LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Women's Lacrosse will host the program's second postseason game ever when they play host to the sixth-seeded Canisius Golden Griffins in the MAAC Quarterfinals at Hickey Field Saturday afternoon, with the opening draw at 3 p.m.
 
Rob Leppelstat has the call of the match on MAAC.TV. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the field and are priced at $10 for adults, and $5 for seniors, students, and children. The first 75 students will get in FREE with their Siena College ID. On-site social media updates will be provided throughout the day from the @SienaWLax twitter account. Join the conversation by using the hashtags #MarchOn, #SienaSaints, and #MAACLAX.
 
The winner of Saturday's match will advance to the MAAC Semifinals Thursday, May 2 to face second-seeded Monmouth. The remainder of the tournament will be hosted by Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT.
 
Siena in the MAAC Championships (7th Appearance)
Record: 1-6
Championships: 0
At Home: 0-1
Quarterfinals: 1-5
As No. 3 seed: 0-0
Vs. Canisius: 0-2
 
Siena is making its 7th MAAC Tournament appearance in program history, and first appearance since 2015. The Saints are looking for their first win in a MAAC Tournament game since their first appearance in 2005, when they defeated LeMoyne 12-9. Since then, the Saints have gone 0-for-5 in their last five tournaments.
 
Siena is set to host a MAAC Tournament match for only the second time ever, and first time since 2015. The Green and Gold fell to the Marist Red Foxes in overtime by a final score of 11-10. The Saints were the fourth seed in that matchup, falling to the fifth-seeded Red Foxes.
 
Siena has posted an 0-1 record as the three-seed in the tournament. Their only game as the three seed came against the then second-seeded Canisius at Mazzella Field in New Rochelle, NY. The Griffs would top the Saints by a final score of 11-9.
 
The Series With Canisius (25th Meeting: Canisius leads 17-8)
 
Siena trail in the all-time series with the Golden Griffs by a 16-5 margin. The Saints had lost 13 in a row to Canisius prior to their overtime win earlier this season. At Hickey Field, Siena is 3-6 against the Golden Griffs, with their largest margin of victory ever over Canisius coming at home in a 14-6 win on April 24, 2005.
 
Sophomore Hayley Kmack made the most of Siena's first overtime game since last March, as she scored with 19 seconds remaining in the overtime period to give the Saints a gutsy 17-16 victory last time out on March 27. With the win, the Siena women's lacrosse team reached the 100-win plateau as a program. The Saints are currently in their 23rd year as a varsity program, which began in 1997. The Green and Gold were led on offense by a six-point day from junior captain Annie Brennan, who scored five goals and added an assist on the game. Sophomore Nicole McNeely scored three times and added two assists, while redshirt freshman Kaitlyn Dowsett added four goals. Julia Pelcher and Kerry Gerety also added three ground balls, with Gerety also winning nine draw controls. Senior goalie Sammy Horton made six saves on the day in her sixth win of the season.
 
Scouting Siena (10-6, 6-2)
Siena finished the regular season third in the MAAC after being projected seventh in the preseason coaches' poll. However, the Saints outplayed expectations and have put up one of the best year's in program history.
 
Siena began their regular season slow, falling in their first three games to Columbia, Army West Point, and Villanova. The Saints would get on the board and get the ball rolling with their first win of the season over Colgate on Feb. 28. Since that date, the Saints have been able to go 10-3 over that span, which included three separate three-game win streaks. The Green and Gold set a new program record with goals in a game with 22 on Mar. 13 in a win over Hartford. In that same game, the Saints tied a program record in win margin, collecting a difference of 17 goals in the 22-5 win. 
 
Siena's strength has been both in the back with veteran goaltending, as well as young scorers up front. Senior goaltender Sammy Horton has proven to be one of the best goaltenders in the NCAA in 2019, among the leaders in the country in saves, save percentage, and saves per game – all of which rank first in the MAAC. Sophomores Kerry Gerety and Nicole McNeely are the top two points getters on the team, while redshirt freshman Kaitlyn Dowsett makes the power punch trio that has accounted for a majority of the Saints offense this season. All three rank in the top 10 in all offensive categories in the MAAC.
 
Gerety has put herself into the record books this season, along with Horton. Gerety has set a new single-season record in assists, currently sitting at 24. Gerety also sits second all-time in draw controls in a single season, four away from tying the single-season mark of 89. Horton on the other hand, has set some career records for the Green and Gold. She is now the all-time leader in games played in program history, while tying the single-season record for wins with a chance to break it on Saturday.
 
The Saints have posted a 3-3 record at home this season, but put up a stellar 7-3 mark away from Hickey Field this season.
 
The Saints are under the direction of head coach Abigail Rehfuss, who is in her second season at the helm of the Green and Gold. She has led one of the biggest turnarounds in the country this season, as they Saints have improved by five wins. Finishing 5-12 last season, Siena now sits at 10-6. That mark is good enough for the third best turnaround in the country in 2018-19, tied with the Duquesne Dukes of the A-10. Teams with bigger turnarounds this season are Manhattan (+6), Syracuse (+6), and Michigan (+8). 
 
Scouting Canisius (3-14, 2-6)
Projected to finish third according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Quinnipiac clinched the sixth and final MAAC Tournament berth on the last day of the regular season. The Golden Griffs have a chance to advance to the program's 12^th straight MAAC Semifinal with a win on Saturday. Canisius has gone to nine MAAC Championships, winning six during that span.