Skyhawks and Bridgeport set to face off for first time since 2014
Thompson was named NE10 Rookie of the Year, and selected to the NE10 All-Conference second team and All-Rookie Team |
2018 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship 1st & 2nd Rounds Tournament Central
2018 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Digital Program
EASTON, Mass. (November 6, 2018) – The seventh-seeded Stonehill College women's soccer team will travel to Bridgeport, Connecticut to face the second-seeded University of Bridgeport Friday, November 9 at 2 p.m. on Knights Field in the opening round of the NCAA East Regional bracket, hosted by the Purple Knights.
Tickets for the games on Knights Field can be purchased on site for $5.00 (adults), $3.00 for students with I.D./senior citizens, and $2.00 for children ages 2-12. Children under the age of 2 shall be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult. Live stats and broadcast will be available for both the Friday and Sunday games.
Stonehill (13-6, 10-4 NE10) is entering this year's NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history, and second time in three years. This season Stonehill made its 10th NE10 Tournament appearance, falling in the quarterfinal matchup against seventh-seeded Assumption College, 2-0, as the third seed and held on to a seventh-seed ranking in the NCAA East Regional. The Skyhawks made its way to the NCAA Tournament in 2016, also hosted by Bridgeport, after defeating Conference rival Pace University in the Northeast-10 Conference championship match for the program's third NE10 Championship. The Skyhawks fell to American International College in the opening round.
Bridgeport (14-4-1, 8-1 ECC) is making its 10th appearance in 12 years in the NCAA Tournament, and fifth time in school history that it is hosting. The Purple Knights earned the automatic bid from the East Coast Conference when Bridgeport defeated LIU Post, 2-1, for the Conference title. Bridgeport saw its deepest run in the NCAA Tournament in 2015 when the team won its first East Regional crown and fell to Columbus (Ga.) State in the national semifinal round.
Friday afternoon's match will be the eighth meeting in program history with the Skyhawks and Purple Knights. Bridgeport holds the all-time record 1-5-1 against Stonehill, with the Skyhawks lone win in 2010, 2-1.
Brown was named NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year and was named to the NE10 All-Conference first team |
Stonehill opened its 2018 campaign with a 4-0-0 record with four-straight shutouts for the best record to start the season since the 2016 season when the team posted a 10-0-1 start with six-straight victories. The Skyhawks found themselves 6-4-0 at the end of September and kicked it into gear rolling through October with a 7-1 record, with seven-straight wins, its longest win streak since the 1999 team that posted 13-straight wins for a 17-4 record. The Skyhawks fell to LIU Post for their last regular season contest of the season, before seeing its second lost to Assumption, 2-1, in the NE10 Quarterfinal matchup.
Freshman Camryn Thompson has led the this season with 24 points, scoring nine goals and six assists. She is currently tied for the most points in a rookie season. Thompson was most currently named NE10 Rookie of the Year, tabbed on the NE10 All-Conference second team, and the All-Rookie Team as she sits sixth in the Conference in points, seventh in goals, and eighth in assists.
Along with Thompson, sophomore Kayla Henry has also been an offensive catalyst for the Skyhawks as she has chipped in a career best 20 points, with seven goals and six assists. Henry is ranked 11th in the NE10 in points, 12th in goals, and eighth in assists. Two other Skyhawks have combined for double digit points, including junior Elizabeth Nerger and sophomore Nicole Garfield. The junior has totaled 13 points with four goals and five assists, while Garfield has scored four goals and two assists.
Senior Courtney Campo has been key to the midfield, as she was named to the NE10 All-Conference second team with Thompson. Campo matched her career best in points, totaling seven this season and last. She has scored two goals and tallied three helpers, while recording her third game-winning goal.
In the back line, All-Conference first team honoree Tess Erwin has helped the Skyhawks record eight shutouts this season, as opponents have averaged 1.21 goals against. Senior Emily Scollard, and juniors Isabella Collentro and Emily Rosano have also been effective as the four defenders have worked hard with each other and junior goalkeeper Kaitlin Brown to record the most shutouts since the 2016 team that tallied 10. Brown was named to the first team with Erwin for her first All-Conference honor, while she was also named Goalkeeper of the Year, for the fifth one in program history.
Henry is second on the team with a career-best 20 points |
Bridgeport went through the first half of the season with a 4-3 record, and have won 10 of the last 11 games, for a 14-4-1 overall record. The Purple Knights defeated Daemen, 4-0, in the ECC Semifinals and went on to defeat LIU Post, 2-1 in the Championship game for their fifth crown in program history. They have also tallied eight shutouts this season.
Maegen Doyle leads the Purple Knights with 49 points, scoring 23 goals and three assists, while Nara DaCosta is second on the team with 23 points, with 10 goals and three assists. Three other Purple Knights have recorded double-digit points, including Anisha Hill (16), Andrea Basilicato (13), and Elin Eklund (12). In net, Jennifer Wendelius has averaged 1.14 goals against in the 19 games played, as she has totaled 87 saves and eight shutouts.
For the Purple Knights, eight made All-Conference teams, including Doyle being named Offensive Player of the Year and Hill earning Rookie of the Year. Doyle was also tabbed on the first team along with Eklund, Annie Bjork, and Karoline Vieira. DaCosta and Hill were selected for the second team, while Karin Oberg and Wendelius earned third team recognition as head coach Magnus Nilerud who is in his 20th season was named Coach of the Year for the seventh time.
The winner of Friday afternoon's match will advance to Sunday's contest against the winner of game one of third-seeded Mercy College and sixth-seeded College of Saint Rose with an 11:00 a.m. start time.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.
2018 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer
East Regional
Friday, November 9
#1 Franklin Pierce (15-1-2) vs. #8 Caldwell (12-6-1), 2 p.m.
#4 Southern N.H. (14-4-2) vs. #5 LIU Post (13-3-3), 11 a.m.
hosted by Franklin Pierce University
#2 Bridgeport (14-4-1) vs. #7 Stonehill (13-6-0), 2 p.m.
#3 Mercy (12-3-1) vs. #6 Saint Rose (13-4-3), 11 a.m.
hosted by Bridgeport University
Sunday, November 11
Franklin Pierce/Caldwell winner vs. Southern N.H./LIU Post winner, 2 p.m. @ Franklin Pierce
Bridgeport/Stonehill winner vs. Mercy/Saint Rose winner, 11 a.m. @ Bridgeport
East Regional Championship
Two Sunday winners face off for championship on November 16
