Sullivan nets five goals, collects 14 draw controls to lead Skyhawks to Sunday's East Region Championship

Adelphi NCAA First Round Recap vs. Le Moyne

Sullivan paced the Skyhawks with five goals and 14 draw controls (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

EASTON, Mass. (May 13, 2022) – Top-seeded Stonehill College, ranked No. 5 in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll and No. 7 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Division II poll, overcame an early deficit and then held on down the stretch to advance past fourth-seeded Mercy College, ranked No. 13 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Poll and No. 14 in the IWLCA, in first round action of the 2022 NCAA Division II East Regional Championship on Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium today.

Stonehill (18-2, 12-1 NE10) advances to the East Region Championship to face second-seeded Adelphi University (17-2, 12-1 NE10), ranked No. 7 in the IWLCA poll and No. 8 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine Division II poll, at W.B. Mason Stadium on Sunday at noon. The Panthers silenced third-seeded and No. 9/10-ranked Le Moyne College (15-6, 10-3 NE10), 11-4 in today's second game. Mercy, making its third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth overall, finishes its season with a 14-5 record overall, including 6-0 in the East Coast Conference, winning the ECC regular season and tournament championships.

Rudden totaled six points with a goal and five assists, breaking the program's single-season scoring record and surpassing 100 career assists (PHOTO  BY Andrew Katsampes)

Stonehill marks its return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 with its ninth bid in program history overall, earning its first NCAA Tournament win since a 13-10 triumph over West Chester (Pa.) University to win the 2005 National Championship and cap the lone undefeated season in program history (21-0). Senior preseason All-American Emma Sullivan led the way for Stonehill, which erased a pair of five goal deficits in the opening quarter, with five goals, a career-high 14 draw controls and two ground balls. Sullivan's five goals give her an NE10-leading 71 for the year, matching the program's single-season record set by Kristin Darrell, '08 in 2006.

Junior Lydia Rudden totaled six points with a goal and five assists, finishing with 115 points to break Stonehill's single-season scoring record of 110 points by Jenny McGrath, '06 in 2006. She also surpasses 100 assists for her career, finishing the game with 102 in 33 career games to rank fourth all-time at Stonehill, including a program-record 73 for the season to lead Division II. Sophomore Lilly Leach contributed four goals and an assist for five points, adding seven draw controls. Her 99 draw controls this season are second on the team to Sullivan's program-record 145, and will become just the fifth in program history to record 100 draws in a single-season, currently ranking fifth in the NE10.

Senior Juliana Keenan paced the Mercy attack with five goals, while sophomore Kelly Rosenfeld added four goals and an assist for five points. Senior Madeline Garvalosa finished with ten saves to keep the Mavericks in touch for a comeback try from five goals down with seven minutes to play. 

Scoring

Stonehill
Goals: Emma Sullivan 5, Lilly Leach 4, Kayla Conway 3, Victoria Butler 2, Lydia Rudden, Abigail Moynihan, Kendall Fressle, Abby Ahearn.
Assists: Lydia Rudden 5, Molly Mae Hughes, Lilly Leach.

Mercy
Goals: Juliana Keenan 5, Kelly Rosenfeld 4, Kaitlyn Grzelaczyk 3, Briana Corace 2, Leah Hansen, Taylor Bishop, Christina Lopreato
Assists: Kerri Cummings 3, Taylor Bishop, Briana Corace, Leah Hansen, Kelly Rosenfeld.

Goalkeeping
Stonehill: Sarah Faley – 8 saves (60:00).
Mercy: Madeline Garvalosa – 10 saves (60:00).

More Leaders

Stonehill
Caused Turnovers: Mallory Crispens 2.
Draw Controls: Emma Sullivan 14.
Ground Balls: Mallory Crispens 3. 

Mercy
Caused Turnovers: Micayla Brady 8.
Draw Controls: Lindsey Shimborske 4.
Ground Balls: Micayla Brady & Hunter Savino 4.

How it Happened

• Faley made eight saves, including a game-clincher in the closing seconds (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

  Mercy scored the first five goals of the contest, with two each from Keenan and senior Kaitlyn Grzelaczyk, on its way to a 7-2 advantage after a goal from postgrad Briana Corace with 3:22 to go in the opening quarter.
• Stonehill finished the first quarter strong, with goals from three different players to cut the gap to two (7-5) after Leach closed the first quarter scoring with her third of the game with 1:34 remaining just 15-seconds after a marker from senior Kendall Fressle.
• Rosenfeld stretched Mercy's lead back to three (8-5) with a free-position goal 5:40 into the second quarter before Stonehill reeled off the last six goals of the half, including two by junior defender Victoria Butler, to take a three-goal lead (11-8) into halftime.
• Stonehill's wave started with five goals over a three-minute span, sparked by back-to-back Butler goals, while Leach added her fourth of the half to give the Skyhawks their first lead (9-8) with 5:37 remaining in the half.
• Sullivan's second goal of the afternoon extended Stonehill's lead to four (12-8) five minutes into the second half.
• Mercy answered with the next three goals to draw within one (12-11) after a Keenan marker with three minutes left in the third.
• The two teams traded goals in the last 30-seconds of the third and then Mercy drew level (13-13) with Keenan's fourth of the afternoon five minutes into the fourth.
• Stonehill responded with what would ultimately prove to be a game-deciding five goal run over the next two and half minutes as Rudden assisted on the final four goals of the run, including three goals by Sullivan, to reclaim a five-goal cushion (18-13) after Sullivan's program-record matching 71^st goal of the year with 7:18 to go.
• Mercy wouldn't go down without fight, scoring the final four goals in the closing five minutes, including a pair by Rosenfeld.
• Keenan pulled Mercy within a goal with a free-position goal with 51-seconds left and the Mavericks forced a turnover with senior Micayla Brady recording her eighth caused turnover of the day, that produced one last chance to force overtime, but freshman Sarah Faley made her eighth stop of the game with nine-seconds left to seal the win.

Noteworthy

• Leach netted four goals, including three in the first quarter to answer Mercy's fast start (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

  Stonehill dominated the draw, collecting 28 for the contest, compared to 11 for Mercy, but the Mavericks stayed in the game with 21 turnovers by the Skyhawks, while committing just 13.
• Stonehill converted 6-of-8 free-position shots, including 4-of-5 in the second quarter, with Leach converting on both of her attempts.
• Freshman Mallory Crispens keyed the Stonehill defense with three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
• Junior Kayla Conway broke through after a scoreless NE10 Championship weekend with three goals, giving her 47 for the season, which, along with her 13 assists this spring, make her the fifth Skyhawk with 60 points this season.
• Sullivan chipped in with two ground balls, moving within two of Taylor Shannahan's '18 single-season record of 75.
• Stonehill improves to 11-1 this season against nationally ranked opponents.
• Stonehill has reached 18 wins for the first time since finishing 18-2 in 2007.
• Stonehill's 12-game winning streak is its longest since winning its first 12 games of the 2015 season.
• Stonehill is making its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance, having also earned bids in 2001, '02, '03, '05, '07, 2010, '13 and '15.
• Stonehill is hosting its first NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament games since winning the 2003 National Championship on what is now Skyhawk Field in 2003.
• Stonehill moved up three spots to No. 5 in this week's IWLCA Division II poll, and up one spot to No. 7 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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