Skyhawks top Pioneers for the first time in six seasons to notch key regional victory

Sam Lynott scored four times to help Stonehill pull away.

EASTON, Mass. (April 16, 2011) – The Stonehill College women's lacrosse team captured their biggest win of the season Saturday afternoon over visiting Long Island University-C.W. Post, coming away from a matchup of nationally-ranked squads with an 11-9 victory. Stonehill, ranked fifth in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II national poll, defeated sixth-ranked C.W. Post for the first time since 2005 to improve to 12-1 overall on the season.

Sam Lynott (Holbrook, N.Y./East Sachem) led all scorers with four goals, netting three of them in the second half to help Stonehill pull away from a halftime tie and hold the lead throughout the final 30 minutes. Hannah Anderson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) and Kelsey Shannahan (Mendham, N.J./Morris Catholic) added two goals apiece, and Emily Kerwin (Bristol, R.I./Portsmouth Abbey) had a career day on defense to lead the Skyhawks with five caused turnovers and seven ground balls, both career highs. Goalkeeper Rebecca Moore (Marlborough, Mass./St. Mark's School) made six saves to earn the decision in net, including three on free-position attempts to shut out the Pioneers from the eight-meter circle.

Emily Kerwin had a career day on defense, causing five turnovers.

C.W. Post's Jackie Sileo (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) led the Pioneers with three goals and two assists, and Lauren Spagnoletta (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) picked up three points and a game-high five draw controls, as C.W. Post dominated with a 17-5 advantage off the draw to force Stonehill to fight for possession early. Goalkeeper Dominique Mosca (Merrick, N.Y./Sanford H. Calhoun) stopped 12 shots.

Facing an early 2-0 deficit after a goal and an assist from Sileo, Stonehill responded with three straight scores from Lynott, Anderson, and Heather Sullivan (Andover, Mass./Andover) for a one-goal advantage, but neither side established control of a fiercely contested first half in which the lead changed hands four times. Lynott forced a turnover near midfield with a minute to go to help set up a go-ahead goal by Sarah Galligan (West Newbury, Mass./Pentucket Regional), but Morgan Chiarenza (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East) equalized for the Pioneers with just four seconds left in the half to send the game into the break knotted at 5-5.

Stonehill turned up the tempo immediately in the second half as Lynott scored directly off the opening draw, and the Skyhawks scored six of the first seven goals to pull away for good. Kerwin and Devin O'Leary (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) anchored the defensive effort, combining to force five of C.W. Post's eight second-half turnovers, and Kerwin twice absorbed a charge from Spagnoletta to stifle late scoring chances for the Pioneers.

After Shannahan converted a free-position shot to give Stonehill an 11-6 lead midway through the half, C.W. Post rallied for three late goals to pull within 11-9 with 2:48 remaining, but the Skyhawks controlled the ball over the final minutes to lock up the victory.

Stonehill (12-1, 8-1 NE-10) returns to Northeast-10 competition on Wednesday at Southern New Hampshire University in a 7:00 p.m. matchup. The Skyhawks are next at home on Saturday, when they host Dowling College for another major regional challenge beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Below: postgame reaction from head coach Katie Lambert-Conover and Sam Lynott.