Goldstein’s 17 saves sink Skyhawks in regional matchup
Sam Lynott scored four times, but the Skyhawks' rally fell short. |
EASTON, Mass. (April 25, 2011) – Stonehill College, ranked fifth in this week’s Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II national poll, was upset by seventh-ranked Dowling College in a 13-8 defeat Monday evening at home.
Dowling goalkeeper Rachael Goldstein (Ridge, N.Y./Longwood) made 17 saves, 11 of them in the second half, to hold off Stonehill and limit the Skyhawks to their lowest scoring total of the season. Junior Brooke Witkowski (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) led the Golden Lions with three goals and four assists, while sophomore Nicolle Moran (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) and senior Kelly Cefalu (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) matched her with three goals each. Junior Sam Lynott (Holbrook, N.Y./East Sachem) scored a game-high four goals for Stonehill, and goalkeeper Rebecca Moore (Marlborough, Mass./St. Mark's School) was dealt the loss in net, making 10 saves.
Stonehill looked to get off to a fast start in the first half, as Lynott and Heather Sullivan (Andover, Mass./Andover) put away a pair of goals in the opening three minutes. The lead disappeared almost as quickly, though, as Dowling took off on a 6-0 run bookended by two goals from freshman Samantha Stavish (Albertson, N.Y./Mineola). The Skyhawks closed to within two after unassisted tallies from Lynott and freshman Mary Lee Mahony (Yardley, Pa./Villa Joseph Marie), but Dowling scored four of the next five goals to hold off Stonehill.
The Skyhawks outshot Dowling 20-15 in the second half but came up against a stellar performance from Goldstein, who saved nine free-position attempts on the day as Stonehill went 1 for 13 from the eight-meter line. Witkowski and Moran each added two more goals for the Golden Lions, and graduate student Brianna Falese (Centereach, N.Y./Centereach) collected a game-high nine draw controls to help Dowling to a 16-7 advantage.
Freshman Kelsey Shannahan (Mendham, N.J./Morris Catholic) scored with two minutes remaining to pull Stonehill within a 12-8 margin, but the Skyhawks would not manage another shot as Dowling controlled the last two draws of the game and Witkowski tacked on an insurance goal with 30 seconds left to close it out.
Stonehill (13-2, 9-1 NE-10) is back in action tomorrow evening at Assumption College at 7:00 p.m. The Skyhawks will return home for the regular-season finale on Saturday, when they host Le Moyne College at 11:30 a.m.