NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN!...Confer Nets Hat Trick, Tournament MVP Stone Makes 10 Saves In Goal As Top-Ranked Women's Lacrosse Caps Perfect Season With Second NCAA National Crown In Three Seasons With 13-10 Victory Over Second-Ranked West Chester In 2005 Title Contest

May 15, 2005

STONEHILL WOMEN'S LACROSSE

2005 NCAA Division II National Championship

South Campus Field, West Chester, Pa.

FINAL: STONEHILL 13, WEST CHESTER 10

1 2 Total

Stonehill (21-0) 7 6 - 13

West Chester (17-2) 4 6 - 10

SCORING SUMMARY

STO GOALS: Colby Confer (3), Tracey Hoffman (2), Kristin Darrell (2),Colette Carpenter (2), Courtney Duggan (2), Jenny McGrath, Erin Acone

WCU GOALS: Kirstin McGoldrick (4), Katelyn Martin (3), Neilly Oliver, Caitlin Pettit, Christa Somits

STO ASSISTS: McGrath (2), Acone, Darrell, Hoffman

WCU ASSISTS: Oliver (2), Pettit, Somits

GOALIE SAVES

STO: Lauren Stone--10

WCU: Chelsea Marshall-8

WEST CHESTER, Pa.-- Senior All-America Colby Confer (Madison, Conn.) netted a hat trick and tournament Most Valuable Player Lauren Stone (Guilderland, N.Y.) made 10 saves as top-ranked Stonehill captured its second NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse national championship in three seasons with a 13-10 victory over second-ranked West Chester in the 2005 NCAA Division II national championship match played Sunday afternoon at West Chester's South Campus Field.

The visiting Chieftains completed a perfect season in finishing at 21-0 overall, as Stonehill will bring a school-record 27-game winning streak into the 2006 campaign. The Chieftains, who captured the 2003 NCAA national crown with a last-second 9-8 victory over Longwood, jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead midway through the contest on goals by Confer, senior Colette Carpenter (Massapequa, N.Y.), junior All-America Erin Acone (Bow, N.H.) and sophomore Tracey Hoffman (Nashua, N.H.). The Golden Rams, who finish at 17-2 overall with both of their setbacks coming at the hands of Stonehill, closed to within 6-4 late in the half before Hoffman's second tally with 1:27 remaining gave the Chieftains a 7-4 lead at the break.

Junior Katelyn Martin's (Downingtown, Pa.) goal 45 seconds into the half sliced West Chester's deficit to 7-5, but Stonehill netted three straight markers, including two off the stick of freshman Kristin Darrell (West Islip, N.Y.) and another by Carpenter, to take a 10-5 lead with 15:46 remaining. The two teams traded goals before the Golden Rams closed to within one after four unanswered goals in a 3:11 stretch, including two by Martin, enabled West Chester to trail only by one (11-10) with 4:15 remaining. Stonehill iced matters with back-to-back goals in a 20 second span by Confer and senior Courtney Duggan (Billerica, Mass.) to close out the scoring and give the Chieftains their second NCAA crown.

"They (the players) carried me today," Stonehill Head Coach Michael Daly said following the match. "To finish undefeated and as the national champions is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of everyone on this team. They earned it and they deserve all the credit for it."

Hoffman and Darrell each finished with a pair of goals and an assist for three points for Stonehill, while Carpenter and Duggan each netted a pair for the Chieftains, who received a single tally a well from junior Jenny McGrath (Milton, Mass.). Stone took care of the rest with her school-record 19th win in goal of the season for Stonehill, including five saves in each half of action.

Senior Kirstin McGoldrick (Havertown, Pa.) netted a game-high four goals in the setback for West Chester, while Martin finished with a hat trick and senior Neilly Oliver (Jenkintown, Pa.) added a goal and two assists for the Golden Rams, who also received a goal and an assist each from senior Caitlin Pettit (Media, Pa.) and junior Christa Somits (West Chester, Pa.). Junior Chelsea Marshall (Media, Pa.) made eight stops on the day for West Chester as each team had 30 shots on goal for the contest.

The win avenged Stonehill's 11-6 setback to West Chester in the 2002 NCAA national championship game played at South Campus Field and was the Chieftains' third triumph in four series meetings with the Golden Rams.

Stone was joined on the 2005 NCAA Division II National Championship all-tournament team by Confer, Acone, senior Meaghan Carey (Hingham, Mass.), junior All-America Kate Sarkissian (Sandwich, Mass.) and freshman Katie Gavin (Westwood, Mass.).

CHIEFTAIN CHATTER: Stonehill became the first road team to win the NCAA national crown, as the Chieftains fell in the 2002 title contest at West Chester and won the NCAA title in 2003 as the home team over Longwood. Both the 2001 and 2004 national championship games were considered as neutral sites based upon the participants and location...The North Region has now claimed four of the five NCAA Division II national championships contested since 2001...Stonehill shattered West Chester's NCAA record for goals in one season with 394 in 2005, eclipsing the Golden Rams' mark of 362 set in 2004...Confer concluded her career as Stonehill's second all-time leading scorer with 252 points, trailing only Katie Lambert (326) in that category...Stonehill led at the half in 20 of its 21 contests this season, the only exception coming on April 12th against West Chester when the Chieftains trailed 7-6. In their final 93-plus minutes of action of the season against the Golden Rams (including the regular season), Stonehill scored 21 goals...Acone's final season total of 89 points ranks as the second highest single-season total in Stonehill history.