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Smith scored her fifth gamewinning goal of the year, providing the Skyhawks with an early advantage. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Smith & Gerew net goals, Freedman posts fifth shutout for Skyhawks
EASTON, Mass. (October 5, 2016) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 5 in this week's Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll, scored a goal in each half and claimed its fifth shutout win of the season with a 2-0 decision over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey action at Timothy J. Coughlin '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium tonight.
Junior Alexandra Gerew (Harrisville, Rhode Island/Pomfret School) and sophomore Kacie Smith (Norwood, Massachusetts/Norwood) each scored a goal, while sophomore Sara Freedman (Hopkinton, Massachusetts/Hopkinton) registered four saves in recording her fifth shutout of the season for Stonehill. The Skyhawks held a 23-6 advantage for shots, including 17-4 in the second half, while finishing with an 8-4 edge in penalty corners for the contest.
Junior Meaghan Williams (Salem, New Hampshire/Salem) kept Franklin Pierce in the game with a 15 save effort. Classmate Erin Smith (Templeton, Massachusetts/Narragansett Regional) chipped in with a defensive save for the Ravens.
Freedman posted her fifth shutout of the year with a four save performance. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Stonehill staked out a lead 7:23 into the contest as Smith potted her NCAA Division II-leading 15th goal of the season when she broke down the right side and worked her way past a defender before firing a low shot to Williams' right on what would prove to be her lone shot on target in the half. After the two teams combined for eight shots in the first half, Stonehill picked up the pressure in the second with a 17-4 advantage for shots, with Gerew adding an insurance goal at 55:31, slotting her second goal of the year off a rebound with a low shot from just inside the upper left side of the arc.
Stonehill (8-2, 5-1 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it hosts rival Bentley University for a Northeast-10 matchup on Senior Day at 11 a.m. Franklin Pierce (3-8, 0-6 NE-10) hosts Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday at 4 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market. Stonehill will serve as host of the 2016 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship at W.B. Mason Stadium, November 18-20.
