Senior Ashley Armstrong made seven saves, including four on free-position shots, to backbone a strong Skyhawks defensive effort. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Sweeney leads offense with five points, Armstrong posts seven saves
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (March 19, 2015) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 5 in this week's Nike/Lacrosse Magazine Top 20 and 9th in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, smothered Merrimack College, 14-1, in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action at Martone-Mejail Field tonight.
Stonehill posted one of its best defensive performances in some time as it limited Merrimack to just 13 shots, with senior Ashley Armstrong (Northborough, Massachusetts/Algonquin Regional) saving seven of the eight shots on goal she faced in the win. The Skyhawks forced Merrimack to go 0-for-6 on free-position attempts, with Armstrong stopping four of them, including three in a shutout first half. Merrimack was also just 8-for-14 on clear attempts and committed 14 turnovers. Stonehill is now 6-0 for the first time since a 10-0 start in 2011.
Junior Caitlin Sweeney (Hollis, New Hampshire/Hollis-Brookline) paced the Stonehill offense with three goals and two assists for five points, while senior Lizzie Lane (Sandwich, Massachusetts/Bishop Stang) adding two goals and an assist with two ground balls. Seniors Cassandra McGill (Westborough, Massachusetts/Westborough) and Jillian Yung (Bridgewater, Massachusetts/Bridgewater-Raynham) each netted a pair of goals for the Skyhawks, with Yung collecting two ground balls. Senior Brooke Rudden (Hopkinton, Massachusetts/Hopkinton) and sophomore Elizabeth Vetter (Great River, New York/East Islip) each chipped in with a goal and assist.
Junior Danielle Riley (West Point, New York/James I. O'Neill) scored the lone Merrimack goal. Freshman Alexa Petzold (Ridgewood, New Jersey/Ridgewood) registered ten saves in the Warriors goal.
Senior Lizzie Lane posted two goals and an assist for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Stonehill scored the first nine goals of the game, staking out a 6-0 halftime lead and never looked back. Senior Emily Kessel (Kennebunk, Maine/Kennebunk) opened the scoring on first possession of the game off a feed from sophomore Kiki Ryan (Salem, Connecticut/East Lyme). Lane extended the Skyhawks lead with a pair of goals just 18-seconds apart for a three goal lead less than four and a half minutes into the game.
Stonehill ran the lead to six with three more goals in the final 9:46 of the half, two of which were set up by Sweeney. Freshman Taylor Shannahan (Mendham, New Jersey/ Morris Catholic) scored off the first Sweeney dish with 9:46 left in the half and then Yung added a score off a Sweeney assist with 2:46 remaining. Senior Mikayla Couch (Towaco, New Jersey/DePaul Catholic) capped the first half scoring with a free-position goal with a minute left.
Yung opened the second half scoring with a free-position goal 2:18 into the frame and then McGill potted two straight markers just 1:09 apart to five Stonehill a nine goal lead 3:49 into the half. Riley finally put Merrimack on the board with its lone goal of the contest with 14:01 remaining, but Stonehill reeled off the final five goals, three from Sweeney, to put the game away. Rudden and Vetter each added a goal and assist during the closing run over the final 13:27.
Stonehill (6-0, 4-0 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it visits Southern Connecticut State University for a Northeast-10 matchup at noon. The Skyhawks return home next Wednesday, March 25, for its first ever meeting with Northeast-10 newcomer Pace University at 7 p.m. Merrimack (3-3, 1-2 NE-10) travels to Assumption College on Saturday at 3 p.m.
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