NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – For the first time in seven years Niagara (3-1) recorded 20 goals, defeating the visiting Le Moyne Dolphins 20-8 Wednesday afternoon in non-conference action from Niagara Field.
 
Lexi Braniecki recorded a game-high six goals, followed by four from Andra Savage. Sisters Rachel Crane and Jaclyn Crane scored three and two goals, respectively, followed by a single tally from Lois Garlow, Olivia Ng, Riley Latray, Maddy Gill, and Mickey Knapp. Garlow collected a team-high five assists, followed by Riley Latray with two and Braniecki and J. Crane with one apiece.
 
Sarah Hutchings finished the game with five points on four goals and one assist to pace Le Moyne (1-2).
 
How it Happened
Le Moyne took an early 1-0 lead over Niagara at the 12:53 mark of the first quarter, but the Purple Eagles quickly took the advantage, scoring four goals over a 6:13 span to take a 4-1 lead.
 
The first three goals of the game for the Purple Eagles came from one of the Crane sisters with Jaclyn Crane scoring the equalizer and Niagara's third goal of the contest. Savage capped off the 4-0 run for Niagara at the 5:24 mark of the first.
 
From there the two teams would combine for six goals, including three-straight by Niagara from the 3:39 to 1:55 mark. Braniecki scored her first of the game to make it a 5-2 Niagara lead and R. Crane and Savage each scored their second tallies of the quarter to go up by five, 7-2.
 
Le Moyne added a pair of goals to make it a 7-4 game heading into the second quarter.
 
The second stanza began with back-to-back goals from Braniecki, giving the senior a first-half hat trick and Niagara a 9-4 lead with 11:17 to play in the first half.
 
The Dolphins scored twice to once again cut into the Purple Eagle lead 9-6, the closest the game would get since Niagara's 2-1 lead early in the first as the Purple and White rattled off four-straight over the next 9:32 of game play.
 
Braniecki scored her fourth of the game to give Niagara a 10-6 lead at the break and then opened the second half with her fifth of the contest, followed by two from Savage, the third and fourth goals of the contest for the Palmyra, N.Y., native.
 
After Le Moyne made it a 13-7 game with 8:10 on the third quarter clock, the Purple Eagles would once again score four-straight goals to take a 10-goal lead, 17-7, highlighted by the first career goal for Knapp.
 
The Dolphins made it a nine-goal game heading into the fourth quarter after Hutchings scored her fourth of the game.
 
The fourth and final quarter of the game was all Niagara as R. Crane, Braniecki and Olivia Ng found the back of the net to give the game its 20-8 final.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara improved to 4-13 all-time against Le Moyne securing the first win over the Dolphins since 2003.
• Nine Purple Eagles recorded at least one goal in the contest, a season-high.
• Braniecki recorded a season-high six goals, matching her career-high set against Binghamton on March 5, 2023.
• Braniecki's seven points is the most by a Purple Eagle this season, becoming the first Purple Eagle to notch seven points in a game since Savage tallied seven at Manhattan on April 22, 2023.
• Garlow's five helpers are a career-high for the attack, surpassing her previous career-high of three set in 2023 at Manhattan.
• Savage recorded her third four-goal game of the season.
• Niagara scored 20 goals for the first time since recording 21 on April 23, 2017 at Quinnipiac.
• The Purple Eagles recorded a season-high 22 draw control wins, the programs first 20-plus wins on the draw since recording 21 at Old Dominion on March 18, 2022.
• Knapp and Sydney Huhtala accounted for six of Niagara's nine caused turnovers with three apiece.
• Huhtala finished with a season-high six draw controls and her third game this season with at least three ground balls.
 
Up Next
Niagara will close out its three-game homestand with a noon contest against Marquette on Sunday, March 3.
 
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