Freshman Kacie Smith scored a pair of goals to help lead the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Smith nets two goals after seniors provide first half lead for Skyhawks
EASTON, Mass. (October 30, 2015) – Stonehill College, ranked ninth in this week's Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll, closed out the regular season schedule with a 4-0 triumph over Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey action at Timothy J. Coughlin '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium tonight.
Freshman Kacie Smith (Norwood, Massachusetts/Norwood) scored two second half goals to break the game open after seniors Lauren Giordano (Watertown, Massachusetts/Watertown) and Erika Kelly (Watertown, Massachusetts/Watertown) celebrated Senior Night with first half markers. Sophomore Alexandria Sylvia (Brockton, Massachusetts/Brockton) chipped in with two assists for the Skyhawks.
Junior goalkeeper Dana Dhami (Glastonbury, Connecticut/Glastonbury) posted her first career shutout for Stonehill with a six save performance, including four stops in the second half. Stonehill posted an 18-8 advantage in shots for the contest, while Pace held an 8-7 edge in penalty corners. Sophomore Lesly Sanchez Alvarez (Stamford, Connecticut/Stamford) registered three stops in the Pace cage.
Sophomore Alexandria Sylvia dished a pair of assists for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY SportsPix) |
Giordano put Stonehill in front with her eighth goal of the season as she took a pass from Sylvia from the right side and slipped a shot past Sanchez Alvarez 11:06 into the game. Kelly doubled the Skyhawks lead 2:06 later with her 22nd goal of the season when she took a pass from sophomore Alexandra Gerew (Harrisville, Rhode Island/Pomfret School), spun past the keeper and fired a shot into the left corner at 13:12. The goal is the 93rd of Kelly's career, giving her 206 career points to move into second place all-time in Northeast-10 history behind just UMass Lowell's Sammy Macy (2007-10) with 219 points, and tied for third all-time in NCAA Division II history.
Smith struck twice within a five minute span in the second half to run the Stonehill lead to four goals. Her first marker came 10:15 into the second half when she collected a loose ball and fired a shot into the left corner. Sylvia connected with Smith for her 12th goal of the season at 49:48 with a cross from the end line for a one-time shot into the goal to cap the scoring.
Stonehill (11-6, 9-3 NE-10 will host a Northeast-10 Tournament first round matchup at W.B. Mason Stadium at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks will be seeded either third or fourth, pending tomorrow's NE-10 results and host either Saint Anselm College, Bentley University or LIU Post. Pace sees its inaugural varsity season come to a close with a 6-12 record overall, including 3-9 in the NE-10.
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