RADNOR, Pa. – The Cabrini women's lacrosse team continued its reign atop the Colonial States Athletic Conference today, as the Cavaliers claimed their fifth consecutive CSAC championship with an 18-10 win over the Neumann University Knights.
With the win, the Blue and White also earn the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers must wait until Sunday night's NCAA Selection Show to learn their fate. The selection show will be broadcast on
NCAA.com at 9:30 p.m.
Cabrini improved to 13-5 after winning its 15th conference title in the 20 years of the program. Neumann fell to 13-5 after suffering its fourth consecutive championship loss to the Cavaliers.
Senior
Katie Lasater was named the championship game's Most Valuable Player after leading the Blue and White with six points, including a season high five goals.
Junior
Allie Vallen led all players with seven points in the win, pairing three goals and four assists. Sophomore
Sasha Wozniak added six points on three goals and three assists. Junior
Jess Breuning notched four points, joining sophomore
Jackie Neary and freshman
Emma Rodner-Tims with two goals each. Junior Jen Robinson chipped in with a goal and an assist.
The Cavaliers secured 30 ground balls to just 20 for the Knights. Wozniak and senior
Mo O'Connell scooped four ground balls each, one more than Robinson and freshman
Katie Kucia.
Cabrini also matched a season high with 18 draw controls. Breuning and Neary recorded four each, while Rodner-Tims added one.
Sophomore
Gabby Lee helped anchor the Blue and White defensive effort, matching a career high with four caused turnovers. Breuning and Kucia also forced three Neumann miscues.
Junior
Megan Barlow tallied four saves in leading the Cavaliers to another conference title.
The Blue and White jumped on Neumann early, scoring the game's first four goals less than three minutes into the action. A Knights' timeout refocused the club, as it reeled off three consecutive goals to pull within 4-3 with 21:50 left in the half.
Rodner-Tims ended the Knights' scoring run, as she converted a Breuning pass into her first goal of the afternoon. Wozniak followed with an unassisted goal to put Cabrini ahead 6-3.
After a Neumann goal, the Cavaliers again posted four unanswered goals by four different Cavaliers, including goals by Wozniak and Vallen separated by 26 seconds. A Neumann tally cut the Blue and White advantage to 10-5, but a Lasater short-handed goal pushed the lead back to six goals.
The Knights kept the game tight, scoring the game's next two goals to pull within 11-7 at the 6:31 mark. The Cavalier snapped the run with its quick strike offense, as Lasater and Vallen scored in a span of 18 seconds.
Seconds later, the Knights' hopes of a comeback took a major hit, as senior Jordan Hopkins, Neumann's leading scorer collected her second yellow card with 5:52 left in the half and could not return to the game.
The Cavaliers took full advantage, scoring the final three goals of the half to take a 16-7 lead into the halftime break.
After a combined 23 goals and 37 shots in the opening 30 minutes, both defenses locked down in the second half. The clubs recorded just 21 second half shots and combined for 29 total turnovers after the break.
The Knights looked to rally, notching a goal just two minutes into the period, but Neary's second goal of the game pushed the cushion back to nine goals. Neumann scored the next two goals, separated by more than 10 minutes, the longest scoring drought of the game, before Rodner-Tims closed the scoring with south of five minutes to play.
The Blue and White outshot Neumann 40-18 on the day, including 32-14 in shots on goal. The Cavaliers held the Knights to just 18 clears in its 28 chances.
Hopkins led the Knights with five points on three goals and two assists in just 25 minutes of action. Seniors Rebecca Dolenti and Alexa McIntrye and junior Shae Risley added two goals each for Neumann. Junior goaltender Becca Wallace achieved a rare double-double, pairing 14 saves and 10 ground balls with two caused turnovers.
