NORTHEAST-10 CHAMPIONS!!!... Acone Nets Four Goals And Eight Points As Third-Ranked Women's Lacrosse Puts Cap On Eighth Straight Northeast-10 Regular Season Title With 17-14 Overtime Triumph At Saint Michael's

April 22, 2006

STONEHILL WOMEN'S LACROSSE

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Duffy Field, Colchester, Vt.

FINAL: STONEHILL 17, SAINT MICHAEL'S 14 (OVERTIME)

1 2 OT Total

Stonehill (14-1, 10-0 Northeast-10) 6 8 3 - 17

Saint Michael's (8-4, 5-3 Northeast-10) 6 8 0 - 14

SCORING SUMMARY

STO GOALS: Erin Acone (4), Jenny McGrath (3), Kristin Darrell (3), Michelle Kelly (3),

Michelle Salmon (2), Christa LaRocco, Mary Maloney

STM GOALS: Amanda Soule (5), Brynne Curran (4), Megan Rule (2), Kristen Palazzo,

Lauren Rizzotti, Ava Gottschall

STO ASSISTS: Acone (4), LaRocco (3), McGrath (2), Maloney

STM ASSISTS: Palazzo (3), Curran, Megan Lagasse

GOALIE SAVES

STO: Lauren Stone-9

STM: Courtney Wakem-6

COLCHESTER, Vt.-- Senior All-America Erin Acone (Bow, N.H.) netted four goals and four assists for eight points as third-ranked Stonehill wrapped up its sixth straight unblemished Northeast-10 Conference regular season campaign and its eighth straight league regular season championship with a 17-14 overtime victory over Saint Michael's Saturday afternoon at Duffy Field.

The visiting Skyhawks (14-1, 10-0 Northeast-10), winners of 41 of their last 42 contests overall since April 2004, scored the final four goals of the contest, including the tying marker with 1:16 remaining in regulation and the eventual game-winner 1:04 into overtime by senior All-America Jenny McGrath (Milton, Mass.). Extra session tallies by Acone and freshman Mary Maloney (Great River, N.Y.) accounted for the final score in Stonehill's first overtime match since the 2001 NCAA Division II national semi-finals against C.W. Post, as the Skyhawks claimed their 58th straight Northeast-10 victory dating back to April 2000 and improved to 71-1 all-time in league play since the conference's inception in 1999.

McGrath added a hat trick and two assists in the win for Stonehill, which also received a goal and three assists off the stick of sophomore Christa LaRocco (West Islip, N.Y.). Sophomore All-America Kristin Darrell (West Islip, N.Y.) and freshman Michelle Kelly (Mendham, N.J.) each added hat tricks for the Skyhawks, who also received a pair of markers from freshman Michelle Salmon (East Islip, N.Y.) as well as an assist from Maloney.

Sophomore Amanda Soule (Hartland, Vt.) paced the host Purple Knights (8-4, 5-3 Northeast-10) with five goals on the afternoon, as Saint Michael's netted four of their tallies on nine free position shots. Sophomore Brynne Curran (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) added four goals and an assist for five points in the setback for the hosts, who also received a pair of goals from junior Megan Rule (Bow, N.H.) as well as a goal and three assists off the stick of senior Kristen Palazzo (Armonk, N.Y.). Freshmen Lauren Rizzotti (Cohasset, Mass.) and Ava Gottschall (Amherst, Mass.) each added single goals for the Purple Knights, who also received an assist from junior Megan Lagasse (Newburyport, Mass.).

Senior All-America Lauren Stone (Guilderland, N.Y.) picked up her 45th career victory in goal for Stonehill with a nine-save effort, while sophomore Courtney Wakem (Tiverton, R.I.) made six stops in net for Saint Michael's as the Skyhawks outshot the Purple Knights by a 33-29 margin.

Stonehill travels to West Chester, Pa. on Thursday afternoon to take on fourth-ranked West Chester in a re-match of last year's NCAA Division II national championship contest beginning at 4:00 p.m., while Saint Michael's heads to Manchester, N.H. on Tuesday afternoon to take on Southern New Hampshire in a Northeast-10 outing that begins at 4:00 p.m.