Riverdale, NY – Manhattan women's lacrosse (8-3 | 3-0 MAAC) wraps up its brief MAAC road trip on Wednesday, April 3 as it visits Fairfield (7-3 | 2-0 MAAC) for a 3:00 pm opening draw.
The contest will be streamed live on ESPN3 and can be accessed online or via the ESPN app. The Stags' athletic department will also provide live statistics to supplement the coverage.
LAST WEEK
- The J's enjoyed a 2-0 week to move to 3-0 in MAAC play, the first time since 2005 Manhattan has jumped out to a 3-0 start against conference foes.
- On Wednesday, March 27, the Jaspers topped Marist 12-10. Senior Caitlin Murphy posted four goals, while senior Emma Kaishian had eight caused turnovers, six ground balls and three draw controls.
- Manhattan then defeated Siena on the road 8-6 on March 30. Freshman Grace Lipponer tallied three points, while senior Nikki Prestiano recorded 11 saves in the cage.
SEEK THE STREAK
- During the course of this season, Manhattan has gathered two separate winning streaks of at least three games.
- The last time this happened came back in 2009.
- Manhattan last had multiple winning streaks of four or more games came in the 2005 campaign, which included a four-game run that propelled the Jaspers to their third MAAC title in program history.
- That 2005 run is the longest winning streak in conference play for Manhattan.
IN CONFERENCE PLAY…
- Through three games in the MAAC, Manhattan ranks near the top across multiple categories:
| Category |
Value |
MAAC Play Rank |
| Ground Balls |
68 |
1st |
| Clears |
52 |
1st |
| Goals-Against Average |
8.67 |
1st |
| Scoring Margin |
+9 |
T-1st |
| Turnovers/Game |
13.0 |
T-1st |
| Assists/Game |
6.0 |
2nd |
| Points/Game |
17.67 |
T-3rd |
- Multiple Jaspers also have their names high on the conference leaderboards against conference foes:
THE NATIONAL RANKS (AS OF MARCH 31)
- As a team this season, Manhattan is…
- Fifth in the nation in scoring defense at 7.73 goals allowed per game.
- 10th with a team save percentage of .509.
- 14th with 21.86 ground balls per contest.
- Tied for 17th with eight wins this year.
- Inside the top-50 across Division I in fouls per game, clearing percentage and turnovers per match.
- On an individual level…
- Prestiano's 7.79 goals-against average puts her fifth among all goalkeepers, while her .503 save percentage slots into 12th place.
- Kaishian sits fourth with 3.73 ground balls per game and 47th in caused turnovers per game.
- Fitzpatrick is inside the top 60 in free position percentage (35th), shot percentage (49th) and goals (52nd).
- Burns holds a top 50 spot in total assists.
FITZ FOR 30
- With five goals last week, Molly Fitzpatrick scored her 30th goal of the season.
- She became the first Jasper to reach 30 goals in three consecutive seasons since Chrissy Gutenberger '12 accomplished the feat in her four seasons as a Jasper.
- Fitzpatrick is four goals shy of reaching her career-best for goals in a season, which she set in 2017.
MILESTONE WATCH
- Fitzpatrick, who has 118 career scores, needs one more goal to tie Alicia Psillos '08 for third place on Manhattan's all-time list.
- Currently at 17 helpers, Burns needs another to tie Rory Maguire '02 for most assists in a season by a rookie. Psillos holds the all-time season mark with 29.
- Prestiano is 16 saves away from 500 for her career. She would become the fourth Jasper in program history to reach that milestone.
- Kaishian needs one more ground ball to record a new season-high, which currently stands at 41. She is also four caused turnovers away from doing the same in that statistic.
- Murphy is one point away from a new season-best, where she has 24 entering Wednesday. She notched 25 points back in 2017.
WITH A WIN…
- The Jaspers are guaranteed a record better than .500 for the first time since 2009.
- They would also finish MAAC play with at least a .500 mark with a win over Fairfield.
- A victory would also give the J's four wins on the road for the first time since the 2008 campaign.
SCOUTING REPORT: FAIRFIELD
- The Stags, like Manhattan and Monmouth, remain unbeaten in conference play; they are 2-0 in the MAAC after defeating Quinnipiac and Niagara on the road.
- Brooke Gallagher headlines a Fairfield offense that averages close to 11 goals per game. The graduate student has a team-high 23 goals and 17 assists this year.
- Olivia Conquest has played every minute in goal in her first season with the Stags, compiling a .444 save percentage and 12.40 goals-against average.
- Fairfield captured the 2018 MAAC Championship, defeating Canisius before falling to Loyola (MD) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
SERIES HISTORY
- Wednesday marks the 25th meeting all-time between Manhattan and Fairfield.
- This is the first year since 2015 that the Jaspers will not battle the Stags in the season finale.
- Last year at Gaelic Park, the visitors snagged a 14-9 victory to eliminate Manhattan from postseason tournament contention.
- The Kelly Green and White seeks its first win in the series since 2007.
