Faley notches season-high 11 saves, Rudden, Hughes & Conway logs five points as Skyhawks log highest-ranked win in 17-years

Faley posted a season-high 11 saves as the Skyhawks notched their highest-ranked win in 17 years (PHOTO BY Jon Bourque)

EASTON, Mass. (March 19, 2022) – Stonehill College started fast in each half, grabbing leads it wouldn't relinquish in notching a 17-14 triumph over Le Moyne College, ranked No. 2 in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll, on Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon. 

Scoring

Stonehill
Goals: Kayla Conway 5, Lilly Leach 4, Lydia Rudden 3, Emma Sullivan 3, Kendall Fressle, Caroline Davey.
Assists: Molly Mae Hughes 5, Lydia Rudden 2, Kendall Fressle, Emma Sullivan, Victoria Butler. 

Le Moyne
Goals: Jessica Meneilly 6, Gemma Addonizio 3, Erin McMullen 2, Sydney Meagher, Sarah Hutchings, Adrianna Nojaim 1.
Assists: Gemma Addonizio 2, Erin McMullen 2, Adrianna Nojaim 2. 

Goalkeeping
Stonehill: Sarah Faley – 11 saves (60:00).
Le Moyne: Paige Crandall – 7 saves (45:00); Madison Fox – 0 saves (15:00). 

More Leaders

Stonehill
Caused Turnovers: Emma Sullivan 2.
Draw Controls: Victoria Butler 9.
Ground Balls: Emma Sullivan & Karly King 3. 

Le Moyne
Caused Turnovers: Sydney Meagher & Savannah Fish 2.
Draw Controls: Sydney Meagher 8.
Ground Balls: Savannah Fish 4. 

How it Happened

• Conway scored a team-high five goals, including three of her four second half goals in a key third quarter push for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Jan Volk/SportsPix)

  Stonehill scored the first two goals of the game on markers from sophomore Lilly Leach and junior Lydia Rudden over the opening 5:11 on its way to a 6-2 lead in the opening quarter.
• The Skyhawks scored three-straight by three different players, two assisted by sophomore Molly Mae Hughes, to open the four-goal lead (6-2) after junior Kayla Conway's first goal of the game with 4:29 to play in the quarter.
• Senior Jessica Meneilly closed out the first quarter and then scored the opening goal of the second to draw Le Moyne back within two (6-4) 1:38 into the second quarter.
• Meneilly closed out the first half with two-straight markers in the final 4:36 to pull Le Moyne back within a goal (8-7) at the half to cap a three-goal frame for the Dolphins, while junior Gemma Addonizio registered a goal and two assists in the frame.
• Conway scored the first two goals of the third quarter and had Stonehill's first three as the Skyhawks opened the second half with a 5-1 run to open a game-high five-goal cushion (13-8) with under three minutes to play in the third after back-to-back woman-up goals from Rudden and senior preseason All-American Emma Sullivan, assisted by Rudden.
• Meneilly closed the third quarter scoring, but Sullivan restored Stonehill's five goal cushion (14-9) with her third goal of the afternoon 46-seconds into the fourth.
• Le Moyne scored the next three goals, from three different players, to pull back within two (14-12), but Stonehill responded with a pair two minutes apart to reclaim a four-goal lead (16-12) after Conway's fifth of the afternoon, on Hughes' fifth assist, with 6:10 to play.
• Postgrad Erin McMullen pulled Le Moyne back within three (16-13) with 4:09 to go, but Rudden's third of the day on a free-position shot sealed the win with 1:56 left.

Hughes dished out a career-high five assists for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Crystal Ayn Photography)

Noteworthy

• It marks the second-straight year Stonehill has beaten a team ranked in the IWLCA rankings after a 10-9 win over Assumption University at W.B. Mason Stadium on April 3 last season. Taking out the 2020 COVID-shortened season, the Skyhawks own a win over a nationally-ranked opponent in three-straight seasons.
• Stonehill defeats its highest-ranked opponent since a 13-10 triumph over No. 2 West Chester (Pa.) University in the 2005 NCAA National Championship game in which Stonehill was ranked No. 1 in the country to cap off its 21-0 season with the program's second National Championship in three years.
• Stonehill has won its first two NE10 games of the season for the first time since 2017.
• This afternoon marks Stonehill's third win in 14 all-time meetings with Le Moyne dating back to 2011 and its first since winning both matchups during the 2014 season. All three series wins for the Skyhawks have come at W.B. Mason Stadium.
• The Stonehill win snaps Le Moyne's 27-game winning streak in NE10 games dating back to April 25, 2018. The Skyhawks pinned the highest goal total against the Dolphins since Adelphi University netted 18 in an NCAA semifinal decision in 2011.
• Freshman Sarah Faley registered a season-high 11 saves in the Stonehill goal to preserve the win.
• Sullivan's four points (3 goals, assist) give her 98 (79 goals, 19 assists) in 36 career games. She also contributed six draw controls, three ground balls and two caused turnovers in the win.
• Hughes dished out a career-high five assists for Stonehill, matching her career-best for points. She was one of three to finish with a team-best five points, joining Conway (5 goals) and Rudden (3 goals, 2 assists).
• Leach contributed a career-high four goals.
• Junior Victoria Butler led Stonehill with her career-high nine draw controls, chipping in with her first career assist.
• Meneilly scored a team-high six goals for Le Moyne, while Addonizio contributed five points with three goals and two assists.
• Junior Paige Crandall finished with seven saves over the first three quarters of play for the Dolphins.
• Four Skyhawks finished with multiple goals for the third-straight game.

Up Next

Stonehill (4-1, 2-0 NE10) returns to action on Wednesday, when it visits American International College for an NE10 matchup in Springfield, Massachusetts, at 3:30 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Wednesday, March 30, to host Assumption University at 7 p.m. Le Moyne (3-2, 0-1 NE10) visits Franklin Pierce University on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

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