Field Hockey Eases Past Southern Connecticut State, 8-2


Freshman Kacie Smith totaled a season-high eight points with her second hat trick of the season to go with two assists. (PHOTO BY Eamonn Grealish)

Healy and Smith net hat tricks, with Smith also adding two assists 

EASTON, Mass. (October 16, 2015) – Stonehill College turned two hat trick performances into an 8-2 triumph over Southern Connecticut State University in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey action at Timothy J. Coughlin '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium tonight.

Freshman Kacie Smith (Norwood, Massachusetts/Norwood) fueled Stonehill with a season-high eight point night with her second three-goal game of the year to go with a season-high matching two assists. Junior Shea Healy (Greenfield, Massachusetts/Pioneer Valley) netted her first career hat trick for the Skyhawks, while senior All-American Erika Kelly (Watertown, Massachusetts/Watertown) weighed in with two goals and two assists to run her point streak to 15 games dating back to last season. Junior Sarah Morse (Westminster, Massachusetts/Oakmont Regional) chipped in with two assists.

Kelly moves within four goals of the Northeast-10 career record of 91 set by UMass Lowell's Sammy Macy (2007-10) with her program-record 87 markers. Her program-best 194 career points ranks third all-time in NE-10 history and sixth all-time in Division II.


Junior Shea Healy potted her first career hat trick tonight. (PHOTO BY Eamonn Grealish)

Freshman Sara Freedman (Hopkinton, Massachusetts/Hopkinton) and junior Dana Dhami (Glastonbury, Connecticut/Glastonbury) shared the goaltending duties for Stonehill with Dhami notching three saves in the second half. The Skyhawks held a 23-8 advantage in shots for the contest, including 13-2 in the first half, with a 7-6 edge in penalty corners.

Junior Bailey McGinnis (North Branford, Connecticut/North Branford) led Southern Connecticut with a goal and assist, while freshman Kya O'Donnell (Cheshire, Connecticut/Cheshire) chipped in with a goal. Senior Audrey Dolloff (Raynham, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) finished with six saves in the Owls goal.

Stonehill jumped in front just 61-seconds into the game when Kelly took a pass from Smith and slid behind Dolloff for her first goal of the night. The

Head Coach Susan Ciufo postgame

Skyhawks followed with three goals within a ten minute span later in the half to open a four goal lead by the 30-minute mark. Healy scored two straight just over three minutes apart, the second coming off a corner by Morse and touch pass from Kelly at 22:35. Smith potted her first goal of the night less than seven minutes later when she broke past Dolloff on a counterattack break at 29:01.

Southern got on the scoreboard with 29-seconds remaining in the half as McGinnis fired her fourth goal of the season through Freedman's legs from four yards out. The Owls cut their deficit to two goals less than five minutes into the second half as O'Donnell redirected a pass from the left side by McGinnis at the right post at 39:48 for her second goal of the year.

Stonehill answered with the final four goals of the night to break the game open and post its second straight win. Kelly notched her NE-10 leading 16th goal of the year at 41:55 with a flip from a low angle into the goal off a pass from Smith. Smith followed with an unassisted marker at 44:09 and then Healy capped her three goal night with her fifth goal of the season with a drive off a Morse corner at 60:15. Smith closed out the scoring with her ninth goal of the season with a breakaway goal at 64:28.   

Stonehill (9-5, 7-2 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday when it visits American International College for a Northeast-10 clash at 4 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Tuesday, October 27, to host Merrimack College for its Purple & White game at W.B. Mason Stadium at 7 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (4-10, 1-6 NE-10) hosts Mercy College on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

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