Isner paced the Skyhawks defensive effort with seven ground balls and four caused turnovers. (PHOTO BY Mike Broglio/SportsPix)

Vetter leads Skyhawks with five points, two draws and two ground balls

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (March 25, 2017) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 20 in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, cruised to a 15-5 victory over Southern Connecticut State University in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action at Jess Dow Field this afternoon.

Stonehill bounced back from its midweek defeat at top-ranked Adelphi University behind a five point effort from senior midfielder Elizabeth Vetter (Great River, New York/East Islip) as she totaled four goals and an assist to go with two ground balls and two draw controls. The four markers give her 98 in 62 career games for the Skyhawks. Seniors Shannon Booth (Pearl River, New York/Nanuet) and Kiki Ryan (Salem, Connecticut/East Lyme) each added four point games as Booth tallied three goals and an assist, while Ryan had a goal and a career-best three assists. Freshmen Jennifer Wheaton (Dartmouth, Massachusetts/Dartmouth) and MacKenzie Pleshaw (Franklin, Massachusetts/Franklin) each chipped in with a pair of goals, while Wheaton also collected two caused turnovers, two ground balls and a draw control.

Junior Bailey Herr (Oakhurst, New Jersey/Ocean Township) earned the win in goal for Stonehill with three saves in the first 46:03 of the contest, before yielding to freshman Bailey Grant (Chelmsford, Massachusetts/Chelmsford) who made three stops in the final 13:57. The Skyhawks, which posted a 32-15 advantage for shots on the afternoon, were keyed by a defensive unit which forced 12 Southern Connecticut State turnovers. Senior Erika Isner (Farmington, Connecticut/Farmington) led the way with seven ground balls, four caused turnovers and a draw control, while junior midfielder Taylor Shannahan (Mendham, New Jersey/Morris Catholic) collected three caused turnovers, four ground balls and a draw.

Vetter led the Skyhawks on offense with four goals and an assist. (PHOTO BY Mike Broglio/SportsPix)

Junior Nicole Healey (Milford, Connecticut/St. Joseph) totaled three points to lead Southern Connecticut State with two goals and an assist, while adding four draw controls. Sophomore Emily Johnson (Riverside, Connecticut/Greenwich) chipped in with a goal and assist, while junior Carolynn Keal (Southington, Connecticut/Southington) had four caused turnovers and four ground balls for the Owls. Sophomore Alexandra Takacs (Sparta, New Jersey/Sparta) registered 12 saves in goal, holding Stonehill scoreless on four free-position shots.

Vetter and Pleshaw staked out a two goal lead for Stonehill with unassisted markers over the first 6:16. Healey pulled a goal back for Southern with a free-position goal just over a minute later, but the Skyhawks got goals from senior Jenna Gilman (Ocean Township, New Jersey/Ocean Township) and Booth within a 20-second span to extend their lead to three (4-1) with 21:22 remaining in the first half.

Southern scored two of the next three goals, with Johnson having a hand in both, to draw within two (5-3) after Johnson's ninth goal of the year with 10:42 left in the half. Stonehill started to pull away from there, scoring the final four goals of the half, with Ryan recording a goal and two assists during the run, to open a six goal halftime lead (9-3).

Stonehill extended the run to eight goals by potting the first four of the second half to open a ten goal lead (13-3) 9:02 into the frame. Booth and Vetter each scored twice during the opening run of the second half, while Ryan added her third assist. The Skyhawks saw the game out from there, with two Wheaton goals offsetting the final two markers from the Owls.

Stonehill (4-3, 3-1 NE10) returns to action on Wednesday, when it hosts the University of New Haven for its Purple & White Game at W.B. Mason Stadium at 7 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (3-3, 1-2 NE10) hosts top-ranked Adelphi University on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

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