Senior All-American Erika Kelly moved into a tie for second place in NE-10 history with her 85 career goals. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Skyhawks erase second half deficit in six goal second half
EASTON, Mass. (October 13, 2015) – Stonehill College rallied from an early second half deficit to claim a 4-3 triumph over Saint Anselm College, ranked ninth in this week's Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll, in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey action at Timothy J. Coughlin '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium tonight.
Senior All-American Erika Kelly (Watertown, Massachusetts/Watertown) led Stonehill to the victory with two goals and an assist. She has now notched at least a point in all 13 games this season and 14 straight dating back to last fall. Her program-record 85 career goals move her into a tie with Bentley University's Mary Rogers (2003-2006) for second all-time in Northeast-10 history, just six shy of UMass Lowell's Sammy Macy's (2007-10) record of 91 and good for fourth all-time in NCAA Division II history. Kelly's program-record 188 career points are tied for third all-time in NE-10 history with Bentley's Jen Bunce (1996-99) and seventh in DII history, while her 18 career assists ranks eighth all-time at Stonehill.
Sophomore Alexandra Gerew (Harrisville, Rhode Island/Pomfret School) and freshman Kacie Smith (Norwood, Massachusetts/Norwood) each added a goal for Stonehill. Freshman Sara Freedman (Hopkinton, Massachusetts/Hopkinton) registered three saves in goal for the Skyhawks who finished with a 22-16 shots advantage, including 13-8 in a wide open second half that featured a combined six goals. Junior Katherine Sears (Northboro, Massachusetts/Northboro) finished with six stops in the Saint Anselm cage.
Sophomore Alexandra Gerew potted her first career goal to give the Skyhawks the lead for good. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Sophomore Erin Collins (Auburn, Massachusetts/Auburn) led Saint Anselm with a goal and assist, while senior Meagan Halligan (North Branford, Connecticut/North Branford) dished out two assists. Sophomores Katie Neyland (Boxborough, Massachusetts/Acton-Boxborough) and Emma Kincaid (West Bridgewater, Massachusetts/West Bridgewater) chipped in with goals for the Hawks.
Kelly sparked Stonehill's comeback with a penalty stroke goal 12 minutes into the second half after Saint Anselm had erased a first half goal by Kelly with a pair of markers two and half minutes apart in the opening eight minutes of the second half. Neyland leveled the contest 5:35 into the second half with a tip on the right side off a pass from Collins. Collins pushed the Hawks in front 2:20 later with a drive from the upper right side of the arc off a corner pass by Halligan through traffic.
| Postgame Interview with Susan Ciufo |
Kelly's penalty stroke equalized for Stonehill at 47:01 and then she set up a go-ahead goal from Gerew who tipped in Kelly's pass in front of the cage at 58:27 for her first career goal. Smith gave the Skyhawks an important two goal cushion with 5:13 remaining as she knocked in a pass from sophomore Alexandria Sylvia (Brockton, Massachusetts/Brockton) at the left post for her sixth goal of the year.
Kincaid pulled Saint Anselm back within a goal less than two minutes later with a drive from the top of the arc off a corner by Halligan with 3:23 to play, but Stonehill was able to hold on the rest of the way for the key late season win.
Kelly scored the lone goal of the first half when she fired through traffic from the right side of the arc off a stop from senior Maggie Travers (Scituate, Massachusetts/Scituate) on a corner pass from junior Sarah Morse (Westminster, Massachusetts/Oakmont Regional), who has a point in three straight games for the Skyhawks.
Stonehill (8-5, 6-2 NE-10) is right back in action here at W.B. Mason Stadium on Friday night when it hosts Southern Connecticut State University for a Northeast-10 matchup at 7 p.m. Saint Anselm (9-3, 4-3 NE-10) hosts American International College on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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