Senior Caitlin Sweeney celebrated her return to the Skyhawks lineup with a seven point day. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Sweeney leads Skyhawks to win in NE-10 opener with seven points
RINDGE, N.H. (March 19, 2016) – Stonehill College, ranked 15th in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, closed the game with six straight goals to claim a 14-7 victory over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action at Sodexo Field this afternoon.
Senior Caitlin Sweeney (Hollis, New Hampshire/Hollis-Brookline) led Stonehill with seven points on five goals and two assists, while also contributing two caused turnovers in her first game of the season. Sophomore All-American Kelly Healey (Westwood, Massachusetts/Westwood) added three goals, three ground balls and two draw controls, while senior Rebecca Matheson (Reading, Massachusetts/Reading Memorial) posted four points with a goal and three assists. Junior Elizabeth Vetter (Great River, New York/East Islip) recorded a goal and two assists with six draw controls, two ground balls and a caused turnover, while classmate Shannon Booth (Pearl River, New York/Nanuet) netted a pair of goals for the Skyhawks.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Hess (Guilderland, New York/Guilderland) preserved the win with ten saves, while adding a caused turnover, as Stonehill held a 29-24 edge in shots for the contest. The Skyhawks posted a 13-9 advantage in draw controls and was successful on 15-of-18 clear attempts. Junior Denise Hunt (Hull, Massachusetts/Hull) registered ten stops in the Franklin Pierce goal, with three ground balls.
Sophomore Caitlin Sweeney (Shirley, New York/Longwood) led Franklin Pierce with five points as she netted four goals to go with an assist and three draw controls. Senior Lauren Beville (Jamesville, New York/Jamesville-DeWitt) added a goal and assist for the Ravens, while senior Nicole Beliveau (Westfield, Massachusetts/Westfield) and sophomore Anna Wilbert (Bohemia, New York/Connetquot) each chipped in with goals.
Sophomore All-American Kelly Healey contributed three goals, including a pair during the Skyhawks late run. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Stonehill scored the final six goals to break open a one goal game, including two by Healey, while Sweeney and Matheson each added a goal and assist for the Skyhawks. Freshman Linna Jalinskas (Farmington, Connecticut/Farmington) opened the run with her third goal of the year with a free-position marker with 20:59 to play. Matheson extended the lead to three goals with her six goal of the season, assisted by junior Kiki Ryan (Salem, Connecticut/East Lyme), with 16:14 remaining. Booth added her second goal of the afternoon with 8:12 on the clock and then Healey extended the Skyhawks lead to five goals (12-7), assisted by Vetter, with 6:54 left. Sweeney scored her fifth goal of the day, assisted by Matheson, and then set up Healey's third goal of the afternoon, as the Skyhawks tacked on a pair of goals in the final minute.
Stonehill scored the first three goals of the contest, led by a goal and assist from Sweeney, before Franklin Pierce answered with a pair from its Caitlin Sweeney within a 32-second span to draw within one with 16:50 left in the first half. Stonehill's Caitlin Sweeney restored a two goal lead for the Skyhawks with 7:24 remaining in the first half, but the Ravens netted three straight, keyed by a goal and assist from Sweeney, to take the lead (5-4) with 1:02 remaining in the half after Wilbert's fifth goal of the year.
Stonehill regained the lead heading into halftime with goals from Booth and Sweeney in the last 20-seconds. Belville drew Franklin Pierce even (6-6) with her 11th goal of the season 32-seconds into the second half, but Sweeney and Healey scored 39-seconds apart to push the Skyhawks back in front by two (8-6) with 24:47 to play. Caitlin Sweeney drew Franklin Pierce back within one with her 12th goal of the year with 23:08 to go, but the Ravens wouldn't score again as the Skyhawks sealed the win with their six goal closing run.
Stonehill (2-1, 1-0 NE-10) is back in action on Tuesday when it hosts top-ranked Adelphi University for an NE-10 contest at W.B. Mason Stadium at 7 p.m. Franklin Pierce (3-1, 0-1 NE-10) travels to Assumption College on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
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