Manhattan Sweeps Season Series From Iona

Box Score (PDF)

New Rochelle, NY - Manhattan ripped off six straight goals early in the first period en route to a convincing 12-8 victory over Iona in the MAAC Regular Season finale for each team at Mazzella Field.

* The Jaspers extend their winning streak to three and depending on the outcome of the Marist-Siena game, will be either the No. 6 or No. 7 seed for the upcoming MAAC Championship and begin play on Saturday, May 1.

* Junior Grace Lipponer (Lake Grove, NY / Sachem North), classmate Meghan Rodino (Natick, MA / Natick) and sophomore Reagan Mullins (Islip, NY / Islip) all registered hat tricks, while senior Alaina Burgess (Holden, MA / The Governor's Academy) paced the team in points thanks to notching two goals and two assists.

* Lipponer opened the scoring, before Iona quickly matched the Green & White.

* Burgess then ripped off back-to-back scores, before setting up Rodino to trigger a game-changing 6-0 run.

* Graduate student Deb Peifer (Collegeville, PA / Methacton) kept things rolling by assisting on another Rodino score, before Mullins capped the spurt with back-to-back goals of her own.

* Iona would respond with three-straight before last game's hero, senior Carmella Liscio (Blauvelt, NY / Tappan Zee), brought an end to the first-half scoring with free position goal in making it 8-4 at the break.

* Mullins opened the second-half scoring, before the Gaels made things interesting with four of the next five goals in trimming the Manhattan lead to 10-8 with 13:03 to play.

* However, that would be as close as Iona would get as Lipponer slammed the door on any thoughts of a Gael comeback with two-straight scores in providing the final 12-8 count.

* Sophomore Ashley Gambardella (Bethpage, NY / Plainedge) made eight saves with four ground balls.

* Lipponer and sophomore Andrea Liotta (Glenwood Landing, NY / North Shore) also snagged a team-best three draw controls.

* Manhattan is now 3-8, while Iona is 1-10.