Second Quarter Slump Haunts Saints in 19-11 Loss at JWU

THE BASICS 
Emmanuel College, 11 vs. Johnson & Wales University, 19

Records: 
Emmanuel Saints (8-3, 5-2 GNAC)
JWU Wildcats (8-2, 8-0 GNAC)

Location: Providence, R.I.  – Scots Miracle Gro Athletic Complex (SMAC)

Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2023

THE LEAD – Johnson & Wales University outscored visiting Emmanuel College, 8-3, in the second quarter of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's lacrosse action Wednesday afternoon, and leaned on the five-goal advantage the rest of the match to pull away in a 19-11 victory over the Saints at the Scots Miracle Gro Athletic Complex in Providence, R.I.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Saints got off to a quick start as first year Livia Fedele (Spencerport, N.Y.) scored bookend goals around senior Megan Steele's (Auburn, Maine) team-leading 25^th goal of the year to give EC a 3-1 lead 7:40 into the opening quarter.
• The Wildcats evened the score at 3-3 on goals by senior Margaret Johnson (Bear, Del.) and junior Maris DiBeneditto (Southbury, Conn.) before first year Broghan Laundry (Swampscott, Mass.) temporarily gave the Saints the lead at 4-3 with 2:01 to play in the first.
• With only five seconds to play in the opening frame, JWU first year Izzy Babb (Windham, Maine) swung the momentum with her eighth goal of the year the tie the score at 4-4 and fire up the Wildcats heading into the second period.
• JWU took the lead for good just 1:26 into the second on a goal by sophomore Madeleine Gould (Oakdale, Conn.) to make it 5-4 before DiBeneditto added another to bump the score to 6-4.
• EC first year Ella Marschitz (Naperville, Ill.) made it a one-goal game at 6-5 with 9:44 left in the half with her 25^th goal of the year but the hosts responded with five straight goals to open up an 11-5 cushion with less than four to play in the half.
• Emmanuel tried to rally as Fedele and sophomore Deja Srmouksavanh (Portsmouth, N.H.) netted back-to-back markers to make it 11-7 but once again the Wildcats converted a late-quarter score to kill the momentum, this time by junior Katie Sloan (Ellicott City, Md.) who scored with just one second left in the half to give the Wildcats a 12-7 lead at the break.
• The Saints came out in the second half knowing they needed to quickly make up some ground to prevent the hosts from pulling away and they did just that as Steele, Fidele and Emily Gates (Waterford, Conn.) found the twine during a 3-1 surge to make it 13-10 with 5:46 left in the third.
• The hosts went on to score twice over the final four minutes of the third to regain the five-goal cushion at 15-10 on a pair of markers from senior Taina Gamory (Warwick, R.I.).
• EC was unable to stop the run as JWU scored four more in the fourth to account for the 19-11 final as Fedele capped the scoring with her fifth of the game late in the action.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• The 19 goals surrendered by the Saints were the most they've allowed all season.
• Sloan scored a game-high five goals while Gamory and DiBeneditto finished the contest with four goals. Gamory added three assists for a game-high seven points.
• Fedele also finished with five goals to pace the Saints who dropped their second straight contest for the first time this season.
• JWU sophomore Emma Glyman (Tolland, Conn.) earned the win in goal for the Wildcats making nine saves with EC sophomore Isabella Thomas (Miami, Fla.) also made nine saves in the setback.
• The Wildcats improve to 9-2 all-time vs. the Saints and have won the last three meetings.

UP NEXT

• Emmanuel wraps up a three-match week on Saturday, April 8 when they'll look to get back in the win column against Dean College at 12:00 PM at Roberto Clemente Field.  
• Johnson & Wales is idle for an entire week, returning next Wednesday, April 12 when they host Albertus Magnus at 4:00 PM in more GNAC action at the SMAC.