IMMACULATA, Pa. – The stage is set as the No. 4 Immaculata women's lacrosse team is set to host No. 5 Marywood in the Atlantic East Quarterfinals on Saturday at 1:00 P.M. The matchup will be the Macs' first home playoff game since 2018 when the Macs hosted Gwynedd Mercy in the CSAC Quarterfinals.
 
"It means a lot to be playing at home in front of our families and students," began head coach Nicole Barretta. "It's a huge advantage and also takes away some of the pressure of traveling and everything that comes with that."
 
The Mighty Macs and Pacers have been developing quite the rivalry over the past year. The two teams faced off in the 2021 Atlantic East Quarterfinal, a double-overtime thriller in which the Pacers won 8-7. Earlier this season, the Macs claimed their regular season contest 11-8. Tessa Liberatoscioli led the Macs with six points on the contest.
 
"The win from earlier this season gives us a lot of confidence going into Saturday, but no win in this conference is a given," described Barretta. "We have to come prepared."
 
This season, the Mighty Macs have worked to a 6-9 overall record with a 2-3 record in Atlantic East play. With their berth into the Atlantic East Tournament, the Macs have now extended their streak of reaching the postseason to nine straight seasons.
 
Offensively, the Mighty Macs have been led this season by sophomore quartet Jackie Murray, Tessa Liberatoscioli, Kaitlyn Klitchko, and Liza Laxton. Murray has scored a team-leading 54 goals on the season, the seventh most in a single season in program history. Liberatoscioli has scored 40 goals on the season while also leading the team with 92 draw controls, the second most in program history. The pair currently ranked fourth and sixth, respectively, in the conference in goals per game. Klitchko, meanwhile, has contributed with 31 goals and 10 assists while Laxton has scored 28 goals and recorded 25 assists on the season.
 
The Immaculata defense, meanwhile, has disrupted opposing offenses in the midfield, leading the league with 24.53 ground balls per game and 11.53 caused turnovers per game. The Macs' defense has been a collective effort this season with seniors Erynn Kriebel, Katie Mulvey, and Maddy Terry serving as leaders on the field. Kriebel leads the Macs with 21 caused turnovers on the season while adding 31 ground balls. Freshman Ashley Finkbiner, meanwhile, has been a steady presence between the pipes this season, playing every minute of action for the Macs across 15 games. Finkbiner has recorded 118 saves and 29 ground balls in the crease for the Macs.
 
Marywood enters the tournament with a 5-8 record on the season and a 1-4 record in Atlantic East play. The Pacers have been led offensively on the season by senior Emma Solomon, who has recorded 37 goals and 16 assists on the season. Kayla McCabe also contributes to the Pacers offense with 33 goals and 10 assists. Emily Dyminiski serves as the Pacers' goalkeeper, recording 152 saves and averaging 11.80 goals per game on the season.
 
The victor of Saturday's Quarterfinal matchup will move on to the Semifinals on Wednesday, May 4^th. Between the victory of Immaculata-Marywood and the victor of Neumann-Gwynedd Mercy, the lowest remaining seed will face the No. 1 Cabrini while the second lowest will compete against No. 2 Marymount.
 
"Going into Saturday, my main message to the team is to be us and play like we know how to. It's a new season now, whatever success we have had or mistakes we have made are now just moments for us to learn from and be better from," concluded Barretta.