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The Purple Eagles lacrosse team split a two-game road trip last week, losing in Ann Arbor against the Michigan Wolverines on April 12 before securing a 12-8 win in MAAC play against the Manhattan Jaspers. With just three games remaining in the regular season, Niagara returns home for a crucial conference matchup against the Siena Saints. Opening draw between Niagara and Siena is set for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20.
 
Last Time Out

• The Purple Eagles moved to 3-2 in MAAC play on April 16 with a 12-8 win in Manhattan over the Jaspers. It was Niagara's third win in the last four meetings between the two teams.
• Caroline Crump turned in the first seven-point game of her career with four goals and three assists. Crump's seven points were the most in a game by any Purple Eagle this season.
• Taylor Wolf added two goals and two assists, while Alexis Morales scored twice as well. Andrea Francisco turned away eight of Manhattan's 16 shots on goal.
• After scoring just three first-period goals in losses to Iona and Michigan in its previous two games, Niagara wasted no time getting the offense going, opening up a 4-0 lead within the first 10 minutes of the game.
• Manhattan surged back with a three-goal run of its own to nearly tie the game, but Wolf and Crump scored goals separated by just 1:13, giving Niagara a 6-3 lead at the halftime.
• After the Jaspers came back to tie the game 6-6, Niagara shut out Manhattan for nearly 19 minutes, taking a five-goal lead in the process.
• Sarah Arndt gave Niagara the lead for good before Crump fed Morales, who finished with a perfect behind-the-back shot for an 8-6 Niagara lead.
• Rachel MacCheyne scored the eventual game-winner at the 17:22 mark, and Crump and Cailyn Negus extended Niagara's scoring run to five, making it 11-6 with 11 minutes left.
• Manhattan scored two more goals before Wolf set up Samantha Brill with two seconds left in the game for the 12-8 victory.

 
Niagara Notes

• With 27 goals and 14 assists for 41 points this season, Caroline Crump is the MAAC's ninth-leading scorer and top scoring freshman, in addition to leading Niagara in all three categories.
• Crump has 20 points (14+6) in five games against MAAC opponents. Crump's 2.80 goals per conference game is the MAAC's fifth-best total, while only three players have a mark better than Crump's 4.00 points per conference game.
• Defensively, Niagara currently leads the MAAC in both ground balls per game (20.14; tenth in the NCAA) and caused turnovers per game (9.14; 26th in the NCAA) while sitting second in the conference with 10.00 goals against per game.
• Niagara is one of two teams with two players among the MAAC's top 10 in draw controls per game. Alexandra Higgins sits fourth at 3.86 while Danielle Maio is ninth with 3.00 per game.
• Andrea Francisco sports the MAAC's second-best goals-against average at 10.12. Additionally, against MAAC opponents, Francisco has a 9.20 goals-against average (fourth in the MAAC) and a .456 save percentage (second in the MAAC).

 
Postseason Picture

• Of the nine teams in the MAAC for women's lacrosse, the top six will advance to the MAAC Tournament. Niagara currently sits fifth with a 3-2 conference record (7-7 overall).
• Canisius is first at 5-0 in the MAAC and 8-5 overall, followed by Monmouth (5-1 MAAC, 9-6 overall), Marist (4-1 MAAC, 7-6 overall) and Iona (3-2 MAAC, 8-6 overall).
• The Siena Saints are fighting for a playoff spot, sitting at 2-4 in the MAAC and 7-8 overall. The sixth and final spot is currently held by defending MAAC champion Fairfield (2-3 MAAC, 6-7 overall), who Niagara will play on Saturday, April 23.

 
Scouting the Saints (7-8, 2-4 MAAC)

• Wednesday will be the first matchup between Niagara and Siena since the Saints took a 10-9 win in the 2015 regular season finale on April 22, 2015.
• Siena has lost three consecutive games, all by one goal, dropping games against Fairfield (10-9 on April 9), Canisius (12-11 in OT on April 13), and Iona (12-11 on April 16).
• The Purple Eagles lead the all-time series against Siena 10-9.
• Siena's Sarah Croutier ranks sixth in the MAAC in both goals per game (2.87) and points per game (3.73).
• Saints freshman Lynnzee Miller leads MAAC freshmen with 29 total goals.
• Saints freshman goalkeeper Samantha Horton has the MAAC's fourth-best save percentage at .422 to go with a goals-against average of 11.20.

 
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