Sophomore Erika Kelly leads Division II with a team and NE-10 record 32 goals this season, ranking second nationally with her 65 points. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds) |
Third-seeded Skyhawks and sixth-seeded Owls square off Tuesday night
EASTON, Mass. (November 4, 2013) – Third-seeded Stonehill College, ranked third in last week's Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll, opens its 16th-straight Northeast-10 Conference Field Hockey Tournament appearance when it hosts sixth-seeded Southern Connecticut State University for a first round clash at Timothy J. Coughlin Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
Admission for tomorrow night's matchup is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for senior citizens and children and $1.00 for students. The first 250 Stonehill students will be admitted free of charge when presenting their HillCard at the ticket booth, courtesy of the Office of Student Affairs and SGA-Spirit Committee. Live stats will also be available via www.stonehillskyhawks.com. The winner will advance to face second-seeded and 7th-ranked Merrimack College (13-4, 9-1 NE-10) in the semifinal round on Friday (Time TBA) in North Andover, Mass. Merrimack as well as top-seeded and 4th-ranked LIU Post (18-0, 10-0 NE-10), the NE-10 regular season champions, have both earned first round byes. Tuesday's other first round matchup features fifth-seeded Bentley University (11-7, 5-5 NE-10) at fourth-seeded Adelphi University (10-8, 5-5 NE-10) on Long Island at 1 p.m. The NE-10 Championship is scheduled for Sunday at the home of the highest remaining seed.
Stonehill (16-2, 8-2 NE-10), making its 16th NE-10 Tournament appearance, seeks a fifth trip to the NE-10 semifinals in the last six years and tenth trip overall after being eliminated in the first round at third-seeded University of Massachusetts Lowell, 3-1, last season. The Skyhawks have reached the finals four times, winning the championship in 2005. Stonehill, ranked first in last week's NCAA Division II North Regional rankings, enters the postseason looking to put its first two losses of the season last week behind them. The Skyhawks, who started the season with a program-record 16 straight wins, dropped a 1-0 decision to Merrimack last Tuesday and then was defeated at LIU Post 4-3 in overtime on Saturday.
Senior All-American Devin Ingersoll has dished out a team-high ten assists this season. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds) |
Stonehill ranks second in the NE-10 for scoring (4th nationally) with 3.9 goals per game, while ranking fourth with a 1.74 team goals against average (8th) and second with 10.8 penalty corners per game (5th). The Skyhawks have the third-best winning percentage in NCAA Division II and also rank sixth nationally for scoring margin (+2.1 goals per game).
While sophomore forward Erika Kelly (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) has certainly grabbed the spotlight with her team-leading and program record 65 points this season, Stonehill features nine of the 11 players who have scored goals this season registering multiple tallies for the year. Kelly leads Division II with her program and NE-10 record 32 goals this season to go with one assist, posting nine gamewinning goals and a program record six hat tricks. Her 65 points are second in the NE-10 and nationally and currently rank seventh on the NE-10 all-time single-season list.
Sophomore Lauren Giordano (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) has added ten goals (10th NE-10) and two assists for 22 points (14th) in her first season for the Skyhawks, while senior Kelly Gouveia (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) has also posted 22 points (14th) with eight goals (14th) and six assists (15th). Senior All-American Devin Ingersoll (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) has dished out a team-high ten assists (6th/11th nationally) to go with three goals, two gamewinners, for 16 points.
Senior Gina Sheehan anchors the Skyhawks defensive unit. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds) |
Junior Elizabeth Genovese (Street, Md./North Harford) has played all but 47:58 in the Stonehill goal this season and has posted a 1.75 goals against average (5th NE-10/9th nationally) and .735 save percentage with 4.8 saves per game (5th/18th) and one shutout in 1,241:17 (3rd NE-10) over 18 games. Seniors Emily Coholan (South Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth), Chelsea Emery (New Hampton, N.H./Tilton School) and Gina Sheehan (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) spearhead the defense in front of Genovese, with Sheehan and Coholan posting defensive saves this fall.
Southern Connecticut State (5-13, 4-6 NE-10) makes its second straight NE-10 Tournament appearance and eighth in program history overall since joining the Conference in 2000. The Owls seek their first NE-10 Championship and have reached the semifinals on three occasions, the last coming in 2008. Southern ranks fifth in the NE-10 for scoring offense with 2.2 goals per game (16th nationally), while ranking 11th with a 3.94 team goals against average and fourth with 9.9 penalty corners (7th nationally) per game.
Senior Sarah Cebry (Burlington, Conn./Lewis Mills) leads Southern Connecticut with 40 points (5th NE-10/9th nationally) on a team-best 18 goals (4th/7th), including two gamewinners, to go with four assists. Freshman Jamie Matson (East Hartland, Conn./Simsbury) has made an immediate impact for the Owls with ten goals (10th NE-10), including two winners, and a team-high six assists for 26 points (11th). Freshman Kristi Montemurro (New Milford, Conn./New Milford) has added five goals and two assists for 12 points, while classmate Zoe Fanolis (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) has chipped in with five assists.
Sophomore Audrey Dolloff (Raynham, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) has played all but 54:49 in the Southern Connecticut cage this season and has posted a 3.94 goals against average and .766 save percentage (6th) with a Conference-leading 12.6 saves per game (3rd nationally) in 1,225:39 (5th NE-10) over 18 games played.
Tomorrow night marks the first postseason meeting between these two programs all-time, but Stonehill swept the regular season series between the two. The Skyhawks claimed a 3-1 non-conference victory at Southern Connecticut on September 21 and then posted an 8-4 decision over the Owls in the NE-10 matchup at W.B. Mason Stadium on October 19. Kelly scored six of Stonehill's 11 goals over the two games, while Cebry played a role in four of Southern's five goals with three goals and an assist for seven points.
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2013 Northeast-10 Conference
Field Hockey Championships
First Round
Tuesday, November 5 (at higher seeds)
#5 Bentley (11-7, 5-5 NE-10) at #4 Adelphi (10-8, 5-5 NE-10), 1 p.m.
#6 Southern Connecticut State (5-13, 4-6 NE-10) at #3 Stonehill (16-2, 8-2 NE-10), 7 p.m.
Semifinals
Friday, November 8 (at higher seeds)
SCSU/Stonehill winner at #2 Merrimack (13-4, 9-1 NE-10), TBA
Bentley/Adelphi winner at #1 LIU Post (18-0, 10-0 NE-10), 1 p.m.
Championship
Sunday, November 10 (at higher seed)
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.