Miller posts five points to lead Pioneers to second-straight win
Freedman finished with ten saves in the Skyhawks goal today. (PHOTO BY Matt Campbell) |
EASTON, Mass. (October 28, 2018) – LIU Post, ranked No. 9 in this week's Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll, scored twice in the opening 11 minutes on its way to a 4-1 victory over No. 6 Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference field hockey action on Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium today.
Senior Emily Miller led LIU Post with a five-point game, netting the first two goals of the contest and then assisting on the only second half marker by either side to seal the key NE10 win. Sophomore Sammy Bell and freshman Maddie Leitner each chipped in goals for the Pioneers.
Sophomore Rachel Vellis preserved the win with 11 saves in the LIU Post goal. Senior Sara Freedman logged ten stops in the Stonehill cage, while freshman Charlotte Cloosterman chipped in with a pair of defensive saves.
Senior Carly Andersen netted the lone goal for Stonehill. She now ranks seventh in program history with 34 career goals and ninth in scoring with 77 points in 69 career games played.
Andersen's tenth goal of the year pulled the Skyhawks back within 2-1 in the first half. (PHOTO BY Matt Campbell) |
Miller staked LIU Post out to an early two-goal lead less than 11-minutes into the contest, striking first after just 86-seconds, when she pushed a loose ball in the middle of the scoring area that snuck through the Stonehill defense and past Freeman for the opening goal. Miller doubled the Pioneers lead by tipping in a pass from the left side by junior Taylor Brodsky for her 19th goal of the year 10:47 in.
Stonehill pulled a goal back less than five minutes later off a corner as Anderson followed her corner pass to the near post and was on-hand when senior All-American Kacie Smith's drive from the upper right side of the arc was directed towards the left by by junior All-American Michaela Antonellis to Anderson for her tenth goal of the year at 15:30.
Stonehill kept the pressure on, finishing the opening half with an 11-9 advantage in shots, but LIU Post was able to regain its two goal lead with just 54-seconds remaining in the opening half as a long pass from the defensive zone on a counter attack found Leitner one-on-one with Freedman, and she was able to slot in her third goal of the year. The Pioneers added an insurance goal 4:50 into the second half as Miller connected with Bell for her ninth goal of the season.
Stonehill (10-4, 6-3 NE10) is back on the road on Wednesday night at No. 3 Merrimack College at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, November 10, to host Saint Michael's College for Senior Day at 1 p.m. LIU Post (10-4, 9-3 NE10) hosts Southern Connecticut State University on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
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