EDISON, NJ (Apr. 28, 2021) – The 2022 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Lacrosse Championship is set to start this weekend on Saturday, April 30, with opening round games. The six championship qualifiers include Canisius College, Fairfield University, Manhattan College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, and Siena College.
 
The 2022 MAAC Women's Lacrosse Championship will take place from April 30 through May 8. The six-team, single-elimination championship will begin with the aforementioned opening round on Saturday, followed by the semifinals on Friday, May 6, and concluding with the championship match on Sunday, May 8. Opening round matches will be hosted by the higher seed of each contest, while the championship semifinals and final will be hosted by Siena. This will mark the first time that the semis and final will be hosted at Hickey Field in Loudonville, NY. All Championship matches will air live on the ESPN family of networks.
 
Monmouth and Siena earned a share of the MAAC Regular Season Championship, each boasting a league-best record of 6-2. The Hawks defeated the Saints 17-11 during the regular season on April 2, earning the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament field by way of the head-to-head tiebreaker. The regular season crown for Monmouth was the first for the program since 2018. The Hawks enter the postseason with an overall record of 11-6 and are riding a six-game winning streak, posting a perfect record over the entire month of April. Monmouth will be making its eighth straight trip to the tournament and is seeking its first ever MAAC tournament crown, having come close once, with a finals appearance in 2016. No. 2 Siena claimed its first regular season title since 2005 and will be making its third straight MAAC tournament. The Saints capped off 2022 with a 10-7 overall mark and were winners of their final four contests of the season. Siena has made back-to-back trips to the finals over the past two championships, but the program is still in search of its first tournament trophy. Both Monmouth and Siena earned a bye to the semifinal round and will play on Friday, May 6. The Hawks will meet the lower advancing seed; the Saints will play the higher advancing seed.
 
No. 3 Niagara (9-8, 5-3 MAAC) vs. No. 6 Manhattan (10-7, 4-4 MAAC)
Niagara Field | NIAGARA UNIV., NY | 1:00 PM | ESPN+
 
No. 3 Niagara will play host to No. 6 Manhattan in Western New York to kick off the opening round. The Purple Eagles and Jaspers met last week on Sunday, April 24 in the regular season finale, with visiting Manhattan winning 12-10 and spoiling Niagara’s chance to earn a share of the regular season championship. Niagara begins postseason action on a three-game slump. The Purple Eagles qualified for the playoffs for the second straight season and sixth time over the past seven seasons. The program will be looking to win its first MAAC tournament ever, making back-to-back finals in 2000 and 2001. Manhattan split its final six games of the season during April to end the regular season. The Jaspers reaches the postseason for the third consecutive year and looks to add the program’s fourth trophy to their collection, winning the title in 2000, 2004 and 2005 previously. The only meeting between the two in the MAAC playoffs was the 2000 MAAC final, with Manhattan topping Niagara 11-8 en route to its first MAAC crown.
 
No. 4 Fairfield (10-6, 5-3 MAAC) vs. No. 5 Canisius (10-5, 5-3 MAAC)
Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium | FAIRFIELD, CT | 5:00 PM | ESPN+

The second opening round matchup will feature the two-most successful MAAC Women’s Lacrosse programs, with No. 4 Fairfield welcoming No. 5 Canisius to Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium in Fairfield CT. Both the Stags and Golden Griffins have won a MAAC-best six conference tournaments each dating back to 2001, with the two combining to win 10 straight and 11 out of the last 12 tournaments dating back to 2009. Fairfield is the three-time defending champion, looking to become just the second program in league history to win four consecutive titles. The only other program to achieve four straight MAAC crowns was Canisius, doing so from 2011 through 2014. The Griffs seek their first title since taking back-to-back trophies in 2016 and 2017. The two met in this year’s regular season finale, playing on Saturday, April 23. Fairfield dominated the home contest, scoring a 21-11 victory over Canisius. Saturday’s first round matchup between the two schools will be the ninth overall playoff game between the two, with Canisius holding a 6-2 lead.
 
Tickets for all games during the 2022 MAAC Women’s Lacrosse Championship can be purchased through HomeTown Ticketing at the gate or by visiting maacsports.com.
 
For all championship information regarding the 2022 Women’s Lacrosse Championship, visit maacsports.com.
 
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
 
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