Senior tri-captain Claire Hourihan leads the NE-10 with 12 goals and five game-winners and is moving up the career charts at Stonehill. |
Stonehill Ranked First in NCAA North Region
Skyhawks top first NCAA Division II regional rankings of the season
EASTON, Mass. (October 1, 2009) - The Stonehill College field hockey team, ranked fifth in this week's Kookaburra/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll, is ranked atop the first NCAA Division II North Regional rankings of the season. The announcement was made today by the NCAA Division II Field Hockey Committee who released both the North and South region rankings.
Stonehill (9-2, 3-0 NE-10) sits atop the North Region rankings with a perfect 8-0 in-region record. The University of Massachusetts Lowell (10-1, 7-1 in region), ranked fourth nationally, follow the Skyhawks in the regional rankings in second, while No. 8 Bentley University (7-3, 6-2) is third, No. 9 Merrimack College (8-5, 8-3) is fourth and Adelphi University (7-3, 7-3), the Skyhawks next opponent, rounds out the top five in the north.
For the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships, the field hockey committee will select six teams with three being selected from each of the two geographical regions. First round competition will be held Saturday, November 7, with the No. 2 seed playing the No. 3 seed in each of the respective regions. The No. 1 seed in each region will receive a first round bye. The semifinals and final will be played November 13 and 15 on the campus of a participating institution. Championship participants will be selected on Monday, November 2. NCAA.com will stream the selection show live at 2 p.m.
Senior Stephanie Kott leads the Skyhawks defense which ranks high among NE-10 leaders in every category. She has earned NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors twice. |
Stonehill, winners of nine-straight, are 3-0 this season against other teams ranked in the inaugural North Regional rankings. Both of the Skyhawk losses have come to teams regionally-ranked in the South in No. 2 Bloomsburg University (9-1) and No. 3 East Stroudsburg University (10-2) on the opening weekend of the season. Those team also hold down top three national rankings in this week's NFHCA poll.
Stonehill boasts the top defense in the Northeast-10 Conference, allowing just 1.18 goals per match with three shutouts (3rd NE-10). The Skyhawks are scoring 3.12 goals per match (3rd) and forcing a Conference-high 13.82 penalty corners per contest.
Senior Claire Hourihan (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) shares the NE-10 lead with 12 goals, including a Conference-best five game-winners, to go with an assist for 25 points (3rd NE-10). Senior All-American Jackie Ladino (North Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) has added eight goals (7th) and four assists (6th) for 20 points (7th). Junior goalkeeper Courtney Osier (South Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) ranks second in the NE-10 with a 0.97 goals against average with three shutouts (2nd) and a .744 save percentage (7th).
Stonehill is back in action on Saturday when it visits Adelphi for a Northeast-10 Conference clash at 2 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on a pay-per-view basis ($5.95) via www.aupanthers.tv. The Skyhawks return home next Friday, October 9, when they host Saint Anselm College at 4 p.m.
