Darrell's Goal With 16 Seconds Remaining In Sudden Death Third Overtime Lifts Fourth Ranked Women's Lacrosse To Thrilling 12-11 Non-League Victory At Third Ranked And Defending NCAA National Champion Adelphi

April 14, 2007

STONEHILL WOMEN'S LACROSSE

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Stiles Field, Garden City, N.Y.

FINAL: STONEHILL 12, ADELPHI 11 (THREE OVERTIMES)

1 2 OT OT OT Total

Stonehill (11-0) 2 8 1 0 1 - 12

Adelphi (8-2) 5 5 1 0 0 - 11

SCORING SUMMARY

STO GOALS: Kristin Darrell (5), Michelle Kelly (3), Tracey Hoffman (2), Mary Maloney (2)

STO ASSISTS: Hoffman (2), Kelly, Christa LaRocco, Michelle Salmon

AU GOALS: Lauren Lopez (3), Meghan Blume (3), Diana Lopez (2), Rachel Ray,

Tara Grodotzke, Allison Tumulty

AU ASSISTS: L. Lopez (2), Grodotzke, D. Lopez, Ray

GOALIE SAVES

STO: Amanda McGeachey-9

AU: Allyson Murphy-10

GARDEN CITY, N.Y.-- Junior All-America Kristin Darrell (West Islip, N.Y.) scored five goals, including the game-winner with 16 seconds remaining in the sudden-death third overtime, to lift fourth-ranked Stonehill to a 12-11 non-league college women's lacrosse victory over third-ranked and defending NCAA national champion Adelphi Saturday afternoon at Stiles Field.

Darrell's game-winning marker enabled home field disadvantage to continue in the series between the two schools who have alternated winning Division II national titles in each of the last four seasons, as the visiting Skyhawks (11-0) remained undefeated on the 2007 season and improved to a perfect 4-0 all-time at Stiles Field, as the home team has only won once in the previous six on-campus match-ups between the squads. Darrell's game-winner, which came on a free-position shot, was preceded by some heroics on the defensive end by junior goalie Amanda McGeachey (Saco, Maine), who stopped sophomore Rachel Ray's (Rocky Point, N.Y.) attempted game-winning free position shot for the host Panthers (8-2) with 40 seconds remaining.

"This is one of the greatest games I've ever been associated with," Stonehill Head Coach Michael Daly said after the victory. "We showed tremendous heart-it took a total team effort, and everyone made a play and had to make a play for us to win. Today we became a great team."

Adelphi raced out to a 5-2 halftime advantage and quickly extended that margin to 6-2 on senior Diana Lopez's (Farmingville, N.Y.) goal 1:34 after intermission, but Stonehill roared back with six unanswered markers, including three by Darrell and two more by sophomore Michelle Kelly (Mendham, N.J.), to take an 8-6 lead with 7:49 remaining in regulation. The Panthers evened matters at 8-8 on markers by seniors Lauren Lopez (Farmingville, N.Y.) and Meghan Blume (Bel Air, Md.), but the Skyhawks again took a two-goal edge (10-8) on scores by Darrell and sophomore Mary Maloney (Great River, N.Y.) with 2:31 to play. Lauren Lopez and Blume forged yet another tie with a pair of goals that came 47 seconds apart for Adelphi, and Stonehill had a chance to win in the closing seconds of regulation, but a shot by senior Tracey Hoffman (Nashua, N.H.) was stopped. Maloney's goal 1:07 into the first overtime gave the Skyhawks an 11-10 lead, but a Blume tally with 1:10 to play in the first extra session enabled the Panthers to tie the score. Neither team scored in the second three-minute overtime session, setting up Darrell's heroics in the sudden death frame for Stonehill.

Kelly finished with a hat trick and an assist for four points in the win for Stonehill, which also received a pair of goals and two assists off the stick of Hoffman as well as single assists from junior Christa LaRocco (West Islip, N.Y.) and sophomore Michelle Salmon (East Islip, N.Y.). Blume and Lauren Lopez each had hat tricks in the setback for Adelphi, which also received a pair of goals and an assist from Diana Lopez as well as a goal and assist off the stick of senior Tara Grodotzke (Rocky Point, N.Y.).

McGeachey picked up her 11th win of the season in goal for Stonehill with a nine-save effort, while senior Allyson Murphy (Williston Park, N.Y.) made 10 stops in net for Adelphi as the Skyhawks outshot the Panthers by a 31-23 margin. The win was Stonehill's fifth in seven series meetings with Adelphi and its first since posting a 16-10 triumph in the 2005 NCAA national semi-finals on May 14, 2005 in West Chester, Pa.

Stonehill heads to Manchester, N.H. on Tuesday afternoon to take on Saint Anselm in a Northeast-10 Conference outing that begins at 4:00 p.m., while Adelphi hosts Merrimack in a non-league match next Friday afternoon at Stiles Field beginning at 4:00 p.m.