RADNOR, PA – The Cabrini women's lacrosse team continued its dominance of the Colonial States Athletic Conference today, as it claimed its sixth consecutive CSAC title with today's 20-9 win over the Marywood University Pacers.
Today's win marked the 16th conference title for the Cavaliers, who will make their 14th NCAA Tournament appearance next week, after claiming the league's automatic bid.
The Cavaliers will learn their NCAA Tournament fate tomorrow at 9:30pm, when the NCAA Selection Show is broadcast on
NCAA.com.
The victory also improved the Blue and White to 16-3 overall, tying the 2007 team for most wins in a single season.
Sophomore
Liz Hoeffner was named the game's Most Valuable Player after recording 10 goals in today's win, converting 4-5 free position shots.
Senior
Allie Vallen also posted a career day, with a career high eight points on four goals and four helpers.
Sophomore
Avery Murphy paired three goals and three assists with a career high 11 draw controls. The trio of senior
Jess Breuning, junior
Sasha Wozniak and freshman
Lauren Hughes posted two points each, combining for three goals and three assists.
Of the 14 Cavaliers who saw action today, eight scooped at least two ground balls, with Breuning's four earning game high honors, while Vallen, Hughes and junior
Gabby Lee added three each.
Cabrini's defensive effort caused 17 of Marywood's 23 turnovers on the day, with Lee joining classmate
Jackie Neary and sophomore
Katie Kucia with three each.
Senior goaltender
Megan Barlow secured her 16th win of the season with seven saves, two ground balls and a caused turnover.
The Cavaliers wasted little time grabbing an early lead, as Vallen, Hoeffner and Murphy gave the Blue and White a 3-0 in the game's opening minutes. The Pacers grabbed the game's momentum with a pair of goals but Cabrini put the game away minutes later.
Despite playing woman-down, Murphy and Hoeffner found the back of the net, swinging the momentum back to the Blue and White. The two goals sparked a run of nine consecutive goals, including five from Hoeffner's crosse, as the Cavaliers built a 12-2 lead with 5:48 left in the half.
Marywood recorded the final three goals of the stanza to pull within 12-5, but it would get no closer.
Cabrini opened the second half with another three goal spurt, including a Hughes goal just 11 seconds after the whistle. Both teams exchanged goals before the Cavaliers closed their scoring with a 4-0 run.
The Blue and White was in control of today's action over the entire 60 minutes, as it outshot the Pacers 40-18 and held them to just five free position shots. Marywood converted just 14 of its 21 clearing chances, while the Cavaliers recorded just 14 turnovers, their second lowest amount of the season.
Sophomore Ashley Valway led Marywood (12-6) with three goals, while freshman Gwyneth Gleason added six draw controls. Senior goaltender Lauren Smith recorded 14 saves in the loss.