HAMDEN, Conn – After it outscored its opponents 32-12 over its last two games, including Saturday afternoon’s 16-7 win over Marist, the Quinnipiac women’s lacrosse team won back-to-back games for the first time this season. 

Freshman attacker Mia Delmond, who scored four of her 12 goals this season in Saturday’s game, powered the Bobcat offense. On the other half of the field, senior goalkeeper Kat Henselder stopped 13 of the 18 shots she faced. 

“I think we finally got to put it all together as a team on both ends of the ball,” Quinnipiac head coach Tanya Kotowicz said.

Albeit a tough game to play in, as rain and even some snow poured down from the gray Connecticut clouds, Quinnipiac was determined to not let anything get in its way of securing the conference victory. 

“We knew coming into this game that weather was not going to be on our side,” Delmond said. “We just had to be composed and have each other’s backs … if someone falls down, pick them back up.”

The Bobcats were off and running from the opening faceoff, as both Delmond and senior midfielder Sophia Iaccino both notched goals in the first three minutes to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. After Marist responded with a goal of its own, Delmond scored again, along with two other Bobcats to extend its lead to 5-1 after one quarter. 

Senior midfielder Emily Feeney, who scored the final goal of the first quarter, found the net again early in the second frame to put the Bobcats securely in the driver’s seat. 

Marist regained momentum after Quinnipiac sophomore attacker Abby Wise picked up a yellow card. The visitors broke their 12-minute long scoring drought five and a half minutes into the second frame, as senior attacker Keri Gutenberger cut the Quinnipiac lead to 6-2.

The Red Foxes were able to score again, but just like the first Marist goal, Quinnipiac struck back harder. The Bobcats scored two more unanswered goals to head into the half with an 8-3 lead.

While the offense was firing on all cylinders, the defense was the difference maker, backed by senior goalkeeper Kat Henselder, who stopped eight of Marist’s shots on goal over the first 30 minutes. 

The two sides went back-and-forth in the opening minutes of the third quarter, with Marist looking more comfortable moving the ball around. However, it was the Bobcats who continued to put goals on the board.

Quinnipiac’s 10th goal of the contest, delivered by Wise, extended its lead to six with nine minutes to play in the third quarter. Wise followed that goal up with another to make it 11-4, as the Bobcats started to run away with the game.

Senior attacker Desiree Kleberg, was quieter than normal in today’s game. However, she reminded everyone of just how good the 2021 All-MAAC Second Teamer is, beating Marist junior goalkeeper Miranda Lopes on a tough low angle shot early in the fourth to put the game to bed. 

Delmond added her 15th of the year and fourth of the game, marking her highest-scoring game this season, allowing the hosts to push their lead to double-digits. 

“It boosts it (my confidence) a lot,” Delmond said. “It’s definitely nerve wracking coming in here as a freshman, but I knew I just had to put the work in.”

The Red Foxes tried to battle back, scoring two quick goals in 40 seconds. However, the large deficit was too much to overcome as Quinnipiac cruised to a 16-7 victory. 

With the win, the Bobcats are victorious in back-to-back games for the first time this season, as the group looks to be hitting their stride at the perfect time.

“Timing is everything,” Kotowicz said. “When it matters, they’re starting to do it and what we do in practice is what we do in games, and I think they’re starting to do it more in practice.” 

Quinnipiac will look to make it three wins in a row when it travels to Niagara to take on the Purple Eagles on Apr. 1.