Senior All-American Erika Kelly is just the fifth field hockey player in Division II history with 200 career points. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Kelly nets hat trick and 200th career point, pulls within goal of NE-10 record
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (October 21, 2015) – Stonehill College, ranked ninth in this week's Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll scored twice in the final 11 minutes to clinch a 5-3 victory over American International College in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey action at Ronald J. Abdow Field this afternoon.
Senior All-American Erika Kelly (Watertown, Massachusetts/Watertown) fired Stonehill to its third straight win with her first hat trick of the season (11th career), marking her third straight multi-goal game and making her just the fifth field hockey player in NCAA Division II history to reach 200 career points. Her 90 career goals also move her within one of the Northeast-10 career record of 91 set by UMass Lowell's Sammy Macy (2007-10) and she is one of just three NE-10 field hockey players to net 200 points.
Junior Sarah Morse (Westminster, Massachusetts/Oakmont Regional) and freshman Kacie Smith (Norwood, Massachusetts/Norwood) also netted goals for Stonehill. Freshman Sara Freedman (Hopkinton, Massachusetts/Hopkinton) posted four of her five saves in the second half to preserve the win for the Skyhawks who finished with a 38-16 advantage for shots. American International held a 9-6 edge in penalty corners.
Junior Emma Heroth (Johnstown, New York/Johnstown) scored two first half goals to lead American International, while sophomore Meghan Largo (Ballston Lake, New York/Burnt Hills) added a marker. Freshman Taylor Ross (Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania/Stroudsburg) registered 19 stops in the cage to keep the Yellow Jackets in the game, including 13 in the second half alone.
Junior Sarah Morse scored the gamewinner for the Skyhawks with less than 11 minutes left. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Morse and Kelly scored a pair of goals six minutes apart late in the contest to send Stonehill onto the win. Morse broke a 3-3 tie with her third goal of the season with 10:56 left when she ripped a shot from the center of the scoring area inside the left post. Kelly provided some insurance with less than five to play when she collected a loose ball and looped a high shot over a drawn out Ross's head to complete her three goal afternoon with her 90th career goal.
Heroth opened the scoring 11:27 into the contest when she raced up the right side and deposited her first goal of the half into the left side of the cage. Smith equalized for Stonehill 2:09 later when she knocked in a pass from senior All-American Elizabeth Thornton (Needham, Massachusetts/Needham) for her tenth goal of the year.
Kelly, who has at least a point in all 15 games this season and 16 straight dating back to last fall, gave Stonehill its first lead with her first goal of the day off a pass from sophomore Alexandra Gerew (Harrisville, Rhode Island/Pomfret School) at 17:40. Heroth leveled for AIC with her third goal of the year off a feed from senior Ainslee Penfield (Greenfield, Massachusetts/Northfield Mount Herman) at 21:29.
Kelly converted her second penalty stroke in as many games to push Stonehill back in front 8:55 into the second half, however Largo knotted the score less than six minutes later off a feed from senior Erica McLean (Branford, Connecticut/Branford). Morse and Kelly were able to lift the Skyhawks to the win with their back to back goals in the final 11 minutes.
Stonehill (10-5, 8-2 NE-10) has the rest of the week off and will return to action next Tuesday, October 27, when it hosts Merrimack College for its Purple & White game at W.B. Mason Stadium at 7 p.m. American International (3-12, 2-8 NE-10) visits LIU Post on Saturday at noon.
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