Women's Lacrosse Heads for No. 1 JWU in GNAC Semifinal Round

BOSTON – After a Saturday afternoon win in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Quarterfinals, the No. 4 seeded Emmanuel Saints (14-4, 10-3 GNAC) are into the Conference Semis for a third-straight season. Standing in their way is the top-seeded Johnson & Wales Wildcats (14-2, 13-0 GNAC), who are looking for their seventh consecutive Championship Game appearance, excluding the canceled 2020 season.

SEASON AT A GLANCE:

Emmanuel:

• It was a program-record-breaking year for the Saints after leading the GNAC in goals scored with 309 over 18 games. The total goals scored set a new program record in a single season for Emmanuel while the average of 17.17 goals per game is 10^th-best in Division III.
• In addition to leading the league in scoring, the Saints were the top team in the conference in assists with 172 helpers on the year. Another number that ranks inside the top-15 of Division III, the Saints assists per game average is good for 13^th, as of the end of play on April 30.
• With a solid and aggressive defensive strategy, the Saints cause 14.28 turnovers per game, ranking second in the conference and eighth among all Division III programs.

Johnson & Wales:

• Sitting at 14-2, the Wildcats enter play on a 13-game winning streak, having suffered their last defeat on March 15 at Coast Guard, falling 18-7. JWUs 13 straight wins are the 4^th-most in Division III, trailing only the undefeated teams of William Smith, Middlebury, and Kenyon, who are all 16-0 this season.
• The Wildcats scored 257 goals over 16 games this season, giving them the second-highest goals per game average of 16.06. In addition to their offense, the JWU defense and goaltending are stout, surrendering just 6.99 goals per game to opponents. The differential of 9.12 goals is best in the GNAC and 15^th in Division III.
• Johnson & Wales is one of two teams from the GNAC that rank inside the top five nationally in draw control percentage. Following faceoffs, the Wildcats control possession on 65.5 percent of draws, 4^th-best in Division III and just trailing Saint Joseph's (ME), who ranks 3^rd nationally at 66.2 percent.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Emmanuel:

• Saints first-year Livia Fedele (Spencerport, N.Y.) continues to shine in an impressive rookie campaign. Leading the team in goals with 42 and tied in points with 68, Fedele recently became the program record holder for points in a single season by a first-year player. Her 68 points are tied for 11^th-most in the GNAC while the 42 tallies rank in a tie for 17^th in the conference.
• Sophomore Deja Srimouksavanh (Portsmouth, N.H.) is in the midst of a breakout season in 2023, matching Fedele with 68 points on 39 goals and a team-high 29 assists. The second-year midfielder is more than just an offensive threat for EC, as her 71 draw controls lead the team while 32 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers are both fifth-most on Emmanuel.
• Joining Fedele and Srimouksavanh with at least 30 goals this season is first-year Ella Marschitz (Naperville, Ill.). The rookie midfielder has stuffed the stat sheet this year with 36 goals, 16 assists, 52 points, 56 draw controls, 37 ground balls, and 26 caused turnovers.
• Senior Megan Steele (Auburn, Maine) has been stellar in 2023, recording career-highs of 33 goals, 26 assists, and 59 points. First-years Broghan Laundry (Swampscott, Mass.) and Emily Gates (Waterford, Conn.) round out the 30-goal scorers with 32 and 31, respectively.

Johnson & Wales:

• The Wildcats are led by senior Tiana Gamory (Warwick, R.I.), whose 52-goal and 50-assist season makes her one of four players in the GNAC and one of 17 players in Division III with at least 100 points this season. In 16 games this season, Gamory had at least three goals in a match on 10 occasions.
• Matching Gamory's goal-scoring on the season is sophomore attack Madeline Gould (Oakdale, Conn.). Gould's 52 goals are a career-high, as are the 70 points this season. Earlier this season, the second-year Wildcat had a stretch of three out of four games with at least six goals scored.
• The junior pair of Maris DiBeneditto (Southbury, Conn.) and Katie Sloan (Ellicott City, Md.) are third and fourth in goals on JWU, respectively. DiBeneditto is working toward her second straight 50-goal season, netting 48 entering Wednesday's game while Sloan has 34 tallies on the season.

BETWEEN THE PIPES:

Emmanuel:

• Expect sophomore Isabella Thomas (Miami, Fla.) to get the nod for the Saints. Thomas has made 15 starts in the Emmanuel goal this season, going 11-4 with a 9.96 goals against average. Among GNAC goalies with at least 10 starts, the second-year netminder is fourth lowest in GAA in the conference. In single-season program history, Thomas currently ranks fourth in wins (11), fourth in GAA (9.96), and seventh in save percentage (44.5).

Johnson & Wales:

• The Wildcats cage will be guarded by sophomore Emma Glyman (Tolland, Conn.). The reigning GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year started all 16 games for JWU, going 14-2. In addition, Glyman has critical rankings inside the top-20 for Division III goalies. Among netminders with 10 or more starts, Glyman is second in the GNAC and 18^th in Division III in GAA, surrendering 7.39 goals per game. Her save percentage is on the same track, ranking second in the conference and 16^th in the nation at 53.1 percent.

COACHES' CORNER:

Liz Maloney – Emmanuel

Now in her fourth season as head coach for the Saints, Maloney brings a career record of 33-13 into Saturday's game. In three postseason appearances, Maloney's teams have reached the semifinal round or further on all three occasions. The Saints 14 wins in 2023 are the most in Maloney's tenure while also being the second-most wins in a single season in program history, trailing only the 2014 program, who went 15-3.

Maria Patane – Johnson & Wales

Despite being under an interim tag for the 2023 season, Patane has led the Wildcats to a 14-2 overall record and an unbeaten 13-0 record in the GNAC this season. As it stands, the Wildcats .875 win percentage would be the best in the program's history. The rookie head coach and her Wildcats are seeking their fifth GNAC Championship in program history.

THE LAST TIME WE MET:

The Saints and Wildcats met on April 5 at Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex in Providence with JWU besting EC, 19-11.

After a 4-4 first quarter, the Wildcats pulled away with the help of eight tallies in the second quarter, including a string of five straight goals that helped put JWU up by six. Emmanuel closed to as close as three at 13-10, but the Wildcats scored six of the final seven goals in the final 18:56 to win 19-11.

Sloan and Fedele led all scorers with five goals each. Gamory and DiBeneditto made the difference by chipping in four tallies a piece for the Wildcats.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Since their first meeting in 2014, the Saints are 2-9 all-time against the Wildcats, including 0-2 in postseason play. Emmanuel's last victory over Johnson & Wales came in the 2021 regular season, a 15-13 win on March 27.

The two sides have met in the semifinals once before. In 2016, EC nearly lost to JWU, falling 9-8 as the Wildcats moved on to the conference championship. In 2021, JWU avenged their regular season loss to Emmanuel, beating the Saints in the GNAC Championship, 16-12, and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:

In the Saints 13-year history as a program, the team has won the GNAC Championship once in two championship game appearances. The 2014 Saints went 15-3 in their GNAC Championship winning year while the 2021 Saints, who finished 8-1, fell in the Title Game that season.

The Wildcats women's lacrosse team first formed in 2014 and quickly became a successful program, sporting a winning record in every season but 2014 and 2020. Johnson & Wales has been in the Championship Game six times, winning on four occasions in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. In the 14 years the GNAC has sponsored women's lacrosse, JWU and Norwich have the most GNAC titles, each with four.

COVERAGE:

Live coverage of Wednesday's GNAC Semifinal game between the Saints and Wildcats can be found using the links below.

LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS

2023 GNAC WOMEN'S LACROSSE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29 – QUARTERFINALS
GAME 1 (April 29): #1 Johnson & Wales 18 - #8 Elms 7
GAME 2 (April 28): #2 Saint Joseph's (ME) 21 - #7 Norwich 2
GAME 3 (April 28): #3 Simmons 15 - #6 Dean 2
GAME 4 (April 29): #4 Emmanuel 14 - #5 Colby-Sawyer 7

Wednesday, May 3 – SEMIFINALS
GAME 5: #4 Emmanuel at #1 Johnson & Wales – 4:00 p.m.
GAME 6: #3 Simmons at #2 Saint Joseph's (ME) – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 6 – CHAMPIONSHIP
GAME 7: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 at Highest Seed Remaining