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Doherty totaled a career-high four points with a goal and career-best three assists. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Skyhawks head back to NE10 semifinals for 18th time after one year hiatus
EASTON, Mass. (May 3, 2017) – Fourth-seeded Stonehill College, ranked No. 17 in this week's Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, saw nine different players find the back of the net as it handed fifth-seeded Pace University, ranked No. 14 in the IWLCA poll and 19th in the Nike/US Lacrosse Magazine Division II poll, a second loss over the span of five days with a 16-9 decision in quarterfinal round action of the 2017 Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse tournament on Timothy J. Coughlin '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium tonight.
Stonehill (12-6, 10-3 NE10) advances to Saturday's semifinal round, which will be hosted by Le Moyne College, to face the top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Dolphins at 11 a.m. Le Moyne advanced with a 13-1 victory over eighth-seeded Franklin Pierce University in their quarterfinal round matchup this afternoon. Stonehill, the only program to appear in all 19 NE10 women's lacrosse tournaments is back in the semifinal round for the 18th time after a one year hiatus. Pace likely sees its season come to a close with an 11-6 record overall, including 9-4 in the NE10, to make its second trip to the NE10 tournament in the program's three-year existence.
Nine different Stonehill players scored goals tonight, with senior Elizabeth Vetter (Great River, New York/East Islip) and freshmen Kaitlin Healey (Westwood, Massachusetts/Westwood) and Jennifer Wheaton (Dartmouth, Massachusetts/Dartmouth) leading the way with three goals apiece. Vetter helped the Skyhawks control possession with eight draw controls, while adding two ground balls and a caused turnover. Junior Brianna Doherty (Walpole, Massachusetts/Walpole) totaled a career-high four points with a goal and career-best three assists, while senior Shannon Booth (Pearl River, New York/Nanuet) netted two goals.
Freshman Bailey Grant (Chelmsford, Massachusetts/Chelmsford) backboned a strong Stonehill defensive effort with seven saves, including two on free-position shots, three ground balls and a caused turnover. Senior co-captains Cara Corvino (Dorset, Vermont/Burr and Burton Academy) and Erika Isner (Farmington, Connecticut/Farmington) led the Skyhawks defense in front of Grant, with Corvino causing five turnovers to go with four ground balls and two draw controls, while Isner collected six ground balls and also netted her first career goal in the second half.
Vetter scored three goals and collected a game-high eight draw controls. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Junior Casey Gelderman (Farmingville, New York/Sachem East) had a hand in six of Pace's nine goals on the night with four goals and two assists, while adding five draw controls and three ground balls. Classmate Abby Haimson (Montville, New Jersey/Montville) netted two goals, while freshman Mary Kate Lonegan (Brewster, New York/Brewster) registered a goal and assist. Junior Alissa Silvestri (Congers, New York/Clarkstown North) finished with eight saves in 50-minutes of action in the Setters goal.
After handing Pace an 18-9 defeat in the regular season finale for both here at W.B. Mason Stadium on Friday night to earn home field advantage for tonight's quarterfinal, Stonehill again grabbed quick control with three goals over the opening eight and a half minutes. The Skyhawks jumped out to a 6-1 lead in Friday night's triumph on their way to a 12-5 halftime advantage, and then did more of the same tonight with five of the first six goals on their way to a 9-3 halftime cushion.
Vetter opened the scoring 4:20 into the contest with a free-position goal and then junior Taylor Shannahan (Mendham, New Jersey/Morris Catholic) and Booth followed with goals 36-seconds apart for the early three goal lead. Haimson got Pace on the scoreboard just 22-seconds after Booth's tally, but Doherty assisted on Wheaton's first goal of the night with 18:23-remaining in the half and then scored her seventh goal of the year less than six minutes later to extend the Skyhawks lead to four (5-1).
Pace scored two straight to close the gap to 5-3 after Gelderman's first of the night with 9:09 remaining in the first half. Healey followed with three straight goals within a three-minute span to spark a four goal Stonehill run to close out the half and carry a six goal lead (9-3) into halftime. Healey's first goal came with 5:32 remaining in the half, before adding goals at 3:15 and 2:38.
Pace was within five goals (10-5) after Gelderman set up junior Angela Kelly (Garnerville, New York/North Rockland) with 18:34 still to play, but Stonehill scored four of the next five markers to open an eight goal lead (14-6) after Booth's 30th goal of the year, assisted by Doherty, with 10:10 to play to seal the win. Vetter also contributed two of the Skyhawks four goals during that stretch to finish off her three-goal night.
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