Junior Ashley Armstrong posted her seventh double-figure save performance of the season with 12 stops today. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Panthers reach NE-10 Championship game for fifth-straight year
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (May 3, 2014) – Top-seeded and host Adelphi University, ranked No. 1 in both the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and Lacrosse Magazine Division II poll, advanced to the Conference championship match for the fourth straight year with a 14-5 victory over fourth-seeded Stonehill College, ranked 13th in the IWLCA poll and 14th in the Lacrosse Magazine poll in semifinal round action of the 2014 Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse tournament at Motamed Field this afternoon.
Adelphi (18-0, 12-0 NE-10) will play for its fourth NE-10 title tomorrow when it faces second-seeded and No. 4-ranked University of New Haven (16-2, 11-1 NE-10) for the NE-10 Championship at 3 p.m. New Haven edged third-seeded Saint Anselm College (13-4, 9-3 NE-10) in today's second semifinal. Stonehill, ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II North Regional rankings, falls to 12-7 overall, including a 9-3 mark in NE-10 play.
Junior Alexa Froccaro (Port Washington, New York/Port Washington) led Adelphi with four goals and an assist for five points, while freshman Jackie Jahelka (Garden City, New York/Garden City) netted three goals. Sophomores Rachel O'Brien (Bayport, New York/Bayport-Bluepoint) and Emily Keesling (Bel Air Maryland/Patterson Mill) both scored two goals, while senior Devan Crimi (West Islip, New York/West Islip) and sophomore Rachel Aitkens (Whitehouse Station, New York/Hunterdon Central) both chipped in with a goal and assist. Senior Alaina Lamont (Baltimore, Maryland/Perry Hall) rounded out the Panthers goal scorers on the afternoon.
Sophomore Taylor Hayes (Rockville Centre, New York/Kellenberg) finished with three saves in goal for Adelphi as the Panthers held a 39-11 advantage in shots for the contest, converting 6-of-17 free-position shots compared to 0-for-4 for Stonehill. The Panthers also registered a 14-6 edge in draw controls while the Skyhawks committed 23 turnovers compared to 14 for the hosts. Junior Ashley Armstrong (Northborough, Massachusetts/Algonquin Regional) posted her seventh double-figure save performance of the season and second straight by finishing with 12 saves, including four on free-position shot attempts, while collecting five ground balls.
Sophomore Rebecca Matheson scored a pair of goals for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Junior Mikayla Couch (Towaco, New Jersey/DePaul Catholic) and sophomore Rebecca Matheson (Reading, Massachusetts/Reading Memorial) both netted two goals for Stonehill. Matheson also collected two draw controls, while senior Kelsey Shannahan (Mendham, New Jersey/Morris Catholic) dished out two assists to run her point streak to 44 games to cap the season. Junior Brooke Rudden (Hopkinton, Massachusetts/Hopkinton) chipped in with a goal for the Skyhawks.
Matheson opened the scoring for Stonehill with her first goal of the afternoon, assisted by junior Lizzie Lane (Sandwich, Massachusetts/Bishop Stang), 3:33 into the contest for an early lead. Adelphi equalized less than three minutes later as postgrad Meg Brown (Lindenhurst, New York/Lindenhurst) set up O'Brien's first goal of the afternoon 6:16 in. The goal sparked a six goal run over the next five minutes to take control of the game. Keesling followed up O'Brien's marker 37-seconds later off a feed from Crimi to put the Panthers in front. O'Brien and Keesling both netted two goals for Adelphi during that stretch.
Matheson stopped the run with her first goal of the afternoon, assisted by Shannahan with 16:09 to play in the first half, but Adelphi scored the last two goals of the half to take an 8-2 lead into halftime. Crimi netted her 72nd goal of the year on a free-position shot with 11:22 remaining in the half and then Froccaro capped the first half scoring, assisted by freshman Kate Beier (West Islip, New York/West Islip) 3:26 before the break.
Adelphi extended that run to seven goals with the first five markers of the second half that sealed victory with a 13-2 lead after Jahelka's third of the game with 11:01 remaining. She had two goals in all during the run, while Froccaro netted a pair as well. Couch snapped a 40-minute scoreless drought for Stonehill with her first marker of the day with 5:43 to go. Froccaro set up Lamont's goal with 1:11 on the clock before Rudden, assisted by Shannahan, and Couch capped the scoring with goals in the final 16-seconds for the Skyhawks.
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