Senior Cassandra McGill had five points with three goals and two assists for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Armstrong notches ten saves, Ryan nets four goals to lead Skyhawks
DAVENPORT, Fla. (March 10, 2015) – Stonehill College, ranked 11th in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, stayed perfect with a 15-8 victory over Bentley University, among teams receiving votes in this week's IWLCA poll, in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action tonight.
Senior Ashley Armstrong (Northborough, Massachusetts/Algonquin Regional) posted a season-high ten saves in the Stonehill goal to preserve the Skyhawks fourth straight win to open the season. The Skyhawks finished with a 32-22 advantage in shots, but overcame a 15-10 deficit on draw controls by forcing 20 Bentley turnovers, while committing just 12 themselves. Stonehill also converted 17-of-20 clears, compared to 13-of-20 for the Falcons. Sophomore Lauren Ochs (Rochester, New York/Irondequoit) posted 11 saves in the Bentley goal.
Senior Cassandra McGill (Westborough, Massachusetts/Westborough) paced the Stonehill attack with a five point night on three goals and two assists with a ground ball. Sophomore Kiki Ryan (Salem, Connecticut/East Lyme) scored a career-high four goals with two ground balls, while senior Emily Kessel (Kennebunk, Maine/Kennebunk) added three goals. Senior Lizzie Lane (Sandwich, Massachusetts/Bishop Stang) and sophomore Elizabeth Vetter (Great River, New York/East Islip) each contributed a goal and assist, with Lane adding three ground balls, a draw control and caused turnover and Vetter collecting three draws and three ground balls. Senior Jillian Yung (Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) and juniors Caitlin Sweeney (Hollis, New Hampshire/Hollis-Brookline) and Rebecca Matheson (Reading, Massachusetts/Reading Memorial) all chipped in with a goal for the Skyhawks.
Sophomore Kiki Ryan netted a career-high four goals tonight. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Junior Erin O'Connor (Longmeadow, Massachusetts/Longmeadow) led Bentley with three goals, while classmate Kelsey Howard (Scarborough, Maine/Scarborough) potted a pair to go with two draw controls, four ground balls and three caused turnovers. Sophomore Hannah Lindgren (Southborough, Massachusetts/Algonquin Regional) chipped in with a goal and assist.
Bentley struck first with a free-position goal from O'Connor just 36-seconds into the contest, but Stonehill responded with a 6-1 run to open a 6-2 lead after McGill's second goal of the half on a free-position shot with 9:49 remaining in the half. Kessel knotted the score at a goal apiece with 20:47 left in the first half and then McGill gave the Skyhawks their first lead, assisted by Vetter, just eight seconds later. Howard equalized for the Falcons less than a minute after that, but Stonehill reeled off four straight to take command. Vetter had a goal and assist during that stretch, with McGill netting two goals.
Bentley scored the final two goals of the half to close the gap to 6-4 at the intermission on goals from senior Jessica Ferrigno (Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) and Howard. Stonehill netted the first five goals of the second half to squash the rally and open up a seven goal cushion (11-4) after McGill's third goal of the night with 17:17 to play. She also dished an assist during that run, while Kessel scored a pair of goals for the Skyhawks. The teams traded goals the remainder of the contest, with Ryan scoring four times over the final 17:26, including two goals in less than a minute late in the match.
Stonehill (4-0, 2-0 NE-10) returns to the Northeast at the end of the week and will return to action next Tuesday, March 17, when it visits Southern New Hampshire University for an NE-10 matchup at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks don't return home until Wednesday, March 25, for its first ever meeting with Northeast-10 newcomer Pace University at 7 p.m. Bentley (2-1, 1-1 NE-10) is back in action on Thursday in Orlando when it battles 8th-ranked LIU Post at 7 p.m.
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