Hughes seven points, including 200^th of career, sparks attack, while Smith preserves win with 14 saves

Hughes led the Skyhawks with seven points, including the 200th of her career, with five goals and two assists (PHOTO BY Mary Gettens)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (April 6, 2024) – Stonehill College closed the first half out with a six-goal run to take command on its way to a 19-13 victory over Wagner College in a key Northeast Conference women's lacrosse matchup at Hameline Field this afternoon.

Senior Molly Mae Hughes paced the Stonehill attack with seven points, including the 200^th of her career, as she netted a game-high five goals and dished out two assists on the afternoon. Her second assist of the contest, to set up sophomore Natalie Coutu's second goal of the game to push the Skyhawks in front for the first time and for good, made Hughes the 16^th player in program history to reach 200 career points. She has now totaled 134 goals and 71 assists for 205 points in 57 career games to rank 15^th all-time at Stonehill, while also ranking 13^th in goals and ninth in assists.

Senior Claire Smith preserved Stonehill's second-straight win, and fourth NEC win overall, with her sixth double-figure save performance of the season with 14 stops, adding three groundballs and a caused turnover. Freshman Grace DeCarolis registered six saves in 41:39 in the Wagner goal.

Coutu also totaled seven points to match her career-high with a career-high matching three goals and four assists, while sophomore Grace Murphy contributed six points with four goals and two assists. Junior Sofia D'Agostino chipped in with three goals, four ground balls, four draw controls and a caused turnover.

Junior Sophia Colver led Wagner's attack with six points, posting three goals and three assists, while classmate Kendra Hall scored a team-high four goals. Postgrad Megan Greco and senior Kelsey Scheidel each added four points with two goals and two assists, with Scheidel also collecting six ground balls and two caused turnovers.

Smith made 14 saves to preserve the Skyhawks fourth NEC win of the year (PHOTO BY Mary Gettens)

How it Happened

• Wagner scored the first three goals of the game, including a pair by Colver in the opening eight minutes on its way to a 4-1 lead after Greco's first of the day, while assisting on Colver's second, with 4:56 to play in the first quarter.
• Stonehill scored the final three goals of the frame, including two of its three first quarter free-position tallies, to pull even (4-4) heading to the second after a goal from senior Lilly Leach with 1:47 on the clock.
• Hall and Scheidel pushed Wagner in front with goals in the first five minutes of the second quarter, but Murphy pulled Stonehill even (6-6) with 8:57 to play in the half and then Coutu scored her first of two-straight goals to push the Skyhawks in front for the first time and for good (7-6) off Hughes 200^th career point with 8:19 left.
• The Skyhawks closed the half with a six-goal run, capped by back-to-back Hughes goals 33-seconds apart with 3:16 to remaining in the half for a five-goal lead (11-6) at the break. Hughes and Coutu each tallied two goals and an assist during the run, while Murphy scored twice.
• Wagner scored the first three goals of the second half, bookended by Colver and Hall markers, to pull back within two (11-9) midway through the third quarter.
• D'Agostino stopped the run with her first of the afternoon 31-seconds later, but Hall pulled Wagner back within two (12-10) with 3:46 to play in the third.
• That would be as close as the Seahawks would get as Stonehill wrapped a five-goal run over the next six and a half minutes between the third and fourth quarters for a seven goal lead (17-10) after Hughes' third goal of the run with 11:39 remaining in the contest.
• Wagner made one last three goal run, with Colver dishing two assists, to close back within four (17-13) after Scheidel's second of the game with 6:39 to play, but Stonehill scored the last two goals of the game, with Murphy having a hand in both with a goal and assist, to seal the win.

Coutu also posted seven points with three goals and four assists (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Noteworthy

• Hughes has multiple goals in eight-straight games and ten of Stonehill's 11 games overall this season. She has scored four plus goals in five of those games.
• Smith has double-digit saves in eight games over her career, after notching her sixth double-figure save total of the year today.
• Coutu posted multiple assists for the tenth time in 11 games this year and posted her fifth multi-goal game.
• Murphy scored four goals for the second-straight game and has four plus goals in six games this season overall as part of eight multi-goal games this year.
• Leach was credited with six draw controls this afternoon to move into a tie for second all-time at Stonehill along with former teammate and All-American Emma Sullivan, '22 with 276 for their career.
• Stonehill (4-2 NEC) takes sole possession of fifth place in the NEC standings with today's win – a full game over Wagner (3-3) and Merrimack College (3-3), while also now holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seahawks with four Conference games to play. Six teams will qualify for the NEC Tournament set to start with first round play on Sunday, April 28.

Up Next

Stonehill (5-6, 4-2 NEC) is back in action on Wednesday when it opens a four game homestand with another key NEC matchup against LIU at W.B. Mason Stadium at 4 p.m. Wagner (3-8, 3-3 NEC) visits FDU on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

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