Junior Caitlin Sweeney scored four goals to lead the Skyhawks to victory. (PHOTO BY Emily Reynolds) |
Sweeney nets four goals to lead Skyhawks to victory in season-opener
EASTON, Mass. (March 3, 2015) – Stonehill College, ranked 12th in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, opened the season with a dominant 17-3 triumph over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action at Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon.
Junior Caitlin Sweeney (Hollis, New Hampshire/Hollis-Brookline) led a Stonehill attack that featured nine goal scorers with four goals with three draw controls, a caused turnover and ground ball. Seniors Cassandra McGill (Westborough, Massachusetts/Westborough) and Mikayla Couch (Towaco, New Jersey/DePaul Catholic) each netted three goals, while classmate Lizzie Lane (Sandwich, Massachusetts/Bishop Stang) contributed two goals and an assist for three points to go with eight draw controls.
Senior Brooke Rudden (Hopkinton, Massachusetts/Hopkinton) rounded out Stonehill's multi-point scorers with a goal and two assists. Senior Jillian Yung (Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham), sophomores Elizabeth Vetter (Great River, New York/East Islip) and Kiki Ryan (Salem, Connecticut/East Lyme) and freshman Shannon Booth (Pearl River, New York/Nanuet) all chipped in with a goal apiece for the Skyhawks.
Junior Lauren Beville (Jamesville, New York/Jamesville-DeWitt) scored two of the three goals for Franklin Pierce and added two draw controls. Classmate Nicole Dale (Ronkonkoma, New York/Sachem North) chipped in with a goal and collected two ground balls.
Senior Ashley Armstrong (Northborough, Massachusetts/Algonquin Regional) made two saves in goal for Stonehill and added a caused turnover. Senior Julia Coakley (Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) started in goal for Franklin Pierce and made one save, while conceding eight goals in the opening 14:12. Sophomore Denise Hunt (Hull, Massachusetts/Hull) went the final 45:48 and posted five stops.
Senior Cassandra McGill scored three goals for the Skyhawks on Tuesday. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Stonehill scored the first eight goals in the opening 14:12 and didn't look back, carrying a 9-2 lead into halftime and then outscoring Franklin Pierce 8-1 in the second half to put the game away. Sweeney and Couch both scored a pair of goals for the Skyhawks during the opening run, while Lane added a goal and assist.
Franklin Pierce broke up the run with back to back goals from Beville with 15:26 remaining in the first half, just 22-seconds after Couch's second marker, and Dale with 14:13 left. McGill added her second marker of the half to put Stonehill up 9-2 at the half and then she sparked a three goal run over the opening 90-seconds of the second half by completing her hat trick 22-seconds in. Couch netted her third 35-seconds after that and then Sweeney scored her third after 90-seconds.
Stonehill pushed its lead to 16-2 with four goals in the span of 10:27, two of which were assisted by Rudden. Booth netted her first collegiate goal with 20:46 to play, while Sweeney scored her fourth of the afternoon with 14:12 on the clock and then Lane added her second of the game with 10:19 remaining.
Beville potted her second marker of the game for Franklin Pierce with a free-position goal with 3:20 remaining and then Ryan capped the scoring with her goal with 1:49 left.
Stonehill (1-0, 1-0 NE-10) is right back in action tomorrow when it hosts Findlay University of Ohio for a non-conference clash at W.B. Mason Stadium at 2 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: Like today, this game will be closed to the public for spectator safety reasons due to the amount of snow and ice still covering the walkways, stairs and seating areas at W.B. Mason Stadium. The game will again be streamed online FREE OF CHARGE at www.stonehillskyhawks.tv, with live stats also available at www.stonehillskyhawks.com.
Franklin Pierce (0-1, 0-1 NE-10) travels to Saint Thomas Aquinas College for a non-conference matchup on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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