Junior All-American Erika Kelly posted a career-best nine points with a career-high matching four goals to become the program's fourth 100 point scorer and second in program history with 50 career goals. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Kelly nets four goals in nine point day, including 50^th career point and 100^th point Giordano scores winner 2:15 into OT for two goal afternoon 

EASTON, Mass. (September 7, 2014) – Stonehill College, ranked seventh in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II preseason poll, rallied from a trio of two goal deficits to claim an 8-7 overtime victory against 8^th-ranked East Stroudsburg University in non-conference field hockey action at Timothy J. Coughlin Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon.

Junior All-American Erika Kelly (Watertown, Massachusetts/Watertown) posted a career-best nine points, including the 100^th of her career, with a career-high matching four goals to go with an assist to lead Stonehill to victory, while classmate Lauren Giordano (Watertown, Massachusetts/Watertown) netted a pair of markers, including the gamewinner 2:15 into overtime to lift the Skyhawks to victory. Sophomore Sarah Morse (Westminster, Massachusetts/Oakmont Regional) dished out a career-high three assists for the Skyhawks, while senior Jennifer Foley (Holden, Massachusetts/Notre Dame Academy) and junior Elizabeth Thornton (Needham, Massachusetts/Needham) each potted a goal. Thornton's marker with 31-seconds to play in regulation forced overtime.

Senior Jessica Lawville (Reinholds, Pennsylvania/Cocalico) and junior Ally Roth (Scotrun, Pennsylvania/Pocono Mountain East) each netted a hat trick to lead East Stroudsburg, which held a two goal lead on three occasions, including the final time with 13:11 to play. Senior Katie Barbato (Red Lion, Pennsylvania/Dallastown) dished two assists for the Warriors, while sophomore Robin Stevenson (Harare, Zimbabwe) chipped in with a goal.

Senior Elizabeth Genovese (Street, Maryland/North Harford) finished with a season-high 12 saves over 63:16 in the Stonehill goal. Sophomore Dana Dhami (Glastonbury, Connecticut/Glastonbury) registered one stop in 8:59. Sophomore Danielle Ard (Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania/Mifflinburg) went the distance in the cage for East Stroudsburg and posted five saves. The Warriors held a 26-18 advantage or shots on the day, including 15-5 in the opening half, to go with a 9-6 edge in penalty corners.

In what is quickly becoming one of the more entertaining field hockey series in the country, with 39 combined goals between the two programs over the last three meetings – all of which have been decided by one goal and two in overtime – Stonehill triumphed for the second straight year after claiming a 6-5 victory at East Stroudsburg last season. The Warriors posted a 7-6 overtime decision in their last visit to W.B. Mason Stadium in 2012 and ESU held leads of 4-2 (at halftime), 5-3 and 6-4 before Stonehill mounted its rally.

Junior Lauren Giordano added a pair of goals, including the gamewinner 2:15 into overtime. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds)

Kelly's third and fourth goals of the afternoon came just 3:21 apart in the 61^st and 64^th minutes to force the third deadlock of the contest. Lawville's third goal of the afternoon put East Stroudsburg back in front with 1:38 on the clock as she pushed the ball over the goal line during a scramble behind Dhami after she had made the initial save off a corner. Thornton leveled Stonehill once more with a low shot into the right side of the cage with just 31-seconds left in regulation.

ESU had the opening possession of the overtime period and forced a save by Genovese, who returned to the game after Thornton's equalizer, before Stonehill was able to gain possession and head to the other end. The Skyhawks forced a corner, which resulted in an Ard save off a shot by Kelly, but she collected her own rebound and slotted a pass from the left side to an open Giordano on the right post for the deciding goal at 72:15.

Roth scored three times over the first half hour of the contest, including the opening goal off a feed from Barbato, 2:59 into the game. Kelly reversed the advantage with her first two goals of the day just 2:32 apart. Her first goal came with a drive from the upper left corner of the arc off a corner by Morse at 9:13, before adding a breakaway goal at 11:45 to become just the fourth 100-point scorer in program history. Kelly finished the game with 105 career points, moving into third place on the program's all-time list behind just Claire Hourihan, '10 (118), and Caitlin Gleason, '08 (132). Kelly's four goals on the afternoon make her the second 50 goal scorer all-time for the Skyhawks – just three goals shy Gleason's career record of 53.

Sophomore Sarah Morse dished out a career-best three assists.

Roth scored the next two goals to reclaim the lead for East Stroudsburg, converting off a drive from the right side by junior Rebecca Snyder (Whitehall, Pennsylvania/Whitehall) at 25:50 and then getting set up by Barbato again at 29:24. Lawville's first of the afternoon gave the Warriors their first two goal cushion of the afternoon by knocking in a rebound with 3:54 remaining in the half.

Foley tipped in a pass from Morse to open the second half scoring 5:59 in, but Stevenson scored off a feed by sophomore Emily Howell (Bangor, Pennsylvania/Bangor) less than two minutes later to replenish ESU's two goal lead. Giordano's first goal of the day came at 48:13 when she knocked in a rebound on the right side, but Lawville provided the Warriors with another answer at 56:49 off a rebound of her own for a 6-4 lead before Kelly's pair in the 61^st and 64^th minutes set up the dramatic finish. Kelly's 50^th career goal capped her scoring on the afternoon when she drive home a Morse corner with 6:09 remaining in regulation.

Stonehill (2-0, 0-0 NE-10) returns to action next Saturday, September 13, when it visits Saint Michael's College for a non-conference matchup at 11 a.m. The Skyhawks don't return home until Tuesday, September 30, to host Saint Anselm College at 7 p.m. East Stroudsburg (1-1, 0-0 PSAC) hosts Mansfield University for its PSAC opener on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

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