It was a rainy game at Demske Field.
MARY HALEY / THE QUADRANGLE
Mary Haley, Assistant Features Editor & Marketing Chair
The Manhattan Jaspers women’s lacrosse team had one of their strongest offensive first quarters of the season, but couldn’t hold back a relentless second-half push by the Canisius University Golden Griffins, ultimately falling 17–14 in Buffalo on Saturday, April 19.
Manhattan’s offense was electric early, racking up seven goals in the opening quarter with a dazzling display of teamwork and individual finesse. Senior attacker Olivia Cruthers was a standout, notching her 25th and 26th goals of the season, and by the end of the game, brought her season tally to 29 goals.
The scoring started with a connection between Cruthers and Emily Derrico, senior midfielder, who set up the first goal. Moments later, Cruthers struck again, this time unassisted. Despite a green card issued to senior midfielder Ashley Bonitch for pushing, she bounced back quickly, scoring her tenth goal of the season and second of the game to close out the first quarter.
“It just felt good for us to finally come together as an offense and keep showing what we’ve been working for this entire season,” Bonitch said. “Finishing my shots after missing the first one, it showed that we’re capable of making changes and pushing forward.”
The tide began to turn in the second half, as Canisius began to match Manhattan’s offensive fire. As the Jaspers struggled to maintain possession and pressure, Canisius took advantage of ground balls and key saves, notably a stop on a Cruthers shot. The Griffins began to dominate and closed the third quarter up 13–9.
Cruthers attempted to rally the Jaspers with her fifth goal of the game, giving her a remarkable 29th goal on the season, but it wasn’t enough to counter the Canisius attack. Julia Kerr, a freshman attack, added a late goal for Manhattan, but defensive fouls and a lapse in intensity kept the Griffs ahead.
Head Coach Jenna Dingler praised the team’s composure and determination, especially in how they honored the senior class in their last game of the season.
“They played with a sense of composure and poise, and they played freely, which is something that we talked a lot about prior to the game,” Dingler said. “They just put aside the challenges we faced this season and played for our senior class and played to cap off a season and a career for the six of them in a really positive way.”
Reflecting on her four years with the team, Cruthers was emotional but proud.
“I’ve made my best friends during the past four years. They’ve made me grow as a person, as a player, as everything that will come in the future. I just hope that everyone below me gets the same experience.”
Bonitch also felt bittersweet about her last game with MU.
“I’m very proud of what I did over these four years, and I’m happy to move on to bigger, better things after this program — but leaving this group of girls is so hard,” Bonitch said.
While the loss closes out the season for Manhattan, Dingler and the team remain optimistic about the future, pointing to a strong core of underclassmen, ready to step into the shoes of the graduating seniors next season.
Despite the tough loss, the Jaspers’ seniors leave a lasting impact on the program, both in leadership and play. Dingler emphasized how much the team has grown.
“They’ve all just become tremendous leaders in their own individual way this year, on the field and off the field, it was great to see that come to fruition,” Dingler said. “I know our underclassmen are really excited for the future of the program. We have some really stand out underclassmen ready to make a difference.”