HAMDEN, Conn. – The Purple Eagles scored three-straight goals in the fourth quarter to pick up its third MAAC win of the season with a 9-8 win over Quinnipiac in Hamden, Connecticut Saturday afternoon.
 
Niagara improves to 7-4 overall and 3-0 in MAAC play, while the Bobcats drop to 5-5 overall and 1-1 in league.
 
Game Recap
First Quarter
• The Purple Eagles scored twice in the opening frame to take a 2-0 lead over Quinnipiac.
• Lexi Braniecki scored first on a free-position attempt at the 13:14 mark.
• Junior Lois Garlow followed by finding the back of the net after taking the feed from Allison McCormick with 8:58 remaining in the first.
• Michelle Messenger made three saves in the opening period to keep Quinnipiac off the board.
 
Second Quarter
• Niagara made it a three-goal game at 50 seconds into the second when Brenna Duffy set up Garlow for her second goal of the contest.
• The Purple and White lead would 4-3 by the end of the first half. The Bobcats scored twice in a one-minute span after Lucy Rugaber scored her first tally of the game at the 8:59 mark.
• Messenger finished the half with six stops on 12 shots.
 
Third Quarter
• Rachel Crane scored twice in the third quarter, the first gave NU a 5-3 lead and the second broke a 5-5 tie with 5:43 remaining in the stanza.
• The third came to a close with the score tied at six.
• Messenger made seven saves in the third as the Bobcats put up a total of 12 shots.
 
Fourth Quarter
• The Bobcats took its first lead of the day, 7-6, with 2:58 gone in the final quarter of action.
• Niagara would tie the game 4:28 later when Garlow scored her third goal of the contest on a woman-up opportunity for the Purple Eagles.
• The junior would collect her fourth tally of the game three minutes later, giving NU an 8-7 lead with 4:22 to go.
• Rachel Crane capped off the 3-0 Niagara run with 3:40 remaining, giving the Purple Eagles a two-goal advantage heading into the final three minutes of play.
• Quinnipiac would trim that lead to one with 55 seconds remaining but Braniecki would grab the ensuing draw control and hold for the win.  
 
Niagara Notes
• The Purple and White are now 3-0 in MAAC play for the first time in program history. Niagara's best start to conference play came back in 2004 when it won its first two games of the conference schedule.
• Niagara has now won nine straight against the Bobcats.
• With her four goals Saturday Garlow now has 34 tallies through 11 games, the most by a Purple Eagles through 11 games since Rachel MacCheyne had 38 through 11 games in her record setting 2019 season.
• Messenger recorded her third straight game with 10 or more saves and her second in three games of 15 plus stops.
• Braniecki led NU with seven shots, followed by R. Crane with six and Garlow with four. Niagara had 25 shots in the contest.
• MacKenzie Bushnell picked up a team-best five ground balls. The Purple and White finished with 16 on the day.
• Junior Mickey Knapp had two caused turnovers, one in the first quarter and the other in the second.
• Niagara finished 15-for-19 on clears and won 12 of the games 21 draws.
 
Up Next
• Niagara will travel to New Rochelle, NY to take on Iona next Saturday at 1 p.m.