Rudden, the NE10 Attack of the Year, has posted the third 100-point season in program history and led the Skyhawks in the regular season matchup with Pace (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Top-seeded Skyhawks take aim at first NE10 Championship appearance in 12 years
NE10 Women's Lacrosse Tournament Central
EASTON, Mass. (May 6, 2022) – Top-seeded and Northeast-10 Conference regular season champions Stonehill College, ranked No. 8 in both the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and USA Lacrosse Magazine Division II poll, has its eye on a return to the Northeast-10 Conference Championship game in 12 years when it hosts fourth-seeded Pace University, ranked 12th in the USA Lacrosse Magazine poll and 13th by the IWLCA, in semifinal round action of the 2022 NE10 Tournament on Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium tomorrow at 11 a.m.
Stonehill, which has earned the right to host the NE10 Championship weekend as the top seed and by advancing to the semifinals, will do so along with Bentley University, where second-seeded and No. 5/6 Adelphi University (16-1, 12-1 NE10) will battle third-seeded and No. 10/11 Le Moyne College in the other semifinal round matchup tomorrow at 11 a.m. Sunday's NE10 Championship will be played at W.B. Mason Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m., between the winners of tomorrow's semifinals.
Admission to the Championship weekend games is free of charge. The games will also be webcast live via NE10 Now, with Mason Stalph calling the action both days at W.B. Mason Stadium, including Saturday's SkyhawksVision coverage. Links to the broadcast and live stats are available at stonehillskyhawks.com, and NE10 Now viewers will also be able to watch the action live on their televisions through Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku.
Stonehill (15-2, 12-1 NE10) advanced to its first NE10 semifinal since 2017 with a commanding 18-8 win over eighth-seeded and No. 22-ranked University of New Haven at W.B. Mason Stadium on Wednesday night. The Skyhawks pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Chargers 10-2 after halftime to secure their first postseason win in five years. Sophomore Molly Mae Hughes led the Stonehill attack with six goals and an assist, while senior Kendall Fressle scored four goals. Freshman Sarah Faley finished with nine saves in goal for the Skyhawks.
Pace (14-4, 10-3 NE10) has reached its second NE10 semifinal after surviving a 13-12 decision over fifth-seeded Assumption University in their quarterfinal on Wednesday evening. The Setters also used a strong second half, outscoring Assumption 7-2 in the last 30-minutes after trailing 10-6 at the half. Junior Jolie Urraro led the Pace attack with four goals and an assist, but it was five saves, including two in the final ten seconds, by sophomore Ashley Belfiore that clinched the win.
Hughes led the Skyhawks with six goals and an assist in Wednesday night's NE10 quarterfinal win (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Saturday marks the eighth meeting all-time between these two programs dating back to Pace's inaugural season in 2014, the second in the NE10 Tournament. Stonehill holds a 5-2 edge in the all-time series, winning the lone postseason encounter with a 16-9 victory in the 2017 quarterfinals. The Skyhawks twice erased three goal deficits in the second half to win the first meeting in three years between the two during the regular season on April 13 in Pleasantville, New York, scoring the last five goals of the contest to secure the 15-13 win. Junior Lydia Rudden paced the Stonehill attack with eight points, netting three goals, including the go-ahead marker with two minutes on the clock, and dishing out five assists. She had a hand in four of the Skyhawks last five goals with two goals and two assists during the decisive run. Urraro and sophomore Angelina Porcello each netted four goals for the Setters.
Stonehill, which is making its NE10 record 21st tournament appearance, has reached the semifinals for a record 19th time. The Skyhawks seek to advance to the NE10 Championship game for a record 12th time – but its first since Adelphi University edged the Skyhawks 14-13 in the 2010 title game in the Panthers first season as an NE10 member. Stonehill has won the NE10 Tournament championship a Conference record nine times, but it seeks its first title since 2008 when it posted its last of nine consecutive championships. Stonehill ruled the NE10 over the first decade the Conference sponsored the sport, winning the first 11 regular season titles by winning 100 of its first 102 NE10 regular season games in that span.
Stonehill, under the direction of NE10 Coach of the Year Katie Conover, '03, rolls into the NE10 Semifinals winners of nine straight and having posted an 8-1 mark against nationally ranked teams this spring. The Skyhawks, ranked No. 2 in each of the first three NCAA Division II East Regional rankings of the season, only two setbacks came to then No. 19 Assumption (18-17) and Lynn University (21-16), which is ranked 16th nationally this week. Stonehill boasts the top offense in the NE10, scoring 17.4 goals per game to rank seventh nationally in Division II, while also leading the Conference with 8.2 assists per game (6th nationally), 18.1 draw controls per game (4th) and a .518 shot percentage (9th). The Skyhawks are fourth in the Conference for scoring defense, allowing 10.8 goals per game, also ranking fourth with 11.0 caused turnovers per game (25th) and 19.2 ground balls per game, and ranking third in scoring margin (+6.6) and 14.5 turnovers per game (15th).
Sullivan leads the NE10 in draw controls, ground balls and caused turnovers, while ranking second in goals this season. (PHOTO BY Jon Bourque) |
Stonehill's powerful attack is keyed by a quartet of 40-goal scorers, with five netting 30-plus goals, led by the duo of two-time NE10 Midfielder of the Year, senior Emma Sullivan, a USA Lacrosse Magazine preseason All-American, and Rudden, the NE10 Attack of the Year, both All-NE10 first team selections. Sullivan ranks second among NE10 leaders with her team-high 59 goals scored, to go with 17 assists for 76 points to rank third among NE10 scoring leaders. The two-way midfielder leads the NE10 with 122 draw controls, 67 ground balls and 42 caused turnovers, ranking sixth nationally in Division II for ground balls, (3.9), ninth in caused turnovers (2.5) and 12th in draw controls per game (7.2). Sullivan, a five-time NE10 Defensive Player of the Week that has also collected Player of the Week accolades once this spring, ranks second on Stonehill's all-time single-season list for draw controls, third for caused turnovers and tied for fourth in ground balls.
Rudden became just the third player in program history to record 100-points in a single season with her goal and assist in Wednesday night's quarterfinal win over New Haven. She leads the NE10 in scoring by 22 points with her 100 points (6th nationally) and assists by 18 as her NE10-leading 64 helpers (3rd) are just two shy of Jenny McGrath's '06 program mark of 66 in 2006. The four-time NE10 Player of the Week and two-time IWLCA Division II Offensive Player of the Week, is fifth on the team with her 36 goals and has also chipped in with 27 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers.
Hughes has joined Sullivan with 50-plus goals with 51 (6th NE10), to go with 21 assists for 72 points (4th), while Fressle, an All-NE10 second team selection has tallied 47 goals (7th) and 11 assists for 58 points ((13th), having scored a school-record 19 free-position goals. Junior Kayla Conway rounds out Stonehill's 40-goal scorers with 44 (10th), adding 13 assists for 57 points (13th).
Junior Victoria Butler has joined Rudden and Sullivan in earning All-NE10 first team honors this season. She was named the NE10 Defensive Player of the Week on Monday and spearheads the Stonehill defense, ranking third on the team with 63 draw controls (13th NE10), which ranks eighth on Stonehill's all-time single-season list, while ranking second on the team with 39 ground balls (7th) and 21 caused turnovers. She has contributed on the offensive end with 14 goals and three assists for 17 points in 17 games played.
Butler rounds out the Skyhawks three All-NE10 first team selections and scored three goals in Wednesday's semifinal (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Sophomore Lilly Leach has earned third team All-NE10 honors and is a key part of the Skyhawks draw controls, ranking second to Sullivan with her 74 draw controls that rank tenth in the NE10 and sixth on the program's all-time single-season list. She has also contributed 22 goals and two assists for 24 points, adding 13 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers.
Freshmen Mallory Crispens and Faley have rounded out Stonehill's seven All-NE10 selections, having been named to the third team and earning All-Rookie Team status. Crispens has had an immediate impact on the Stonehill defensive unit, ranking third on the team with 35 ground balls (11th NE10) and 20 caused turnovers, adding six draw controls and an assist. Faley, a three-time NE10 Rookie of the Week, has played all but 90-minutes in the Stonehill goal, posting a 10.42 goals against average (3rd) and .443 save percentage (4th) with 7.6 saves per game (6th) in 932:42 (3rd) over 17 games played.
Pace, ranked fifth in the NCAA East Regional rankings, is making its second-straight trip to the NE10 semifinals in its sixth appearance in the NE10 Tournament. The Setters will be attempting to reach the championship game for the first time in the program's young history. Pace has won six-straight since its setback to Stonehill on April 13, having won nine of its last ten overall to earn a No. 5 ranking in this week's NCAA Division II East Regional rankings. The Setters rank second to Stonehill in scoring offense with 15.9 goals per game (17th nationally), taking an NE10-high 34.1 shots per game, and ranking second to the Skyhawks as well with 11.9 caused turnovers per game (13th) and 17.4 draw controls per game (8th), while also ranking second in the NE10 for scoring defense (8.6 goals per game – 13th nationally) and scoring margin (+7.3 – 13th).
Pace features four All-NE10 selections, with Porcello and senior Kayla Conway earning first team honors. Conway leads the Setters with 72 points (4th NE10), netting 55 goals (4th) to go with 17 assists, with 108 draw controls (3rd), 13 ground balls and seven caused turnovers, while Porcello has tallied 66 points (8th) with 54 goals (5th) and 12 assists, collecting 100 draws (4th), 20 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers.
Sophomore Alexandra Quinn, a second team All-NE10 selection, leads the Pace defensive unit, totaling 76 draw controls (9th NE10), 24 ground balls and 16 caused turnovers, while chipping in four goals on attack. Urraro rounds out the Setters All-NE10 honors with third team honors, posting 38 goals and 11 assists for 49 points.
Belfiore and freshman Kate Laico split the goalkeeping duties for Pace. Laico has posted a 9.49 goals against average (2nd NE10) and .406 save percentage with 3.9 saves per game in 537:47 over 15 games, while Belfiore has registered an 8.19 GAA and .434 save percentage with 2.8 saves per game in 344:09 over 13 games.
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2022 Northeast-10 Conference
Women's Lacrosse Tournament
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, May 4 (at higher seeds)
#3 Le Moyne 20, #6 Southern New Hampshire 10
#2 Adelphi 8, #7 Bentley 6
#4 Pace 13, #5 Assumption 12
#1 Stonehill 18, #8 New Haven 8
Semifinals
Saturday, May 7
hosted by highest remaining seed
#4 Pace (14-4, 10-3 NE10) at #1 Stonehill (15-2, 12-1 NE10), 11 a.m.
#3 Le Moyne (14-4, 10-3 NE10) vs. #2 Adelphi (16-1, 12-1 NE10), 11 a.m.*
*- game being played at Bentley University (Waltham, Mass.)
Championship
Sunday, May 8
hosted by Stonehill College, Easton, Mass.
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
