Senior Kelsey Shannahan scored five goals for the Skyhawks tonight. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Pickett and Villareal lead Hawks to key NE-10 win with five goals each
EASTON, Mass. (April 22, 2014) – Saint Anselm College, ranked 14th in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, wrapped a 5-1 run around halftime to open a five goal lead and made it stand down the stretch to claim a key 16-13 triumph over Stonehill College, ranked 12th in both the IWLCA and Lacrosse Magazine Division II polls, in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action at Timothy J. Coughlin Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium tonight.
Junior Kelly Pickett (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) and sophomore Caitlin Villareal (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth Abbey) both netted five goals to lead Saint Anselm to victory. Villareal also collected two draw controls, while Pickett added two ground balls in the win. Junior Marissa Daly (Marshfield, Mass./Thayer) contributed two goals and an assist for three points, while classmate Kaitlyn Stazinski (Pembroke, Mass./Milton Academy) posted a pair of goals. Sophomores Erin Marshall (Woburn, Mass./Woburn) and Michelle Kudlate (Waltham, Mass./Waltham) each chipped in with a goal and assist for the Hawks.
Sophomore Jane Bunn (St. Johns, Fla./Creekside) started and made two saves for Saint Anselm while conceding four goals in the first half in goal, while junior Allee Ramzi (Cumberland, R.I./Mount Saint Charles Academy) posted four stops and yielded nine goals over the final 30 minutes. The Hawks finished with a 26-22 advantage in shots for the night, including 14-7 in the first half to help claim an 8-4 lead at the half, and converted 7-of-12 free-position shots. Stonehill held a 17-13 edge for draw controls, including 11-7 in the second half to make a run, but committed 13 turnovers, compared to 12 for the Hawks, including nine in the opening frame. Junior Ashley Armstrong (Northborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) finished with six saves in the Skyhawks goal.
Junior Brooke Rudden (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton) led Stonehill with three goals and four assists for seven points, while senior Kelsey Shannahan (Mendham, N.J./Morris Catholic) netted five goals. Sophomore Caitlin Sweeney (Hollis, N.H./Hollis-Brookline) added a career-high matching three goals and an assist for a career-best four points, while junior Lizzie Lane (Sandwich, Mass./Bishop Stang) and sophomore Rebecca Matheson (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial) both chipped in with a goal. Lane also collected five draw controls, four ground balls and two caused turnovers, while Matheson gathered six draws.
Junior Brooke Rudden recorded three goals and four assists for seven points tonight. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Saint Anselm answered a 3-1 Stonehill run that closed a three-goal deficit down to one (5-4) with 6:54 remaining in the first half by wrapping a 5-1 spell around halftime to open a five goal cushion (10-5) two minutes into the second half. The Hawks scored three times in the final 68-seconds of the opening frame as Pickett scored twice, including the final marker of the half off a turnover with one second on the clock, while Villareal also chipped in an unassisted tally during the spurt.
Sweeney scored 52-seconds into the second half to pull Stonehill back within three (8-5), but Marshall and Kudlate answered with goals 30-seconds apart to boost the Saint Anselm lead to five (10-5) 2:06 into the frame. After Shannahan scored for the Skyhawks, Pickett and Villareal added a pair of goals 47-seconds apart to give the Hawks a game-high six goal bulge (12-6) less than eight minutes in.
Stonehill chipped away with a 4-1 stretch over a seven minute span, capped by three straight goals to draw back within three (13-10) after a Sweeney marker with 10:02 on the clock. She had a goal and assist during that stretch, while Rudden posted two goals and an assist.
Saint Anselm reclaimed its five goal margin (15-10) after a free-position goal from Stazinski with 6:52 remaining that would prove to be the final straw. Matheson sparked a three goal run for Stonehill with a goal with 2:39 to go before Shannahan scored her fifth of the night 35-seconds later with 2:04 on the clock. Sweeney pulled the Skyhawks within a pair (15-13) off a Rudden feed with 37-seconds to go, but Daly iced the game with her second of the half with 11-seconds to go.
Saint Anselm opened a 4-1 lead after back to back free-position goals by Villareal at 20:46 and 18:55 before Rudden, Lane and Shannahan surrounded a Pickett goal to pull within one (5-4) with 6:54 left in the first half. Rudden collected a goal and assist during the three goal push for the Skyhawks.
Stonehill (10-6, 8-3 NE-10) is back in action on Thursday when it visits Saint Michael's College to close out the regular season at 3 p.m. Saint Anselm (11-3, 8-3 NE-10) hosts Southern Connecticut State University to cap its regular season on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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