performance and Manhattan's defense shut out Central Connecticut State in the second half to stage a 7-4 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Arute Field.
The Jaspers have won four in a row to boost their record to 4-1. The Blue Devils drop to 1-4 on the season.
Fitzpatrick sealed the milestone at the 22:18 mark of the first half. When a shot from the left side via senior midfielder
Caitlin Murphy (Carmel, NY / Carmel) was deflected in front, the Yorktown, NY product flicked the loose ball past goalkeeper Jackie Branthover. Fitzpatrick becomes the seventh player in program history to reach the century mark in goals.
Freshman attacker
Cassidy Burns (Massapequa, NY / Plainedge) led Manhattan with three assists and four points, while classmate
Grace Lipponer (Lake Grove, NY / Sachem North) potted two scores and added a helper. Murphy recorded a goal and an assist to round out the scoring.
Senior tri-captain
Nikki Prestiano (Yorktown Heights, NY / Yorktown) made seven saves in goal, allowing four goals.
Manhattan travels back down the East Coast to host Sacred Heart at Gaelic Park on Saturday, March 9 at 3:30 pm, closing out a Jasper lacrosse doubleheader with the men.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Now at 102 career tallies, Fitzpatrick is six scores away from Molly Pheterson '06 for sixth on the all-time list.
- It is the third-straight and 17th time in her career that Fitzpatrick had three-plus goals in a game. Dating back to last year, she has eight consecutive multi-goal affairs.
- Prestiano has surrendered single-digits in goals for four straight contests. She increased her save percentage to .584.
- Burns has added 10 points in the last two games, including seven assists.
- Lipponer notched the third multi-goal game of her young career, starting her Manhattan tenure with tallies of four of the first five games.
- The Jaspers nullified an opponent's offense for an entire half for the second time in three games, holding off LIU Brooklyn in the first stanza a week ago.
- In the second half this season, Manhattan is outscoring opponents 23-16.
- Manhattan lowered its top-10 Division I scoring defense to 6.40 scores per game.
- The Kelly Green and White is now 6-4 all-time against the Blue Devils and have won two straight.
- Senior tri-captain Emma Kaishian (Yorktown, NY / Yorktown) scooped up seven ground balls for the third time in the last four games.
- Manhattan outnumbered CCSU in shots (23-16), ground balls (19-18) and clears (18-14).
FIRST HALF
- Manhattan had two pristine scoring chances in the first 3:05 when sophomore attacker Alaina Burgess (Holden, MA / The Governor's Academy) had a shot from the right slot saved, and Murphy fired a free position shot wide.
- Lipponer made it 2-0 Jaspers at 19:25, cutting down the middle of the arc and dumping in a pass from Burns.
- CCSU's Molly Coogan scored twice in the next three minutes to tie the game.
- Prestiano went low for a free position save on Carson Adelberger with 15:32 until halftime.
- Murphy waited from the left side of the fan, and found Fitzpatrick in front to put the J's back on top at 13:16.
- Just under 11 minutes left, Prestiano batted an incoming Blue Devil shot to her left, which led to Kaishian chasing the ground ball.
- Morgan Sinton later netted two goals, with the last one coming at the 3:11 mark.
SECOND HALF
- Junior midfielder Emily Sandford (Floral Park, NY / Sacred Heart) dashed in from the left side, launching a high-low shot that Branthover sent away in the opening minutes.
- Wit 2:02 down, CCSU's Emma Sullivan threw one on net from the middle, but Prestiano squared up for the save.
- Manhattan found the equalizer at 22:27, when Lipponer burst to her right from the middle and connected with Burns, who by the right post and slipped the ball in left-handed.
- Burns pinged one off the iron 1:10 later.
- At 14:43, Fitzpatrick completed the hat trick, advancing from the left side and scoring to give the Jaspers the advantage.
- Lipponer circled the net on her own and whipped a shot into the twine at the 11:49 mark.
- With 1:16 to play and the Blue Devils threatening, Prestiano made a save to her right on Jessica Denike.
- Murphy iced the game with six seconds remaining. Burns floated a pass to the senior down the middle, faking high but shooting low.
