Despite loss, Quinnipiac advances into NEC Playoffs

Bobcats back in
John Chagaris

West Long Branch, NJ - It’s been a season of highs and lows, a season of incredible defense, and a season where Coach Caro wondered where the defense is. In recent history, beginning with the Bobcats game against CCSU on March 23rd, the Bobcats began a trend where they struggled in the first half but were lights out in the second half. A trend that ended Friday afternoon at Monmouth University.

After dropping 3 of their last four NEC Conference games, the mission was simple, win and gain a second seed in the North East Conference, or with a loss Quinnipiac could drop out of the NEC Tournament all together. The Bobcats took to the field against the Monmouth Hawks, the only team in the Northeast Conference the Bobcats have never defeated in their ten year run in the NEC. After falling to Mount Saint Mary’s last week, Monmouth was looking for revenge against the Bobcats as the Hawks have never in their programs history lost two straight NEC contests. Just under three minutes into the game, Lyndsay Banach got the game going for the Bobcats, with her 9th goal of the season the Bobcats took a 1-0 lead, which was all the momentum the Bobcats would get, within the next 9 minutes the Monmouth Hawks scored three to take a 3-1 lead. Meghan and Katie Latonick would gel together to give Megan her 7th goal of the year, to cut the lead to 3-2 but that is as close as the Bobcats would get.

3 Minutes later and goals by Megas Brennan, on a Free position shot, Megan Nutter, Ashley Waldman on a free position shot, Carolyn Baveta and then once again by Megan Brennan gave the Hawks an insurmountable 8-2 lead. Banach would later score a second goal for the Bobcats, and Erin Coffey put in two but it just wasn’t enough as the Hawks won 17-7.

With a Mount Saint Mary’s win on Friday over Robert Morris, Quinnipiac has clinched their fourth straight trip to the NEC Championships which begins on Friday, April 27th from Emmitsburg, Maryland on the campus of Mount Saint Mary’s. Depending on the outcomes of this weekends games, the Bobcats will either be the third seed, with a Sacred Heart loss and a Robert Morris/Long Island win, or a fourth seed with a Sacred Heart win, as Sacred Heart owns the tie breaker. A third seed will introduce a rematch against Monmouth University, while a fourth seed would be against undefeated Mount Saint Mary’s.

The Bobcats enter the NEC Tournament for the fourth straight year, fifth overall, and are looking for their first trip in school’s history to the NEC Championship game after falling to Sacred Heart last year and Monmouth the two previous seasons, while the Bobcats are still searching for that illusive second seed or higher in the NEC Tournament, their goal now is their first NEC Tournament win.