Fourth-seeded Skyhawks will face fifth-seeded Goldey-Beacom in opening match

Senior captain Lindsey Herchel and the Skyhawks are seeking a return to the NCAA Round of 16 when they host the East Regional #1 beginning on Sunday.

EASTON, Mass. (April 27, 2011) – Stonehill College has earned a berth in the NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis Championships and will host one of the two East Regional brackets next week. The Skyhawks claimed the fourth seed in the East Region in the final rankings released yesterday by the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Tennis Committee.

Stonehill (18-3, 12-1 NE-10) earns the third consecutive and sixth overall NCAA entry in program history, and will serve as host of the three-team bracket in the seven-team East Regional round. For the second straight year, the Skyhawks will play fifth-seeded Goldey-Beacom College (12-5, 7-1 CACC) in the opening match, scheduled for Sunday, May 1 at noon on the Charles Watt Tennis Courts. The winner will advance to face top-seeded Queens (N.Y.) College (18-1, 6-0 ECC) on Monday for a spot in the NCAA Championships in Altamonte Springs, Florida from May 11-14.

The second East Regional bracket will be hosted at third-seeded Southern New Hampshire University (17-2, 13-0 NE-10), and also includes second seed Concordia (N.Y.) College (15-2, 8-0 CACC), sixth seed Adelphi University (15-3, 10-2 NE-10), and seventh seed Holy Family University (11-6, 6-2 CACC).

Stonehill defeated Goldey-Beacom 5-0 in last year’s East Regional opener before falling to Concordia 5-1 in the regional final. The Skyhawks won their first-ever East Regional title in 2009, advancing to the Round of 16 with a 5-4 win over Queens as the second seed.

2011 NCAA Division II Women's Tennis East Region #1
Hosted by Stonehill College

Sunday, May 1
#4 Stonehill vs. #5 Goldey-Beacom, 12:00 p.m.

Monday, May 2
#1 Queens (N.Y.) vs. #4 Stonehill/#5 Goldey-Beacom, 11:00 a.m.