LOUDONVILLE, NY – The Siena Women's Lacrosse team returns to Hickey Field for their first taste of conference play, as they open their quest for a third straight championship game appearance against the Iona Gaels at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
Eyes will be on the Siena record book during Saturday's game, as senior
Nicole McNeely stands on the doorstep of program history. McNeely currently stands at 178 career points, which is currently tied for second all-time with Sarah Croutier (2013-16) and sits two points behind the all-time leader Caitlin Mikel (2006-09) at 180. Also, McNeely is also in a tie for second with Croutier in career goals at 119 while also sitting one behind Mikel at 120. With both of those in play Saturday, McNeely also sits at 59 career assists, which is tied for third all-time with Croutier in that department – sitting seven off of the lead held by former teammate
Kerry Gerety at 66.
The Saints (4-5) ended their non-conference slate on a high note Wednesday evening, as the Green and Gold topped the Wagner Seahawks by a final score of 15-8 in Staten Island. Senior
Mary Soures led all goal scorers with four tallies on the day, while McNeely took the crown with five total points on the afternoon with three goals and a pair of assists. McNeely also grabbed a team-high three ground balls and led the way with five draw controls.
Ally Mervine earned her third win of the season in goal for the Saints.
Iona (7-1) comes to Loudonville as the hottest team in the league, with all seven wins coming in their last seven games. After falling to La Salle – a team Siena most recently defeated – in their opening game of the season, the Gaels have rattled off seven in a row since a victory over LIU on Feb. 16. They are coming off an 18-11 victory over New Hampshire – another common opponent with the Saints – last Saturday. Senior Megan Collins finished the day with a team high six points, two goals and four assists.
The Gaels and Saints meet for the 17th time, with the Saints holding a 10-6 advantage. The Gaels are one of nine teams the Saints have a winning record against. The last time these two teams met, Siena took a 19-18 win in New Rochelle. The win came during their program-record eight game winning streak. Former Saints
Kaitlyn Dowsett scored six times and dished three assists in a nine-point effort in the win.
Fans can catch the game on ESPN+, which can be accessed by clicking the corresponding link, on smartphones and tablets via the ESPN app, and on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Playstation, and Xbox One. Also follow the Saints via the live stats link, or through continuous in-game updates will be provided via the team's official twitter page @SienaWLax. Join the conversation by using the hashtags #MarchOn, #SienaSaints, and #MAACLAX.
After Saturday's matchup with the Gaels, the Saints are set to face off against the Marist Red Foxes in midweek action on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
