Junior All-American Erika Kelly netted her eighth career hat trick today. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds) |
Junior All-American nets tying goal late in regulation, adds gamewinner in OT
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (October 25, 2014) – Junior All-American Erika Kelly (Watertown, Massachusetts/Watertown) netted her second hat trick of the season to lead Stonehill College, ranked fourth in this week's Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll, to a key 5-4 overtime triumph at 7th-ranked Adelphi University in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey action at Motamed Field today.
Kelly's second hat trick of the year marks the eighth of her career to lead Stonehill. She scored the tying goal with 1:45 remaining in regulation to force overtime and then potted the gamewinner 6:27 into the extra frame. The three goals give her 129 career points, moving her within three points of the program record of 132 points by Caitlin Gleason '08. Kelly's second gamewinner of the season give her 60 career goals, building on her career goals mark and moving into seventh place in NE-10 history.
Sophomore Sarah Morse (Westminster, Massachusetts/Oakmont Regional) and freshman Alexandria Sylvia (Brockton, Massachusetts/Brockton) also netted goals for Stonehill. The Skyhawks built a 28-17 advantage in shots, including 20-10 in the second half, and held an 18-6 edge for penalty corners – 15-4 in the second half. Senior Elizabeth Genovese (Street, Maryland/North Harford) posted seven saves in goal for the Skyhawks.
Junior Olivia Nowokunski (Leominster, Massachusetts/Leominster) led Adelphi with two goals, while sophomore Lina Pollich (Massapequa, New York/Massapequa) contributed a goal and assist. Freshman Samantha Nizich (Nesconset, New York/Massapequa) chipped in a goal for the Panthers, while junior Kelly Serrao (Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey/Parsippany) registered 11 saves in the cage, including nine in the second half.
Senior Elizabeth Genovese made seven saves in the Skyhawks cage. (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix) |
Adelphi scored twice in a seven minute span to take a 4-3 lead after Nowokunski's second goal of the day with 5:59 remaining in the second half. Kelly forced overtime with her second equalizing goal of the contest when she scored a wrist shot from a low angle on the left side with just 1:45 to play. She lifted Stonehill to the win with a counterattack strike as she took a pass from Sylvia, side-stepped the goalie and pushed her 14th goal of the season into an open net.
The teams went into halftime knotted at a goal apiece after trading goals less than two minutes apart. Morse put Stonehill in front 13:34 into the contest when she knocked in a loose ball during a scramble in front of goal off a penalty corner. Nowokunski's first goal of the day knotted the score just 1:16 later off a feed from Pollich for her fifth marker of the season.
Pollich gave Adelphi the lead 5:08 into the second half with her seventh goal of the year. Kelly's first goal of the afternoon also came on the left side at 50:36 and then Sylvia regained the Skyhawks lead 1:17 after with her fifth goal of her rookie season.
Nizich leveled again for Adelphi off a feed from post grad Arielle Theofield (Sayville, New York/Sayville) at 57:08 and then Nowokunski gave the Panthers their second lead of the half with her sixth goal of the year with 5:59 remaining.
Stonehill (9-2, 4-1 NE-10) is right back in action on Long Island tomorrow when it visits Dowling College for a non-conference match at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Wednesday to host 9th-ranked Saint Michael's College at W.B. Mason Stadium at 4 p.m. Adelphi (9-3, 4-1 NE-10) hosts 5th-ranked LIU Post for an NE-10 contest on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
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