Control your own destiny.
It’s a message that the Quinnipiac women’s lacrosse team is taking to heart as all of the hard work it’s put in for the entirety of the 2026 season comes down to one game — Saturday, April 18, versus Sacred Heart on the Campus Field turf in Fairfield.
The winner punches its ticket to the MAAC Tournament, while the loser will see its season end with a 4-4 or 3-5 conference record. The stakes truly don’t get much higher than this in mid-major lacrosse.
The Bobcats are entering the game with the same mentality they have had for the entire year: belief in themselves.
“Reaching game 17 will be really special for this group,” senior attacker Cate Bendowski said. “It would say a lot about this program and how far we’ve come.”
SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC
When looking at the grand scheme of the Quinnipiac women’s lacrosse season, one sees a lot of inconsistencies. However, one of the biggest and most impactful forces on this team comes from the offensive end.
Looking up and down the roster, this team is full of stars. At the top, you have the two-headed monster of Bendowski and senior attacker Mia Delmond, who have combined for 34% of the Bobcats 328 total points. The pair have also become the two latest members of the 100-point club.
Bendowski has had a stellar senior campaign, leading the team in scoring with 69 points, which puts her two points shy of setting the Quinnipiac single-season point record, which is currently held by former attacker Katie Latonick ‘10.
Looking further down the roster, the Bobcats have gotten consistent contributions from the fresher faces, with sophomores midfielder Emma Miller-Ayala and attacker Peyton Choma currently ranking within the top five in goals scored.
But that’s about where the consistency ends, as the rest of the team has struggled to find stability from the rest of the lineup.
Last year, the Bobcats benefited from a stellar rookie season from sophomore goaltender Shannon Alden to get them to the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament. This season, however, Alden has had her fair share of struggles, seeing a drop in total saves and save percentage.
To punch their ticket to the MAAC Tournament for the second year in a row, the Bobcats will need to capture a vintage Alden performance while getting a consistent game from their defensive core. It’s a tall order, but head coach Jordan Solari is continuing to preach a belief in the team that can propel them past the Pioneers come Saturday.
“They just have a belief that they are destined to do something great,” Solari said. “It’s going to take every one of us to do it but they’re ready to do it.”
SCOUTING SACRED HEART
While the Bobcats’ consistency struggles begin at the bottom of the lineup, the Pioneers’ consistency problems begin at the top.
The Sacred Heart offensive group has struggled all year against MAAC competition. As of publication, the Pioneers rank at the bottom or near the bottom in goals (6.36), assists (3.29) and shots on goal (14.57) per game.
But despite this, the Pioneers rank sixth in the conference and will be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Why? A stellar defensive core anchored by a netminder making her mark in her debut year.
Freshman goaltender Madalynn Eder-Linell got the reins as the primary goalie during the Pioneers’ March 14 matchup versus the Monmouth Hawks. Since that date, she has averaged a 44% save percentage with a 9.18 goals against average. It’s a stat line that put her second and third in the MAAC, respectively. Her performances have been the difference maker in all four of the Pioneers’ MAAC wins, having all come by less than five goals.
Their defensive group has also been steadily productive. Leading the way is senior defensemen Brooke Gyllenhaal, forcing the second most ground balls in the entirety of the MAAC with 41 and junior defensemen Madelyn Breitbeil with 27.
It’s a timeless battle of the unstoppable force versus the immovable object. The latest chapter of that matchup will be written Saturday, April 18, with a spot in the MAAC Tournament on the line. Face-off from Fairfield is scheduled for 1 p.m.
