Senior Rebecca Matheson recorded a career-high six points with a career-best five goals tonight. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix) |
Kennedy's 22 saves leads Penmen to key NE-10 win
Junior Nicole Kennedy (Windham, Maine/Windham) totaled 22 saves to lead Southern New Hampshire to its fifth win in six games, posting 12 stops in the second half alone to make the Penmen's seven goal surge to start stand, while collecting eight ground balls and a caused turnover. Senior Adrianna Frattasio (Walpole, Massachusetts/Walpole) also keyed the defensive effort for SNHU with four caused turnovers and five ground balls as the Penmen were victorious despite being outshot by Stonehill 36-22 with 21 turnovers, compared to 11 for the Skyhawks, and converting 17-of-25 clears.
Junior Casey Duggan (Framingham, Massachusetts/Framingham) paced the SNHU offense with five goals, all of which came during the Penmen's opening seven goal run, while classmate Courtney Nivala (Westminster, Massachusetts/Oakmont Regional) added four goals. Sophomore Alexa Bedell (Londonderry, New Hampshire/Londonderry) totaled four points with two goals and two assists, while collecting four draw controls and two ground balls, with freshman Kristin Wilder (Framingham, Massachusetts/Framingham) chipping in three goals and three draws.
Senior Rebecca Matheson (Reading, Massachusetts/Reading Memorial) led Stonehill with a career-high six points on a career-best five goals and an assist. Classmate Caitlin Sweeney (Hollis, New Hampshire/Hollis-Brookline) added a pair of goals with three ground balls, two draw controls and a caused turnover, while junior Elizabeth Vetter (Great River, New York/East Islip) contributed a goal and assist for two points with five ground balls, three draws and a caused turnover.
Senior Caitlin Sweeney chipped in two goals. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix) |
Sophomores Bailey Herr (Oakhurst, New Jersey/Ocean Township) and Kaitlyn Hess (Guilderland, New York/Guilderland) each finished with two saves in goal for Stonehill. Herr started and went the first 27:11 for the Skyhawks, conceding eight goals, while Hess yielded seven goals over the final 32:49. Stonehill converted 5-of-14 free-position shot attempts on the night and was successful on 15-of-16 clear attempts.
Southern New Hampshire took control by scoring the first seven goals of the game in the opening 19 minutes. Duggan fueled the run with her five goals, including a pair in the opening minute, while Bedell tallied a goal and two assists before Nivala capped the run with 11:04 remaining in the half. Matheson's first goal of the night ended the run with 10:42 to go in the half and then Vetter cut Stonehill's deficit to five (7-2) with 9:12 on the clock.
SNHU carried a six goal lead into halftime (9-3) after Bedell's 40th goal of the year with 2:12 to play. Stonehill was back within five (10-5) after Matheson's second less than five minutes into the second half, but the Penmen responded with three straight goals, including two by Nivala, over a span of 2:18 to open an eight goal margin (13-5) with 16:03 remaining.
Stonehill answered that run with a three goal burst of its own, including a pair by Matheson, to get back within five (13-8) on sophomore All-American Kelly Healey's (Westwood, Massachusetts/Westwood) eighth goal of the year, assisted by Matheson, with 5:51 on the clock. Nivala halted the run with her ninth of the season and the teams traded goals from there as the Penmen sealed the win.
Stonehill (6-7, 4-6 NE-10) is right back in action on Friday when it visits Saint Michael's College for a Northeast-10 matchup at Saint Michael's College at 3:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home next Thursday, April 28, to host Merrimack College on Senior Night at 7 p.m. Southern New Hampshire (10-4, 6-4 NE-10) hosts American International College on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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