Fairfield, CT – Senior midfielder
Caitlin Murphy (Carmel, NY / Carmel) posted three goals, but Fairfield went on an extended 12-2 run to beat Manhattan 14-6 on Wednesday afternoon at Rafferty Stadium.
The Jaspers suffer their first loss of MAAC play and conclude their four-game winning streak, sitting at 3-1 in conference and 8-4 overall. The Stags improve to 3-0 in the MAAC and 8-3 overall.
Early in the game, Fairfield was up 2-1 before Murphy scored twice within 46 seconds. On Murphy's second goal that put Manhattan ahead 3-2, senior tri-captain
Molly Fitzpatrick (Yorktown, NY / Lakeland) collected her 45th career assist, which put her in sole possession of third place in program history.
Junior midfielder
Deb Peifer (Collegeville, PA / Methacton) took it herself on the left wing for her third of the season to make it 4-2 Jaspers at the 17:53 mark. However, the Stags took over from there, netting four unanswered goals to go into the break to lead 6-4.
Fairfield struck twice to open the second half for an 8-4 edge before freshman attacker
Grace Lipponer (Lake Grove, NY / Sachem North) ended a scoring drought for both sides halfway through the stanza. The three-goal deficit was as close as Manhattan would get, as Fairfield responded with five consecutive tallies and six of seven to close out the game.
Murphy's three strikes led the Jaspers, while senior tri-captain
Nikki Prestiano (Yorktown Heights, NY / Yorktown) made 11 saves in net for the second-straight outing.
Taylor Mitchell posted five goals, including her 100th-career point, to pace the Stags' attack, while Brooke Gallagher recorded three goals and two assists.
Manhattan takes its bye before returning home on Wednesday, April 10 to play local foe Iona. The opening draw is set for 4:00 pm.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Fitzpatrick passes Melissa Medina '02 on Manhattan's all-time assists list. She sits only behind Alicia Psillos '08 and Lori Graham '01, who have 69 and 65 helpers, respectively.
- With the three scores, Murphy sets a new season-high in points with 27. It is her second hat trick in three games and her sixth multi-goal output in 2019.
- Lipponer extends her scoring streak to five consecutive games, giving her goals in 10 of her 12 collegiate contests.
- Freshman attacker Cassidy Burns (Massapequa, NY / Plainedge) notched a goal to extend her points streak to nine games. She becomes the fifth Jasper to have 10 goals this year.
- Prestiano is now five saves shy of 500 in her career.
- Senior tri-captain Emma Kaishian (Yorktown, NY / Yorktown) led Manhattan with four caused turnovers and draw controls while sharing the lead with junior defender Amanda Silvestri (Pomona, NY / Albertus Magnus) in ground balls with three.
- Fairfield coerced Manhattan into just eight shots in the second frame and an 11-21 performance on clear attempts overall.
FIRST HALF
- Burns struck first 5:02 into the tilt, working around the right post and tucking a shot into the lower-left corner past Stags netminder Olivia Conquest.
- Kathleen Hulseman and Brooke Gallagher then notched goals within the next five minutes.
- With 10:01 off the clock, Murphy spin-dodged through the middle of the arc and fired a shot in the left side of the nylon to tie the score at two.
- After Burgess backed out of a free position attempt 46 seconds later, Fitzpatrick sat on the left wing and found an open Murphy in front.
- Working around the arc from right to left, Peifer waited to attack, going low to bury the shot past Conquest at the 17:53 mark.
- Prestiano got a piece of Kelly Horning's free position shot with 15:27 to play in the half.
- She got another stop on a free position attempt, this time from Taylor Mitchell, with 12:04 remaining.
SECOND HALF
- Prestiano opened the half with a save to her right against Meaghan Graham 48 seconds in.
- Fitzpatrick tried for Manhattan's fifth of the game with exactly 19:00 left, but her shot hit the left post.
- Prestiano deflected a free position shot from Horning as the clock fell to 18 minutes on the clock.
- The senior went high to deny Gallagher on the free position from the right side moments later.
- After a Manhattan timeout at 15:15, Lipponer got past the defense and faked out Conquest in front of the net twice before depositing the ball in the net to make it 8-5 Stags.
- Advancing from the right slot, Murphy laced a bounce shot into the twine from right in front of the crease with 2:05 remaining in the game.
