RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Purple Eagles lacrosse team picked up a crucial conference win against the Manhattan Jaspers Saturday afternoon. Niagara closed the game on a 6-2 run to earn its third win in its last four matchups with Manhattan, winning 12-8 at Gaelic Park.
 
Caroline Crump posted a career-best seven points in the win, scoring four times while adding three assists. Taylor Wolf added two goals and two assists, while Alexis Morales also scored twice. Sarah Arndt, Samantha Brill, Rachel MacCheyne, and Cailyn Negus rounded out the Niagara scoring, and Andrea Francisco earned the win in goal with eight saves.

"Today we battled for 60 minutes and executed the game plan well," head coach Wendy Stone said. "We moved the ball with more confidence than we have had the last few games, and we were able to get key stops defensively. It was great to get this win on the road."
 
Niagara (7-7, 3-2 MAAC) scored just three first-period goals in losses to Iona and Michigan in the last two games, but the team got a quick start at Manhattan with a 4-0 run in the first 10 minutes. Crump set up Wolf for the opening goal 1:53 into the game before the freshman received an assist from Sarah Arndt to make it 2-0. Morales and Crump then scored just 1:08 apart to take the four-goal lead.
 
The Jaspers followed up with a three-goal run to narrow the deficit to one with 12:55 left to play before halftime, as Wolf found the back of the net on a free position shot before Crump completed the hat trick on another free position tally to make it 6-3 at halftime.
 
Manhattan came out of the halftime firing on all cylinders, scoring three goals in the first five minutes of the second period to tie the game at six goals apiece. After Manhattan's second three-goal run of the game, however, it was the Purple Eagles who bested that with a five-goal run of their own started by Arndt. Crump then set up a pair of goals for Morales and MacCheyne before scoring another free position goal to make it 10-6 Niagara.
 
Negus capped the run on a feed from Hailey D'Hont before Manhattan's Kaitlyn Cunningham's got the Jaspers (4-10, 0-5 MAAC) back on the board. Stefanie Radigan got Manhattan within three entering the final minute, but Niagara won the ensuing draw and Wolf set up Brill for the game's final tally, giving Niagara the 12-8 victory.
 
With three games to play before the conclusion of the regular season, the Purple Eagles return to Niagara Field to take on the Siena Saints. Opening draw between Niagara and Siena on Wednesday, April 20 is set for 4:00 p.m.

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