NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – A dominant first half that which led to an 11-4 lead was enough to propel the Niagara University Purple Eagles over the Manhattan College Jaspers on Senior Day at Niagara Field. Manhattan proved persistent and made the contest thrilling to the end, but the Purple Eagles walked away with the victory, 13-10.
“We got off to a great start and that made all the difference,” said Head Coach Wendy Stone. “It doesn’t get much better than a conference win on Senior Day.”
Niagara’s elite trio of Grace Hunt, Rachel MacCheyne and Alexis Morales was in overdrive, led by Morales’ four goals. Hunt provided four assists and MacCheyne notched two goals and an assist as well. Audrey Fithall scored an additional two goals.
Each of the Purple Eagles’ four seniors played an instrumental part in the victory. Goalkeeper Andrea Francisco turned in one of her finest performances of the season, making 14 saves to keep the Jaspers at bay. Kara Martin and Isabella Leon both played tenacious defense, helping hold Manhattan to just four in the first half. Hannah Vause opened the scoring for her team.
“We cannot thank Hannah, Andrea, Belle, and Kara for all they have done for our program over the last four years,” added Stone. “They’ve set a high bar for all classes to come.”
With the win, Niagara improved to 2-1 in MAAC play and 5-7 overall. The team heads to Albany, where they will be in action vs. the Sienna College Saints on Wednesday at 4:00 PM.
Photo courtesy of PurpleEagles.com
Niagara Wire 