Senior Lauren Giordano scored the first three goals of tonight's win at Southern N.H. (PHOTO BY Eamonn Grealish) |
Giordano's first half hat trick sends Skyhawks on their way to fifth straight win
MANCHESTER, N.H. (September 29, 2015) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 7 in this week's Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll, picked up its fifth straight win with an 8-1 decision over Southern New Hampshire University at Larkin Field tonight.
Senior Lauren Giordano (Watertown, Massachusetts/Watertown) fired Stonehill to a three goal halftime lead with her second career hat trick and junior All-American Elizabeth Thornton (Needham, Massachusetts/Needham) broke the game open with back to back goals to open the second half. Freshman Carly Andersen (Cheshire, Connecticut/Canterbury School) also contributed a pair of goals, while classmate Kacie Smith (Norwood, Massachusetts/Norwood) dished two assists. Freshman Bonnie Woods (Stony Brook, New York/Ward Melville) chipped in with a goal.
Freshman Sara Freedman (Hopkinton, Massachusetts/Hopkinton) earned her fifth win of the season with three saves over the first 55:41 of the match for Stonehill before giving way to junior Dana Dhami (Glastonbury, Connecticut/Glastonbury) who went untested over the final 14:19. The Skyhawks recorded a 31-5 advantage in shots for the night, while holding a 12-4 edge for penalty corners. Sophomore Jill Piacitelli (East Greenwich, Rhode Island/East Greenwich) started in the Southern New Hampshire cage and made seven stops in the opening 41:27, while senior Cassandra Nickerson (Newton, New Hampshire/Sanborn Regional) made 11 saves over the final 28:33.
Junior All-American Elizabeth Thornton scored a pair of second half goals for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Eamonn Grealish) |
Freshman Maddie Holt (Seabrook, New Hampshire/Winnacunnet) scored the lone Southern New Hampshire goal, marking the Penmen's first goal in three meetings with Stonehill for the second year program.
Giordano scored all three Stonehill goals in the first half, opening the scoring 3:22 into the contest when she tipped in a pass from senior All-American Erika Kelly (Watertown, Massachusetts/Watertown). Giordano doubled the Skyhawks lead just after the 15-minute mark when she knocked in her own rebound and then capped her first half hat trick with another rebound attempt just shy of the half hour off a penalty corner. Giordano's only other career hat trick came in a 7-0 win over Dowling College on October 27, 2013.
Thornton struck twice within a 59-second span in the first two minutes of the second half to break the game open. She scored from ten yards out 55-seconds into the half and then potted her second at 36:54. Anderson scored her first of two goals off another penalty corner when she knocked in a rebound at 46:16.
Holt put Southern New Hampshire on the board with an unassisted tally in the 56th minute. Smith then set up the final two goals for Stonehill, the first coming from Woods on a tip-in at 62:33 before setting up Andersen's second of the night in the 68th minute.
Stonehill (6-3, 4-0 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it hosts Assumption College for its Alumnae Day at W.B. Mason Stadium at noon. Southern New Hampshire (2-7, 0-4 NE-10) visits Southern Connecticut State University on Friday at 6 p.m.
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