STONEHILL FIELD HOCKEY
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
W.B. Mason Stadium, Easton, Mass.
FINAL: STONEHILL 1, UMASS LOWELL 0
1 2 Total
UMass Lowell (4-2, 2-2 Northeast-10) 0 0 - 0
Stonehill (5-1, 3-1 Northeast-10) 0 1 - 1
SCORING SUMMARY
STO: Brittany Dibble (PENALTY STROKE) 63:20 2nd
GOALIE SAVES
UML: Nicole Staiti-2
STO: Dani Ryder-4
EASTON, Mass.-- Junior Brittany Dibble (Troy, N.Y.) converted a penalty stroke with 6:40 remaining to lift fifth-ranked Stonehill to a 1-0 Northeast-10 Conference field hockey victory over fourth-ranked and defending NCAA Division II national champion UMass Lowell Wednesday evening at W.B. Mason Stadium.
Dibble's goal resulted from an infraction inside the goal area and proved to be the difference for the host Skyhawks (5-1, 3-1 Northeast-10) in the first meeting between the two squads since last year's NCAA Division II national semi-finals. Junior Dani Ryder (Gloucester, Mass.) made four saves in goal to pick up her second shutout victory of the season for Stonehill, which was outshot by the visiting River Hawks (4-2, 2-2 Northeast-10) by a 7-4 margin for the contest.
Senior Nicole Staiti (Barre, Mass.) made two stops in net for UMass Lowell which also held a 10-5 edge in penalty corners, as the two teams traded chances late in the first half before combining for five shots on goal in the final 35 minutes of play. The Skyhawks had an apparent goal disallowed midway through the second half before Dibble's penalty stroke conversion.
Stonehill faces its fourth straight nationally-ranked opponent on Sunday afternoon when the Skyhawks square off with seventh-ranked East Stroudsburg in a non-league match that begins at Noon. UMass Lowell hosts American International in a Northeast-10 outing on Saturday afternoon at Cushing Field in Lowell, Mass. beginning at 1:00 p.m.