#6 Field Hockey Rebounds Against #2 East Stroudsburg, 1-0

Freedman posts 15th career shutout with four save performance behind strong defensive effort for Skyhawks


Freedman posted her 15th career shutout with a four save performance today. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

EASTON, Mass. (September 9, 2018) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 6 in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II preseason poll, bounced back from a tough midweek defeat to claim an impressive 1-0 triumph over No. 2 East Stroudsburg University in non-conference field hockey action on Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon.

Senior Sara Freedman anchored a stout defensive effort for Stonehill with four saves to preserve the win and her 15th career shutout. It marks the Skyhawks first shutout of East Stroudsburg in 17 meetings all-time, with the teams having combined for 61 goals over the previous seven encounters between the two (8.7 combined goals per game). The win is Stonehill's fifth in the all-time series, three of which have come over the last five seasons. Leading the defensive effort in front of Freedman this afternoon was sophomore center-back Elaine Bachelder, the reigning Longstreth/NFHCA Division II and NE10 Defensive Player of the Week, senior MacKenzie Greenberg and freshman Charlotte Cloosterman.


Andersen netted the lone goal off her own corner after time had expired in the first half (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Senior Carly Andersen potted the lone goal of the game with a tip off her own penalty corner after time had expired in the opening half. Anderson's corner pass went to Bachelder at the top of the arc, who connected with senior All-American Kacie Smith, the reigning Longstreth/NFHCA Division II Player of the Year, for a drive from the right side of the arc that Anderson redirected past East Stroudsburg junior goalkeeper Maddie Richie.

The corner was one of two on the afternoon for Stonehill, which made the most of its opportunities, while keeping East Stroudsburg off the scoresheet by forcing the majority of its 12 shots from wide positions and yielding just four shots on goal, which Freedman was able to keep out of the net over the full 70-minutes. The Warriors also held an 8-2 edge in penalty corners for the afternoon and Richie finished with three saves, all in the first half. East Stroudsburg was shutout for just the eighth time since the start of the 2015 season.

Stonehill (2-1, 0-0 NE10) is off until next Saturday, September 15, when it hosts Saint Thomas Aquinas College for a non-conference matchup at W.B. Mason Stadium at 1 p.m. East Stroudsburg (1-1, 0-0 PSAC) hosts No. 3 LIU Post on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

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