No. 5 Women's Lacrosse Looks to Avenge Senior Day Loss, Faces No. 4 Norwich in GNAC Quarters
BOSTON – After a highly-competitive Great Northeast Athletic Conference regular season, the Emmanuel Saints women’s lacrosse program has secured the No. 5 seed in the GNAC Playoffs. Following a season of 9-7 overall, including 9-4 in the GNAC, the Saints will start the GNAC Postseason traveling north to the No. 4 seed Norwich Cadets for a Saturday, April 30 faceoff at 5:30 p.m. Norwich complied a 12-4 overall record, that includes a 10-3 mark in the conference in 2022.
BOSTON – After a highly-competitive Great Northeast Athletic Conference regular season, the Emmanuel Saints women's lacrosse program has secured the No. 5 seed in the GNAC Playoffs. Following a season of 9-7 overall, including 9-4 in the GNAC, the Saints will start the GNAC Postseason traveling north to the No. 4 seed Norwich Cadets for a Saturday, April 30 faceoff at 5:30 p.m. Norwich complied a 12-4 overall record, that includes a 10-3 mark in the conference in 2022.
OVERVIEW
The winner of Saturday's game heads to the GNAC Semifinal Round on Tuesday, May 3, where they meet the winner of a playoff match between the No. 1 Saint Joseph's College Monks and the No. 8 Elms College Blazers.
In the other half of the draw, the No. 2 Simmons University Sharks host the No. 7 Lasell University Lasers on Saturday, April 30 at 1:00 p.m. The No. 3 Johnson & Wales University Wildcats take on the No. 6 Colby-Sawyer College Chargers on Saturday at noon, rounding out the Quarterfinal qualifiers.
SEASON AT A GLANCE
Emmanuel:
- The Saints offense enters the postseason ranked sixth in the conference in total goals (204) and goals scored per game (12.75).
- ECs defensive numbers fair better against other GNAC opponents. Emmanuel ranks fourth in goals against average (10.11) while completing the second-most clears this season (255) with the third-highest clear percentage (81.2%).
- The Saints found their stride in April, finishing the month 6-2, including a five-game winning streak that saw EC outscore opponents 94-42 during that streak.
- Emmanuel is one of the conference's best away from home after a 6-4 record in road games this season, third-best among all GNAC teams, in terms of win percentage, and best among playoff teams that start the GNAC Playoffs on the road.
Norwich:
- The Cadets offense comes into the playoffs ranked fifth in total goals (206) and goals scored per game (12.88).
- Similar to the Saints, the Norwich defense has the fifth-best goals against average (10.38) while goaltending saves at a 49.5 percent clip for NU, sixth-highest in the GNAC.
- Norwich goes stride-for-stride in momentum gathered in the month of April. NU is 7-2 over nine games while riding a three-game winning streak into Saturday's game.
- Despite Emmanuel's road record being one of the best in the conference, the Cadets counter as one of two teams in the GNAC to be undefeated at home in 2022. Norwich enters the quarterfinal a perfect 9-0 at Sabine Field, joining only Saint Joseph's (10-0) as the other team unbeaten at home.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Emmanuel:
- Senior Chandra Franca (Woburn, Mass.) is one of the top players in the GNAC after a regular season of 56 goals and 12 assists. In Saints program history, Franca is one of three players with a 50-goal season, one of four players with 100 career goals, and one of 13 players with 100 career points.
- Fellow senior Jessica Borduas (Woodbury, Conn.) finished her senior campaign with 25 goals and 16 assists for 41 points. The 16 helpers and 41 total points were both career-highs for Borduas, as she joined Franca in becoming one of 13 players in program history to reach 100 career points.
- Junior Megan Steele (Auburn, Maine) and first-year Deja Srimouksavanh (Portsmouth, R.I.) both amassed 36 points over 16 games for EC this season. Steele finished the year with 28 goals and eight assists while Srimouksavanh finished her rookie season with 24 goals and 12 assists.
- First-year Delaney Brown (Agawam, Mass.) was one of the best Saints on the defensive end following a season of 40 ground balls and 29 caused turnovers, both leading the team.
- Senior Emma Crowley (Peterborough, Maine) will guard the goal for EC in the GNAC Quarterfinals. Crowley is one of Emmanuel's best with the fourth-most minutes played in program history while amassing the fourth-most saves, second-most wins, and second-lowest GAA in Saints history.
Norwich:
- Senior Allison Sturgeon (Monticello, Ind.) comes in as the Cadets leading goal scorer, netting a career-high 43 goals this season. Classmate Michaila Furchak (Nyack, N.Y.) led Norwich in points, collecting a career-high 54 on 34 goals and 20 assists; both also career-bests.
- Junior Maddie Etherton (Johnstown, N.Y.) enjoyed a career year for the Cadets after a 31-goal, 15-assist season has her third on the team in points.
- Senior Emma O'Neill (Hamburg, N.Y.) is another name to watch. Making her season debut on April 2, O'Neill needed just eight games this year to score 25 goals.
- First-year Julia Proto (Orange, Conn.) makes an impact through the Cadets midfield, leading the team in caused turnovers (21) while also ranking third in ground balls (37) and fourth in draw controls (28).
- Senior Katie Bishop-Manning (New York, N.Y.) will likely get the start in goal for Saturday's GNAC Quarterfinal. Bishop-Manning finished the season 11-4 with a 10.45 GAA and was one of five goalies in the GNAC with a save percentage greater than .500, minimum 10 starts.
COACHES CORNER
Liz Maloney – Emmanuel – (18-8, .692) – 3rd Season
Maloney has led the Saints to three straight winning seasons since taking over in 2020. Just the third coach in program history, Maloney has the highest winning percentage for a coach in program history while holding an impressive 13-4 record (.765) against GNAC opponents.
Ian Thomas – Norwich – (12-4, .750) – 1st Season
Thomas has been in-and-out of the Norwich system, dating back to his playing days for the Cadets men's lacrosse program from 2011 to 2014. Following his graduation, he served as an assistant for the men's lacrosse program from 2015 to 2019.
After three years away from Norwich to head coach boy's lacrosse at Spaulding High School, Thomas returned to the Cadets for his first season as women's lacrosse head coach in 2022. Thomas led the Cadets to their first 10-win season since 2012 and their first home playoff game since 2014.
LAST TIME WE MET
In a spirited Senior Day game at Emmanuel on April 23, a fourth-quarter, 6-0 shutout by Norwich, lifted the Cadets to a 14-9 victory over the Saints. EC led 9-8 entering the fourth quarter, but NU took control thanks to four goals in the opening 4:34 of the final quarter to pull away.
Emmanuel had their opportunities in that loss, firing 36 shots. Standing in the way was Bishop-Manning for the Cadets, who made a season-high 17 saves while also setting a single-season program record for saves in a season by a Norwich goalie.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
In 11 all-time meetings, Emmanuel holds a 7-4 advantage over Norwich. Prior to the loss on April 23, the Saints had won their last two against the Cadets, including an 18-8 win over Norwich on April 21, 2021.
POSTSEASON HISTORY
It's been a decade since the Saints and Cadets have faced off in the GNAC Playoffs. Norwich has the lone win in the series, a 14-4 victory over Emmanuel on April 24, 2012.
In GNAC Playoff history, the Cadets hold the all-time advantage with a 12-8 record, besting the Saints GNAC Postseason record of 6-7. However, recent history favors the Saints, whose latest playoff win came last season while the Cadets haven't claimed victory in a GNAC playoff game since 2014.
COVERAGE
Saturday's GNAC Quarterfinal Game between the No. 5 Emmanuel Saints and No. 4 Norwich Cadets can be followed by using the "Live Video Stream" and "Live Stats" links below.