Freshman Rebecca Moore stopped a season-high 20 shots to preserve Stonehill's spot in the NE-10 Championship game for the 11th time in program history. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) |
2010 NORTHEAST-10
TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
#2 Stonehill Stifles #3 Merrimack, 15-8
Moore stops 20 shots, while Lynott nets five goals as Skyhawks reach championship game for 11th time in conference's 12 seasons of lacrosse
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (May 8, 2010) – Second-seeded Stonehill College, ranked seventh in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, held third-seeded and No. 9-ranked Merrimack College to just four goals each half in posting a 15-8 victory in semifinal round action of the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse championships, hosted by Adelphi University, at Competition Field this afternoon.
Stonehill (13-2, 10-1 NE-10) advances to the NE-10 championship game for the 11th time in the Conference's 12 years sponsoring women's lacrosse as a championship sport after a one-year absence. The Skyhawks, winners of an NE-10 record nine tournament championships will face top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Adelphi (15-1, 11-0 NE-10) in tomorrow's final here at Competition Field at 1 p.m. The game will be webcast live free of charge via www.northeast10.tv, powered by Pack Network.
Merrimack likely sees its season come to a close with a 12-3 record overall, 9-2 in the Northeast-10, having reached the semifinal round of the NE-10 tournament for the eighth time in program history.
Freshman goalkeeper Rebecca Moore (Marlborough, Mass./St. Mark's School) preserved the win for Stonehill with a season-high 20 saves, including 11 in the second half. Senior Jamie-Lee Whiteway (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) stopped 16 shots in goal for Merrimack, 11 coming in the second half.
Sophomore Samantha Lynott netted five goals in the Skyhawks win. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr). |
Sophomore Samantha Lynott (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East) led Stonehill's offense with five goals on the afternoon, converting two-of-three free-position attempts. Sophomore Sarah Galligan (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional) also collected five points with two goals and three assists for the Skyhawks, while junior Hannah Anderson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) netted four goals off the bench. Senior Jackie Ladino (North Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) chipped in with two goals and an assist for three points.
Senior Kelly Pasquantonio (Plainville, Mass./King Phillip) was the lone Merrimack player with multiple goals with two, adding four ground balls and two caused turnovers. Sophomore Mary Pasquantonio (Plainville, Mass./King Phillip) was one of six Warriors to finish with one goal, adding seven ground balls and three caused turnovers.
Kelly Pasquantonio struck first to give Merrimack the early advantage with an unassisted marker 3:11 into the contest. Galligan knotted the score with an unassisted strike of her own just 48-seconds later to spark a 5-0 Stonehill run. She finished with a goal and assist in that run, while Lynott netted three goals.
Merrimack scored three of the next four goals from senior Mia Basile (Longmeadow, Mass./Minnechaug), junior Liz Lyons (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) and freshman Jen Pino (North Andover, Mass./North Andover) to draw within 6-4 with 8:15 left in the first half. Ladino had a hand in two Stonehill goals, scoring one and assisting on another from freshman Heather Sullivan (Andover, Mass./Andover), within a 12-second span to push its lead back to 8-4 heading into the break.
Merrimack was still within three goals (10-7) after back-to-back markers from the Pasquantonio sisters with 21:46 remaining in regulation, but Stonehill clinched the win with another 5-0 run that pushed its lead to 15-7 with 10:19 to play. Galligan had a goal and two assists during that stretch, while Anderson scored twice. Sophomore Colleen Strachan (Bedford, Mass./Bedford) rounded the scoring for Merrimack with 6:35 left, but the Warriors could get no closer.
Stonehill will be seeking its tenth NE-10 tournament championship tomorrow, having won a Conference-record nine-straight crowns from 2000-2008 before being edged in the semifinal round last year at the University of New Haven. Adelphi looks to complete the NE-10 championship double tomorrow in its first year as a league member, having already won the Conference's regular season championship.