Skyhawks roar back from seven goal halftime deficit to reach record 12^th NE10 Championship behind six goals each from Leach and Sullivan

Sullivan posted seven points with a career-high six goals and an assist to help key the Skyhawks comeback (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

EASTON, Mass. (May 7, 2022) – Top-seeded Stonehill College, ranked No. 8 in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and USA Lacrosse Magazine Division II polls, roared to life in the second half to overcome a seven-goal halftime deficit and knock off fourth-seeded Pace University, ranked No. 12 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine poll and No. 13 by the IWLCA, 20-15 in semifinal round action of the 2022 Northeast-10 Conference Women's Lacrosse Tournament on Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium today.

Stonehill (16-2, 12-1 NE10), ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division II East Regional rankings for the third-straight week, advances to the NE10 Championship game for a record 12^th time and will seek its record tenth title when it hosts third-seeded Le Moyne College (15-4, 10-3 NE10) at W.B. Mason Stadium tomorrow at 1 p.m. Le Moyne advanced with a 9-8 overtime triumph over second-seeded and No. 5/6 Adelphi University (16-2, 12-1 NE10) in their semifinal played on the campus of Bentley University today. Pace (14-5, 10-3 NE10), ranked No. 5 in the most recent NCAA II East Regional rankings, must now wait to hear if their name is called during the NCAA Division II Tournament selection show tomorrow night via ncaa.com at 8:30 p.m. 

Scoring

Leach also tallied a career-high six goals - all in the second half - while adding eight draws, two caused turnovers and three ground balls in the comeback win (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Stonehill
Goals: Emma Sullivan 6, Lilly Leach 6, Molly Mae Hughes 3, Lydia Rudden 2, Kendall Fressle, Victoria Butler, Abby Ahearn.
Assists: Molly Mae Hughes 3, Lydia Rudden 2, Kendall Fressle, Emma Sullivan. 

Pace
Goals: Angelina Porcello 6, Sydney Juvelier 3, Jaimie Bell 3, Nikki Mottes, Jolie Urraro.
Assists: Sydney Juvelier. 

Goalkeeping
Stonehill: Sarah Faley – 4 saves (60:00).
Pace: Ashley Belfiore – 7 saves (57:55) 17 goals against; Katie Laico – 0 saves (2:05) 3 goals against. 

More Leaders

Stonehill
Caused Turnovers: Abigail Moynihan 4.
Draw Controls: Lilly Leach & Victoria Butler 8.
Ground Balls: Emma Sullivan & Victoria Butler 4. 

Pace
Caused Turnovers: Delilah Doyle & Ali Quinn 3.
Draw Controls: Kayla Conway 7.
Ground Balls: Ali Quinn & Angelina Porcello 4. 

Moynihan caused a team-high four turnovers and collected three ground balls in the win (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

How it Happened

• Pace scored the first two goals of the game in the opening four and a half minutes on its way to a 5-1 lead after a quarter of play, led by a pair of goals by freshman Nikki Mottes.
• Pace controlled possession in the first half, recording an 11-4 advantage on draw controls in the frame, including 8-0 in the second quarter as the Setters extended their lead by outscoring Stonehill 5-1 again in the final 13 minutes of the frame after junior Lydia Rudden had scored the opening goal of the second quarter on a free-position shot.
• Sophomore Angelina Porcello scored three goals in the second quarter for Pace, including two within a 69-second span midway through the quarter to extend the Setters lead to seven (10-3).
• After the two sides went scoreless for the next ten minutes, Stonehill struck for six-straight goals, including a five-goal wave within a three-minute span in which senior preseason All-American Emma Sullivan and sophomore Lilly Leach scored twice, before Sullivan capped the run with her third of the quarter with 3:38 to play in the third to pull the Skyhawks back within a goal (10-9).
• Porcello pushed Pace's edge back to two goals 28-seconds later with a goal that ended a 17-minute Setters scoring drought, but Leach and sophomore Molly Mae Hughes scored within the final 1:22 of the quarter to send the two teams into the fourth quarter all square (11-11).
• Leach nosed Stonehill in front for the first time all day with her fourth goal of the game 46-seconds into the fourth, but the teams would trade goals over the next nine minutes in a tremendous display of matching possession and attack.
• Stonehill sealed the comeback win by scoring the final five goals in the closing 3:23. Junior Victoria Butler answered Pace's fourth equalizer of the fourth quarter with a goal 33-seconds later to put Stonehill in front for good.
• After Sullivan tallied her sixth goal of the day with 2:05 remaining for the Skyhawks first two-goal lead, Hughes scored back-to-back goals 39-seconds apart, before Rudden's last second snipe capped the scoring at the buzzer.

Noteworthy

• Hughes contributed three goals and three assists for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

  After Pace dominated the draw in the first half (11-4) to key its seven-goal halftime cushion, Stonehill reversed that in the second to key the comeback, posting a 17-6 advantage on the draws, including 9-1 in the crucial third quarter to get back in the game.
• Stonehill outshot Pace 26-10 in the second half, after holding a 14-13 edge at halftime despite the score line.
• Sullivan and Leach keyed the Stonehill comeback with a career-high six goals each, while Sullivan added an assist for a career-high matching seven points. Hughes finished with six points with three goals and three assists.
• Sullivan has scored multiple goals in seven-straight games and 17 games this season overall. She also totaled five draw controls, four ground balls and three caused turnovers. Her 65 goals scored this season are tied for fourth on the program's single-season list – six shy of the program record of 71 by Kristin Darrell, '08 in 2006.
• Sullivan's 45 caused turnovers this season have matched the program's single-season record by Amy Bartlett, '01 in 2001, while her 71 ground balls are four shy of Taylor Shannahan's '18 single-season record of 75.
• Rudden finished with two goals and two assists, giving her an NE10 leading 66 assists for the year to match the program's single-season record set by Jenny McGrath '06 in 2006. Rudden moved into a tie with head coach Katie (Lambert) Conover, '03 for second on the program's single-season scoring list with her 104 points – six shy of McGrath's program-record of 110 in 2006.
• Rudden has totaled 55 goals and 95 assists for 150 points in just 31 career games, ranking sixth in program history for career assists.
• After not registering a save in the first half, freshman Sarah Faley made four in the second half. Sophomore Ashley Belfiore finished with seven stops over 57:55 in the Pace goal.
• Porcello finished with six goals to lead the Pace attack, adding six draw controls and four ground balls, while junior Sydney Juvelier added three goals and an assist. Senior Jaimie Bell contributed three goals for the Setters.
• Stonehill will play in the NE10 Championship for the first time since being edged by Adelphi 14-13 in 2010. The Skyhawks seek their first tournament title since a 17-10 win over Southern New Hampshire University in 2008, capping an NE10 record run of nine-straight championships.
• Stonehill has reached 16 wins for the first time since finishing 18-2 in 2007.
• Stonehill has produced the fifth 300-goal season in program history after netting 20 for the sixth time this season. It's 316 goals this spring are the third-highest single-season total in program history.
• Stonehill held at No. 2 in this week's NCAA Division II East Region rankings released on Wednesday afternoon.
• Stonehill inched up one spot to No. 8 in this week's IWLCA Division II poll, holding at No. 8 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine poll.
• Stonehill has won 12 NE10 matches for the first time in program history, surpassing ten wins on six occasions.

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