Senior Claire Hourihan netted her second career hat trick to lead #5 Stonehill past Southern Connecticut tonight. |
#5 Stonehill Drops Southern Connecticut, 4-1
Hourihan hat trick leads Skyhawks to sixth-straight win
EASTON, Mass. (September 16, 2009) - Stonehill College, ranked fifth in this week's Kookaburra/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll, rode a hat trick from senior forward Claire Hourihan (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) to a 4-1 victory over Southern Connecticut State University in non-conference field hockey action at W.B. Mason Stadium tonight.
Hourihan's second career hat trick gives her 35 career goals and she moved into third place on Stonehill's all-time scoring list with 86 career points, sliding back above teammate senior All-American Jackie Ladino (North Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) who has 85 career points. Sophomore Kathryn Nelson (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) also added a goal tonight for the Skyhawks.
Junior goalkeeper Courtney Osier (South Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) made two saves in just over 62 scoreless minutes of work in the cage for Stonehill. Freshman Kaitlyn Curtis (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough) played the final 7:58 in goal for the Skyhawks. Junior Lauren Zarrella (Morris, Conn./Wamogo) finished with five stops in goal for Southern Connecticut State.
Junior Courtney Osier made two saves in just over 62 scoreless minutes of work in the Skyhawks goal. |
Senior Kelly Anne McCafferty (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) netted the lone goal for Southern, assisted by junior Dieny Charlot (Deep River, Conn./Valley Regional), with 4:55 left in regulation.
Stonehill got two goals in each half to stake out a four goal lead. Hourihan netted the first three goals, the first of which came 10:20 into the contest when she one-timed a rebound on the back post. She netted her second 4:04 before halftime when she forced a Southern turnover and broke in one-on-one with Zarrella before depositing a low shot into left side from eight yards out.
Hourihan completed the hat trick 8:20 into the second half off a feed from the right side by sophomore Caitlin O'Keefe (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) and slotted in a shot from four yards out on the left side. The Skyhawks struck again less than two minutes later as Nelson capped the scoring with her fourth of the season after a long carry down the left side from five yards out.
Stonehill (6-2, 0-0 NE-10) continues its three-game home stand on Saturday when it opens its Northeast-10 Conference schedule against Saint Michael's College at 1 p.m. Southern Connecticut (1-7, 1-0 NE-10) hosts American International College next Tuesday at 7 p.m.
