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| Junior Michelle Kelly led the Skyhawks with three goals and two assists in Stonehill 18-5 win. |
Bulldogs No Competition for Red-Hot Skyhawks
Smithfield, R.I. - The Skyhawks claimed their fifth straight victory over the Bryant University Bulldogs (8-3, 5-2 Northeast-10 Conference), 18-5. The win marked Stonehill College Women's Lacrosse's (8-1, 6-0 Northeast-10 Conference) 74th straight win against Northeast-10 opponents. The women have scored 10-plus goals in all nine of their contests this spring.
Stonehill responded to the Bulldogs' Allison Faiola early marker
with seven unanswered goals. The 7-0 run came courtesy of
five different Skyhawks; including sophomore Liza
Gross (Loudonville, N.Y./Shaker) and junior Mary
Maloney (Great River, N.Y./Saint Anthony's). Each
claimed two scores in the first half.
Gross added three ground ball controls in the first half, while
Michelle Kelly (Mendham, N.Y./West Morris Mendham)
pitched in two first-period assists. Freshman Devin
O'Leary added her third goal of the season on one of
Stonehill's three first-half free position attempts.
Kristin Darrell (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip)
and Christa LaRocco (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip)
each scored first-period goals as Stonehill took a 7-3 lead into
the half.
The Skyhawks took a ten-goal advantage with 11:19 remaining in the
second half thanks to Gross' third marker of the game. Kelly,
a junior, scored back-to-back goals early in the second, while
senior captain Darrell added to her first-half total, finding the
back of the net three more times.
Defensive specialists Jaclyn Craig (Rocky
Point, N.Y./Rocky Point) and Kristyn Gramzow
(Billerica, Mass./Billerica) helped goaltender Amanda
McGeachey (Saco, Maine/Thornton) hold Bryant's offense
in-check all night. McGeachey finished with nine saves in 60
minutes of action.
Stonehill out-shot the Bulldogs, 36-16, in Tuesday's match
up. The Purple and White outscored Bryant 11-2 in the second
half to preserve their sixth conference victory and cement their
spot atop the Northeast-10 Conference standings.
The win is Stonehill's ninth straight against Bryant University. The Skyhawks have never lost to the Bulldogs dating back to the two schools' first meeting in 2002. Including today's final score, the Purple and White have outscored Bryant, 148-38 combined.
Stonehill is set to host Adelphi in a non-conference showdown between two top Division II programs. Game time is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 PM at W.B. Mason Stadium.