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Booth totaled five points with three goals and two assists. (PHOTO BY Mike Broglio/SportsPix) |
Booth leads Skyhawks with five points, while Gilman and Wheaton tally three
EASTON, Mass. (March 18, 2017) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 20 in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, jumped ahead early for the second straight game and closed out its second straight win with a five goal second half to claim a 13-5 victory over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action on Timothy J. Coughlin '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon.
Senior Shannon Booth (Pearl River, New York/Nanuet) led the way again for Stonehill with five points on three goals and two assists to go with four ground balls. Classmate Jenna Gilman (Ocean Township, New Jersey/Ocean Township) and freshman Jennifer Wheaton (Dartmouth, Massachusetts/Dartmouth) each added two goals and an assist for three points, while Wheaton also chipped in with two ground balls and two caused turnovers. Freshman MacKenzie Pleshaw (Franklin, Massachusetts/Franklin) chipped in with two goals for the Skyhawks.
Junior Bailey Herr (Oakhurst, New Jersey/Ocean Township) preserved the win with four saves in the Stonehill goal. The Skyhawks posted a 26-17 advantage in shots for the contest, converting 3-of-6 free-position shots in the second half to seal the win, while edging Franklin Pierce 13-7 in draw controls. Senior Denise Hunt (Hull, Massachusetts/Hull) finished with eight saves in the Ravens goal, adding four ground balls and a caused turnover.
Junior Caitlin Sweeney (Shirley, New York/Longwood) paced the Franklin Pierce attack with a goal and two assists for three points, filling the stat sheet with four ground balls, three caused turnovers and a draw control. Classmate Anna Wilbert (Bohemia, New York/Connetquot) netted two goals for the Ravens.
Wheaton contributed two goals and an assist with two caused turnovers. (PHOTO BY Mike Broglio/SportsPix) |
Stonehill took control of the game with six goals over the opening 11:29 of the contest. Booth had a hand in each of the first three markers for the Skyhawks, netting the first two after just 2:31, and then setting up Wheaton's first of the afternoon less than four minutes in. Wheaton would play a role in the next three goals for the Skyhawks, adding a second tally with 21:42 remaining in the half and then assisting on Gilman's first goal just 16-seconds later.
Pleshaw capped the Stonehill run with her first of two goals for the afternoon and then Franklin Pierce reeled off three straight over a four minutes span to cut its deficit in half after a free-position goal by junior Megan Schaeffer (Brookhaven, New York/Bellport) with 11:30 remaining in the half. The Skyhawks scored two of the final three goals in the half to carry a four goal lead into halftime (8-4).
Junior Taylor Shannahan (Mendham, New Jersey/Morris Catholic) opened the second half scoring with her fourth goal of the season just 37-seconds in, marking the second straight game she has scored the opening goal of the second half less than two minutes in. Franklin Pierce responded with Wilbert's second goal of the afternoon, assisted by Sweeney, to pull the Ravens back within four with 19:15 still to play.
Stonehill held from there, however, scoring the final four goals of the contest to outscore the Franklin Pierce 5-1 in the half to seal the win. Booth's third goal of the day and team-leading 11th of the season started a run of three-straight free-position goals for the Skyhawks with 12:59 to play. Gilman and Pleshaw added free-position goals over the next five minutes and then freshman Kaitlin Healey (Westwood, Massachusetts/Westwood) capped the scoring in the final minute.
Stonehill (3-2, 2-0 NE10) returns to action on Tuesday when it visits top-ranked Adelphi University for an NE10 clash at 6 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Wednesday, March 29, to host the University of New Haven at 7 p.m. Franklin Pierce (2-1, 0-1 NE10) hosts Assumption College on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
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