Skyhawks and Golden Knights face off for second time this season
Henry scored the eventual game-winner to advance the Skyhawks in NCAA play (PHOTO BY: Tom Killips) |
ALBANY, New York (November 23, 2019) – The fourth-seeded Stonehill College women's soccer team moves on to the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament second round for the first time in program history, as they will face the top-seeded College of Saint Rose Sunday, November 24 at 1 p.m. at Plumeri Sports Complex, hosted by the Golden Knights.
Tickets for the games at Plumeri Sports Complex can be purchased on site for $6.00 (general admission), $3.00 for students with I.D./senior citizens, and $1.00 for children ages 3-12. 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 (12-4-4, 8-1-4 NE10) is entering this year's NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history, and third time in four years. This season Stonehill made its 11th NE10 Tournament appearance, falling in the quarterfinal matchup against seventh-seeded Southern Connecticut State University, 1-0, as the third seed and held on to a fourth-seed ranking in the NCAA East Regional.
The Skyhawks made its way to the NCAA Tournament in 2016, hosted by the University of 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. Last year, in their second appearance the Skyhawks traveled to Bridgeport, Connecticut once again, as the Purple Knights defeated Stonehill 2-1 in the opening round.
The Skyhawks reached first United Soccer Coaches National Poll ranking since 2016, in the first week of October. Stonehill reached its highest ranking this season of No. 17, as they also reached its highest East Regional ranking of No. 2 multiple times this season.
In the first round on Friday, Stonehill defeated the fifth-seeded Jefferson University 2-1 for their first NCAA Tournament win in program history. Freshman Emma Slade and junior Kayla Henry found the back of the net for the Skyhawks, while senior Kaitlin Brown recorded seven saves in the game.
Slade scored her fifth goal of the season as the Skyhawks went on to win 2-1 against Jefferson in the first round (PHOTO BY: Tom Killips) |
In the first week of October, the Golden Knights hosted the Skyhawks for a Conference battle, where the College of Saint Rose came out on top in a 2-1 overtime victory. Sophomore Camryn Thompson scored the lone goal for the Skyhawks, while Nina Predanic tied the game and Deanna Trongone scored the game winner in the 99th minute of the game for the Golden Knights.
As a team, Stonehill is averaging 2.25 goals per game, scoring 45 goals in 20 total games. The Skyhawks are currently averaging 0.95 goals against average, conceding 20 goals from opponents. They have tallied 26 assists and are 3-for-3 in scoring goals off penalty kicks.
The College of Saint Rose (18-2-1, 10-2-1 NE10) received its 15th NCAA Tournament bid in 18 years as they won their eighth NE10 Championship with a 3-2 victory over Southern Connecticut State University. The Golden Knights are 25-11-5 all-time in NCAA Tournament contests and have made six national semifinal appearances, while capturing the 2011 National Championship.
Saint Rose is 13-1-1 at home at the Plumeri Sports Complex with the loss coming from Assumption College, 2-1, and the tie was against Saint Anselm College, 1-1.
In the Golden Knights' first round game, Saint Rose blanked the eighth-seeded Daemen College with a score of 4-0. Deanna Trongone, Caitlyn Dabagian, Olivia Boucher, and Sanna Rein scored for the Golden Knights, as Marika Laurendeau recorded only three saves in the win. Morgan Burchhardt picked up two assists in Rein and Dabagian's goals.
Currently Saint Rose is ranked 11th in the country. They are averaging 2.90 goals per game, while allowing 0.88 goals against and have given up 19 goals in 21 games with seven shutouts.
The winner of Sunday's game will advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament and face the winner of the second-seeded Mercy College versus the third-seeded Molloy College either on Thursday, December 5 or Friday, December 6. This game will be played at noon tomorrow at Mercy.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.