CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Monmouth 11, #4 Mount St. Mary's 3
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Fairfield, CT -- After missing the Northeast Conference play-offs for the first time in program history in 2011, the #3 Monmouth Hawks stormed back in 2012 to capture their fourth NEC Women’s Lacrosse title as they posted an 11-3 win over the #4 seeded Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers, tying an NEC record for fewest goals allowed in a championship game.
Riding a 10 goal run, the Hawks capitalized on their opportunities and made the most of the 11 saves made by Tournament MVP freshman Katie Donohoe (Peterborough, Ontario/Holy Cross Catholic Secondary). The freshman keeper shutout the Mount for nearly 54 minutes and gave up only one goal in the second half of play. “Once we beat Quinnipiac there was no stopping us. We were all on the same page and we all wanted to win,” said the NEC All-Rookie Team Member, “It’s the greatest feeling”
Donohoe only gave up seven goals the entire tournament.
Mount St. Mary’s drew first blood in the opening two minutes as Lindsay Diaz () capitalized on a free position to put the Mount up 1-0. For the next fifteen minutes it was a back-and-forth battle as the two teams traded goals. With seven minutes remaining in the half Monmouth took their first lead of the game as Alex Marino (Howell, NJ/Freehold) scored off of a feed from Kaleigh Gibbons (Candia, NJ/Manchester Central). Hawk first teamer Sam Lillo (Short Hills, NJ/Milburn) netted her second of the day to give the Hawk’s a 4-2 lead at the half.
It was all Monmouth from their as the Hawks went onto score the next seven goals. Gibbons finished the day with five points, while Lillo talled three more goals to finish with a team best four goals. Danielle Rakowitz (Montville, NJ/Montville), Lynn White (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) and Erica Abendschoen (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) also posted goals for MU.
“Our defense has been playing well all year and Katie just made so many great saves,” said Monmouth Head Coach Denise Wescott of her team’s performance, “As a team we played very well.”
Mount’s Brigit McTavish was strong in net for the Mountaineers making 10 saves on the afternoon. Hannah Gutcher (Hampstead, MD/Mount de Sales Academy) and All-Tournament team honoree Gabe Little (Hampstead, MD/North Carroll) were responsible for Mount’s other two goals on the afternoon.
Monmouth held the slight edge on draw controls with nine while the Mount grabbed seven.
The Monmouth Hawks will now go on to play the winner of the CAA conference tournament in an NCAA Play-In game next weekend.
NEC All Tournament Team
MVP – Katie Donohoe (Monmouth)
Kaleigh Gibbons (Monmouth)
Kim McCormick (Monmouth)
Sam Lillo (Monmouth)
Gabe Little (Mount St. Mary's)
Meaghan Conlon (Mount St. Mary's)
Brigid McTavish (Mount St. Mary's)
Kelsey Maroney(Quinnipiac)
Noelle Martello (Quinnipiac)
Kelli Rutledge (Sacred Heart)
Kelly Keenan (Sacred Heart)
SEMIFINALS
#3 Monmouth 9, #2 Quinnipiac 4
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Monmouth’s defense and balanced offensive output were the game’s story, getting two goals apiece from Alex Marino (Howell, N.J./Freehold), Sam Lillo (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn), Kaleigh Gibbons (Candia, N.H./Manchester Central) and Olivia Salata (Broomall, Pa. /Archbishop Carroll) while limiting the Bobcats to more than seven goals below their season average of 11.3 and keeping QU off of the scoreboard for the final 37:57 of the game.
Hawks keeper Katie Donohoe (Peterborough, Ontario/Holy Cross Catholic Secondary), an NEC All-Rookie team honoree, made nine saves in the contest to earn the win.
Monmouth’s defense staved off an early QU possession then took a 1-0 lead on a Lillo free position goal with 26:23 to play in the first half. Quinnipiac tied it up at the 21:00 mark, with a goal shot low by freshman Kyra Ochwat but Lillo came back to retake the lead just over three minutes later. Marino gave the Hawks a 3-1 lead with 15:46 to play but it was Quinnipiac’s Chelsea Guerrera who tallied the next score, cutting the Hawks lead to 3-2 with 11:51 left before the half. The Hawks regained the two-goal edge when Lillo drew an 8-meter attempt but instead fed Marino on the left side of the cage who beat Quinnipiac goalie Samantha Tilts. Quinnipiac scored a pair of goals within one minute of each other to tie things up at 4-4. Danielle Rakowitz (Montville, N.J./Montville)) regain the lead from the Hawks, being fed by Gibbons.
The Hawks took a 6-4 lead into intermission, punctuated by a Salata goal with eight seconds left, behind a pair of first half tallies from Lillo and Marino. MU outshot Quinnipiac 12-9 in the opening half. Salata started off the second half scoring as well, taking a feed from Marino from behind the Bobcat net.
Gibbons scored the final two goals for the Blue and White, recording a pair of unassisted markers at 14:23 and 6:19 of the second half, respectively, for the 9-4 final.
MU outshot the Bobcats 26-17 in the game, including 14-8 in the second half. The Hawks also controlled the majority of the second half’s possession thanks in part to winning three of the four draw controls after intermission.
The Hawks will face Mount St. Mary’s at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
#4 Mount St. Mary's 7, #1 Sacred Heart 4
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Fairfield, CT – Jen Semler (Baltimore, MD/Perry Hall) had a hand in three first half goals and Brigid McTavish (Mount Airy, MD/South Carroll) made 10 saves to propel Mount St. Mary's past top-seed Sacred Heart 7-4 in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Semifinals on Friday. With the win, the Mount (8-10) moves onto the NEC Championship Game for the second-straight year and for the sixth time in program history.
Semler helped the Mountaineers become the second No. 4 seed in league history to win a game, scoring two goals and an assist in the first half. The All-NEC second-team selection opened the match with an unassisted tally at 5:25 and also scored at 17:36. Semler added an assist at 17:46 to give Mount St. Mary's a 4-0 lead. McTavish notched one of her best performances of the year in between the pipes, making 10 saves of the day including six stops in the first half.
Erin Seipp (Towson, Md./Notre Dame Preparatory) added two goals for the Mount while Kaitlyn Larrimore (Pylesville, Md./North Harford), Lindsay Diaz (Timonium, Md./Dulaney) and Esther Rufolo (Woodstock, Md./Chapelgate Christian Academy) also found the twine. Gabe Little (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll), an All-NEC second-team selection, powered the defense with five ground balls and three caused turnovers.
Kelsey Russo (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst), Kaitlin Rochler (Wading RIver, NY/Shoreham Wading River), Emily Pepe (East Quogue, NY/Westhampton) and Katie Gerhard (Centennial, CO/Arapahoe) each scored for the Pioneers (8-9) while Kelly Keenan (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) made eight saves in the loss.
In the first 14 years of the league, only one No. 4 seed has ever upset the top seed in the NEC Semifinals. Mount St. Mary's in 2003 defeated Monmouth 15-7 to become the first and only team to knock off the No. 1 seed until the Mount rolled off five goals in the first half and held on for a 7-4 victory against Sacred Heart on Friday.
The Mount scored all five goals in the first half to jump out to a 5-0 lead against the host Pioneers.
Semler started the scoring in the match with an unassisted tally at 5:25. After Seipp, a NEC All-Rookie selection, netted a second goal at 8:16, Semler had a hand in the Mountaineers next two goals. The senior notched her second goal of the afternoon at 17:36 and then set up Diaz, an All-NEC second-team performer, at 19:46. Rufolo, an All-NEC selection, capped the five-goal first half with a hard rifle shot at 24:50.
The Pioneers scored four of the six goals in the final period, but the Mountaineers came away with the victory.
Rochler put Sacred Heart on the scoreboard off a feeder from Kate Kmiotek (Farmingville, NY/Farmingville) 47 seconds into the final stanza to trim the margin to 5-1.
Mount St. Mary's answered with a pair of goals to increase the advantage to 7-1. Seipp recorded her second tally of the day at 31:42 and Larrimore found the back of the net at 43:47 for a six-goal advantage.
The Pioneers would score the final three markers of the match, but could get no closer. Gerhard (46:40), Pepe (51:01) and Russo (54:18) each posted goals in the final 15 minutes.
Meaghan Conlon (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty), an All-NEC first-team selection, added a career-high six ground balls and two caused turnovers. Diaz posted a game-high five draw controls and now has 72 for the season, the second-most on the program's single-season chart. Rufolo moved into the program's career Top-10 with her tally and now stands at 86 career goals.
The Mount held a team off the scoreboard in a half for the first time since it accomplished the feat against Howard on Feb. 20, 2010.
Mount St. Mary's will play in its sixth NEC Championship Game and second-consecutive title game on Sunday. Match time is 1 p.m. The Mount also advanced to the NEC Championship Game in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2011. The Mount won the NEC title in 2004 and 2005.
2012 Northeast Conference Women's Lacrosse Tournament
at Sacred Heart University - Fairfield, CT
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| Semifinals |
| Fri. |
Apr. 27 |
Game 1: #4 Mount St. Mary's 7, #1 Sacred Heart 4
|
FINAL | Box | Recap | Highlights |
| |
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Game 2: #3 Monmouth 9, #2 Quinnipiac 4
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FINAL | Box | Recap | Highlights |
| Championship |
| Sun. |
Apr. 29
|
Championship: #3 Monmouth 11, #4 Mount St. Mary's 3 |
FINAL | Box | Recap | Highlights |