Pleshaw, Healey and Jalinskas all net four goals, while Doherty tallies five points for Skyhawks

Healey scored four goals and added four draws, two ground balls and a caused turnover. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

EASTON, Mass. (March 22, 2018) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 24 in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, closed out a four game home stand with a 17-13 decision over Southern Connecticut State University in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action on Timothy J. Coughlin '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium tonight.

Senior Brianna Doherty (Walpole, Massachusetts/Walpole) totaled five points with two goals and three assists, while classmate Kelly Healey (Westwood, Massachusetts/Westwood), junior Linna Jalinskas (Farmington, Connecticut/Farmington) and sophomore MacKenzie Pleshaw (Franklin, Massachusetts/Franklin) all netted four goals to lead Stonehill to the win. Healey also totaled four draw controls, two ground balls and a caused turnover while converting all three free-position shot attempts, while freshman Olivia Pino (North Andover, Massachusetts/North Andover) netted her first collegiate goal and added four draws, a ground ball and caused turnover.

Sophomore Bailey Grant (Chelmsford, Massachusetts/Chelmsford) made six of her eight saves in the second half to preserve the win for Stonehill, which finished with a 41-26 advantage in shots, including 26-9 in the first half. Grant finished with seven stops on free-position attempts, including five in the second half. Freshman Laura Morton (Somers, Connecticut/Somers) registered 18 saves in the Southern Connecticut goal, including 13 in the first half to keep the Owls in the game.

Pleshaw scored four goals, the final of which sealed the win in the final minute. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

Senior Carolynn Keal (Southington, Connecticut/Southington) led SCSU with three goals and three assists for six points, adding five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Classmate Nicole Healey (Milford, Connecticut/Saint Joseph) netted three goals and collected 12 draw controls, while junior Samantha Cozzolino (Hamden, Connecticut/Hamden) totaled three goals with four draws. Senior Hailey Prindle-Nelson (Sharon, Connecticut/Housatonic Valley Regional) contributed three goals as well for the Owls.

Stonehill never trailed, scoring the first two goals with free-position tallies by Doherty and Healey 45-seconds apart five minutes into the game. The Skyhawks stretched their lead to four (8-4) when Jalinskas followed back to back markers by Pleshaw with her third goal of the half with 5:40 remaining in the first half.

The teams traded goals until Stonehill scored three-straight through the stick of Doherty to open a six-goal lead (16-10) after Doherty's ninth goal of the season with 14:19 remaining. Doherty set up Jalinskas' fourth goal of the night with 16:58 to play and then served up Taylor Shannahan's (Mendham, New Jersey/Morris Catholic) seventh goal of the season 36-second later.

Southern responded with three-straight free-position goals to get back in the game after Nicole Healey's third goal of the night with 2:43 to play that pulled the Owls within three (16-13). Pleshaw sealed the win with her final goal of the night off a Southern turnover a man-down with 39-seconds left.

Stonehill (4-2, 3-2 NE10) is right back in action on Saturday, when it visits Bentley University for an NE10 matchup at noon. The Skyhawks return to W.B. Mason Stadium on Wednesday, March 28, for their Purple & White Game against No. 25 Assumption College at 7 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (2-5, 1-3 NE10) hosts American International College next Wednesday for its home opener at 4 p.m.

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