Stonehill, C.W. Post Set To Meet In Battle Of Division II Women's Lacrosse Unbeatens Friday Afternoon, Skyhawks And Pioneers Bring Combined 27-0 Mark Into Clash

April 25, 2007

Easton, Mass.-- In what seems to have become a bi-annual rite of spring, the last two remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II women's lacrosse play will square off with top bragging rights in North Region play on the line, as third-ranked Stonehill (15-0) hosts top-ranked C.W. Post (12-0) in a marquee match-up Friday afternoon at W.B. Mason Stadium beginning at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

With a combined history that includes three NCAA national championships and nine national semi-final appearances between them, the two programs will also carry a combined perfect 27-0 mark into Friday's tilt, with the winner carrying the unbeaten mantle into most likely the top seed in the region in the upcoming NCAA Division II championships. Head Coach Michael Daly's Skyhawks are off to a 15-0 start for the second time in three seasons, the last coming during Stonehill's perfect 21-0 campaign in 2005 that was capped with the program's second national championship in three years, while Head Coach Karen MacCrate Henning's Pioneers sport a 12-0 slate, matching C.W. Post's best start in three years as well.

The tale of the tape between the two teams in 2007 is very similar-Stonehill averages just a shade over 18 goals per game, while C.W. Post is scoring just over 17 tallies per contest. Each team once again ranks among the national leaders in team defense in NCAA Division II play, as the Skyhawks' shutout of American International on Tuesday pulled them into a tie with the Pioneers for the top spot in the country at a stingy six goals allowed per match. Balance is also a key component in each team's arsenal, as each team boasts of eight players who have registered 20 or more points on the season to date.

And while balance has been a staple for success of both squads, each also boasts of a marquee player that will make the decision as IWLCA Division II National Player of the Year a difficult one. Stonehill junior Kristin Darrell (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) has notched 55 goals and 21 assists for 76 points to date, including five goals that featured the game-winner in the sudden death third overtime period of the 12-11 triumph over defending national champion Adelphi back on April 14th. A three-time selection as Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week this season, Darrell also tied the school record for goals in a match with nine in a 20-8 victory at Merrimack back on March 27th and has recorded hat tricks in 12 of 15 matches to date. C.W. Post counters with undoubtedly the top player in the East Coast Conference in senior Shannon Fabian (Rocky Point, N.Y./Rocky Point), who leads the Pioneers with 32 goals and 39 assists for 71 points and last week set the NCAA Division II career assists record.

The winner of Friday's match certainly does have a leg up in terms of seeding for NCAA tournament play, but as both coaches know, there is still a lot of work to be completed for both at the end of their contest. Stonehill has a date with rival Bentley next Monday afternoon at W.B. Mason Stadium that will decide not only the Northeast-10 Conference regular season champion, but will also decide which school will host the upcoming league tournament, as the Skyhawks will put their 67-match conference winning streak on the line against the Falcons. C.W. Post has an East Coast Conference clash next week with 10th-ranked Philadelphia University looming as well, so though the drama will be high on Friday afternoon, the stakes are also great in the near future for both squads.

Friday's contest will mark the 11th all-time series meeting between Stonehill and C.W. Post, and the two teams have split the first 10 match-ups down the middle at five wins apiece. The Skyhawks have won each of the last two regular season meetings in Easton by identical 12-8 scores in 2003 and 2005, and the Pioneers took last year's contest in Brookville, N.Y. by a 13-9 final. C.W. Post has won twice as the visiting team in the previous nine campus match-ups between the two squads, both coming during the Pioneers' NCAA national championship season in 2001, as Stonehill has won four of the last six matches between the two schools dating back to their 2002 NCAA national semi-final meeting at West Chester.