#19/20 Women's Lacrosse Pulls Away at Molloy, 19-10


Healey netted a career-high six goals to go with an assist for a career-best seven points today. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Ka. Healey and Doherty fire Skyhawks to second-straight win

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (March 3, 2018) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 19 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Magazine Division II poll and No. 20 in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II coaches' poll pulled away in the second half to record a 19-10 victory over Molloy College in non-conference women's lacrosse action at John A. Darcy Field this afternoon.

Sophomore Kaitlin Healey (Westwood, Massachusetts/Westwood) set career-highs for the second-straight game to open the season for Stonehill, totaling a career-best six goals to go with an assist for a career-high seven points, adding four draw controls, three ground balls and a caused turnover. Senior Brianna Doherty (Walpole, Massachusetts/Walpole) totaled a career-high eight points with career-bests of three goals and five assists, adding three ground balls. Sophomore MacKenzie Pleshaw (Franklin, Massachusetts/Franklin) netted a career-best five goals for the Skyhawks, while junior Linna Jalinskas (Farmington, Connecticut/Farmington) chipped in with a career-high three goals, three ground balls and a caused turnover.

Sophomore Bailey Grant (Chelmsford, Massachusetts/Chelmsford) preserved the win with five of her season-high nine saves in the second half. Senior Taylor Shannahan (Mendham, New Jersey/Morris Catholic) collected a team-high seven ground balls for Stonehill, with two draw controls and an assist.

Junior Brianna Wilson (Levittown, New York/Island Trees) led Molloy with five points on four goals and an assist, with seven draw controls, two ground balls and a caused turnover. Classmate Casie Caiazza (Melville, New York/Half Hollow Hills East) added three goals and an assist for four points, converting 2-of-3 free-position attempts and collecting two ground balls. Sophomore Kelsey Hammel (West Babylon, New York/West Babylon) rounded out the Lions with multiple points with a goal and assist, chipping in two draws and three ground balls.


Doherty tallied a career-high eight points with a career-best three goals and five assists. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Senior Jessica Carere (East Islip, New York/East Islip) registered nine saves in the Molloy cage, including six in the second half.

Stonehill battled back from a pair of early three goal deficits to carry a two-goal advantage into halftime. Molloy led 4-1 less than seven minutes into the game after back-to-back goals from Wilson. Caiazza answered a Doherty goal to restore the Lions three-goal cushion with 15-minutes remaining in the half, before the Skyhawks netted four-straight, the first three by Healey to grab their first lead (6-5) with 8:38 remaining.=

Wilson knotted the score with a free-position goal with 7:47 remaining in the half, before Stonehill extended its run to 7-1 to grab a three goal lead of its own (9-6) after Pleshaw's second of the game followed two more consecutive goals by Healey within a two-minute span. Goals by Hammel and Wilson less than a minute apart pulled Molloy back within a goal (9-8) with 1:18 remaining in the half, but Doherty restored a two-goal lead for the Skyhawks (10-8) at the intermission.

Jalinskas opened the second half scoring for Stonehill after a minute and a half, but Molloy pulled within a goal once more (11-10) after a free-position goal by Caiazza 3:04 into the frame. The Skyhawks took over from there, scoring the final eight goals of the afternoon to clinch the win. Pleshaw scored three goals and Doherty dished out three assists during the deciding run, while Jalinskas added a pair of markers.           

Stonehill (2-0, 1-0 NE10) is back in action on Tuesday, when it hosts Merrimack College for an NE10 matchup at W.B. Mason Stadium at 3 p.m. Molloy (0-3, 0-0 ECC) visits Felician College tomorrow at noon.

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