Junior Lizzie Lane posted a goal and assist for the Skyhawks while adding two draws and two caused turnovers. (PHOTO BY Marcelo Cutti/SMG) |
McKee leads Chargers to 6-0 start with six goals and an assist
WEST HAVEN, Conn. (March 22, 2014) – The University of New Haven, ranked 10th in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, raced out to a 9-2 halftime lead and didn't look back in claiming a 16-7 victory over 9th-ranked Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action at Kayo Field this afternoon.
Senior Nicole McKee (Wantagh, N.Y./MacArthur) and junior Kathryn Campbell (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield) both totaled seven point afternoons to lead New Haven to its sixth straight win to open the season. McKee netted a game-high six goals to go with an assist, five draw controls, three ground balls and a caused turnover. Campbell registered four goals and three assists to go with eight draws, two ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Sophomore Courtney Ackland (Perth, Australia) contributed two goals and three assists for five points, while classmate Maya Szymanski (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) recorded a goal and three assists with two caused turnovers. Freshman Nicole Belanger (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon) netted two goals for the Chargers, while senior Marissa Fisher (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) chipped in with a goal and assist.
Sophomore Alyssa Gianotti (Monkton, Md./Hereford) posted eight saves in the New Haven goal as the Chargers finished with a 29-20 advantage for shots. Junior Brittany Ast (Glenwood, N.J./Vernon Township) lent support with four caused turnovers for the Chargers defense. UNH also recorded a 17-8 advantage on draw controls and was successful on 12-of-13 clear attempts. Junior Ashley Armstrong (Northborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) finished with five stops in the Stonehill goal.
Junior Lizzie Lane (Sandwich, Mass./Bishop Stang) led Stonehill with a goal and assist while adding two draw controls and two caused turnovers. Sophomore Rebecca Matheson (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial) also registered a goal and assist to go with a ground ball off the bench. Senior Kelsey Shannahan (Mendham, N.J./Morris Catholic) chipped in with a goal to extend her point streak to 30 games dating back to her freshman season. Freshman Elizabeth Vetter (Great River, N.Y./East Islip) finished with a goal, two draws and two caused turnovers.
Sophomore Rebecca Matheson also contributed a goal and assist. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
New Haven scored the first two goals of the contest over the opening nine minutes off the sticks of Szymanski and Ackland. Stonehill got on the board with junior Brooke Rudden (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton) setting up Shannahan for her lone goal of the day with 19:02 left in the half. The Chargers raced off with the next three goals, including two from McKee and a goal and assist from Ackland, for a 5-1 lead with 11:36 remaining in the half.
Stonehill scored its second goal 35-seconds later from junior Mikayla Couch (Towaco, N.J./DePaul Catholic), but New Haven scored the last four goals of the half, including markers from Fisher and Campbell 31-seconds apart in the final 42-seconds, to carry the 9-2 lead into halftime. McKee had a goal and assist, while Szymanski dished two assists during that closing stretch.
New Haven extended the run to five goals as Campbell set up Belanger for the opening goal of the second half after 2:16. Lane added her goal for Stonehill with 24:30 remaining in the half before the Chargers extended their lead to 13-3 with 20:51 remaining. McKee scored two of UNH's three goals during that stretch, while Ackland dished out two assists.
Stonehill scored four of the next five goals to close within 14-7 as Matheson set up junior Jillian Yung (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) with 4:57 on the clock. Yung's marker capped a three goal run for the Skyhawks, which started with Matheson's goal as well as a free-position goal from Vetter. The run came too late for Stonehill and New Haven closed out the victory with the final two goals, with Campbell recording a goal and assist for the Chargers.
Stonehill (2-3, 1-1 NE-10) is back in action on Tuesday when it visits Franklin Pierce University for a Northeast-10 matchup at 6 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Saturday, March 29, to host No. 2 Adelphi University at 1 p.m. New Haven (6-0, 3-0 NE-10) visits 14th-ranked Dowling College on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.
