Ka. Healey netted a career-high four goals to lead the Skyhawks to the win. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
Ka. Healey's first career four-goal game leads Skyhawks to season-opening win
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 22, 2018) – Stonehill College, ranked No. 17 in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II preseason coaches' poll and No. 20 in this week's Nike/US Lacrosse Magazine Division II poll, took control in the second half, but held off a late rally to claim a 9-8 season-opening victory over American International College in Northeast-10 Conference women's lacrosse action at Ronald J. Abdow Stadium tonight.
Sophomore Kaitlin Healey (Westwood, Massachusetts/Westwood) scored three of her game and career-high four goals in the second half to fuel the win, adding three draw controls and a caused turnover. Junior Linna Jalinskas (Farmington, Connecticut/Farmington) added two goals and an assist, with three draws and three caused turnovers, while classmate Logan Snelling (Duxbury, Massachusetts/Duxbury) contributed a goal and assist.
Sophomore Bailey Grant (Chelmsford, Massachusetts/Chelmsford) preserved the win with eight saves in the Stonehill goal. Senior Taylor Shannahan (Mendham, New Jersey/Morris Catholic) led the Skyhawks defensive effort with career-best totals of ten ground balls and nine caused turnovers, while classmate Kelly Healey (Westwood, Massachusetts/Westwood) chipped in with a goal and two caused turnovers.
Senior Brittany Hutchison (Westfield, Massachusetts/Westfield) totaled a game-high five points for American International with three goals and two assists, while junior Mary Bates (East Longmeadow, Massachusetts/East Longmeadow) netted three goals. Sophomore Allison Roy (Chicopee, Massachusetts/Chicopee Comp) caused six turnovers for the Yellow Jackets, while classmate Chelsea Davis (Boonton, New Jersey/Boonton) finished with nine saves in goal.
Shannahan collected career-high totals of ten ground balls and nine caused turnovers on Thursday night. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes) |
American International held a 3-2 halftime lead after scoring the first two goals of the game, before Kaitlin Healey and Jalinskas knotted the score with two goals less than two minutes apart. Hutchison, however, gave the Yellow Jackets the halftime edge with her first of the night with 9:32 remaining.
Stonehill scored the first three goals of the second half, including a pair from Healey, over the opening three minutes to take its first lead. Jalinskas knotted the score at three goals apiece just 41-seconds in, and then Healey struck for back-to-back markers 1:16 apart for a 5-3 lead. Hutchison set up Bates for a goal with 22:47 remaining and then added her second of the game to level the score once again (5-5) a minute later.
Stonehill followed with a four goal run over a six-minute span that appeared to take control of the game. Snelling assisted on the first goal of the run by senior Brianna Doherty (Walpole, Massachusetts/Walpole) with 20-minutes to play, and then capped the run with her first goal of the year and first career multi-point outing with 13:12 left. Kelly and Kaitlin Healey each added goals for the Skyhawks during that stretch as well.
AIC didn't go down quietly, with Hutchison netting her third with 8:32 to play and then turning provider for Bates three-minutes later. Bates then pulled the Yellow Jackets within a goal with 3:21 remaining with her third of the night. Stonehill won the ensuing draw, but AIC was able to get two possessions down the stretch. The Yellow Jackets turned the ball over on each of its last two possessions without getting a shot at the equalizer and the Skyhawks were able to run the clock out to clinch the opening night win.
Stonehill (1-0, 1-0 NE10) is off until Saturday, March 3, when it visits Molloy College for a non-conference matchup at noon. The Skyhawks home opener is Tuesday, March 6, when they host Merrimack College for an NE10 matchup at W.B. Mason Stadium at 3 p.m. AIC (0-1, 0-1 NE10) visits Adelphi University next Wednesday at 6 p.m.
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