Panthers dominate the draw, 20-8, to fuel victory and advance to National Semifinals

Fressle paced the Skyhawks attack with four goals this afternoon (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

EASTON, Mass. (May 15, 2022) – Second-seeded Adelphi University, ranked No. 7 in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II poll and No. 8 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine poll, never trailed in securing a return to the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse National Semifinals with a 13-11 decision over top-seeded and No. 5/7-ranked Stonehill College to capture the Division II East Region Championship on Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon.

Adelphi (18-2, 12-1 NE10) advances to the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship round next weekend, hosted by Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. The Panthers have been seeded second and will face third-seeded and No. 2/2-ranked University of Indianapolis (20-1) in a national semifinal on Friday at 8 p.m. (EDT). Adelphi will be making its 14^th Final Four trip in search of a tenth national championship.

Stonehill (18-3, 12-1 NE10), picked to finish ninth in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason coaches poll, caps its NCAA Division II era having captured a share of an NE10 record 12^th regular season championship on its way to a record tenth NE10 Tournament title. The Skyhawks earned their ninth and final NCAA Division II Tournament bid, posting their first NCAA Tournament win since the 2005 national championship game when it captured its second national title. Stonehill will now enter a transition to NCAA Division I status as a member of the Northeast Conference on July 1.

Sullivan totaled three goals, including her school-record 72nd of the season, adding five ground balls, three draw controls and two caused turnovers (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Adelphi dominated the draw control circle by a 20-8 margin to key the win, including 7-2 in the first quarter and 5-1 in the third to stretch out a four-goal lead (11-7) heading to the final 15-minutes. Junior Kerrin Heuser keyed the draw with five draw controls, as seven Panthers is all had at least one for the afternoon, and she added a goal and assist on attack. Postgrad Emily Beier paced the Panthers attack with five goals and an assist for six points, while fifth-year Izzy Grant added three goals and an assist, while collecting four draw controls.

Senior Kendall Fressle paced the Stonehill attack with four goals, while classmate Emma Sullivan added three goals, including her program-record 72^nd of the season, with five ground balls, three draw controls and two caused turnovers. Junior Lydia Rudden chipped in with four assists.

Sullivan, who already holds Stonehill single-season records for draw controls (148) and caused turnovers (48), added the single-season goal mark and ground ball record to her list today. She scored the Skyhawks opening goal to surpass the previous record of 71 goals in a season by Kristin Darrell, '08 in 2006, finishing the season with 74 goals and 18 assists for 92 points, marking the fourth-highest single-season scoring total in program history. Sullivan also finished with 78 ground balls, breaking Taylor Shannahan's '18 single-season mark of 75 in 2018. Sullivan finishes the season tied for 11^th on the NE10 all-time list for goals in a season, fourth in draw controls, seventh in caused turnovers and second for ground balls, having led the Conference in each category this spring.

Sullivan closes out her Stonehill career with 134 goals and 33 assists for 167 points in 52 career games, totaling 233 draw controls, 137 ground balls and 73 caused turnovers. She finishes 12^th on Stonehill career goals list, ninth in ground balls, second in draw controls and seventh in caused turnovers.

Rudden capped her record-breaking season with a school-record 77 assists and 119 points, to rank sixth on the NE10 single-season list for points and fourth in assists. She will enter her senior season with 59 goals and 106 assists for 165 points through 34 career games played. She is tied with head coach Katie (Lambert) Conover, '03 for second all-time in program history for assists, 22 shy of Jenny McGrath's '06 career record of 128.

Scoring

Stonehill
Goals: Kendall Fressle 4, Emma Sullivan 3, Abby Ahearn, Lilly Leach, Victoria Butler, Kayla Conway.
Assists: Lydia Rudden 4, Abby Ahearn.

Adelphi
Goals: Emily Beier 5, Izzy Grant 3, Gianna Bifulco 2, Kerrin Heuser, Christina McCabe, Kelly-Ann McGrath.
Assists: Emily Beier, Gianna Bifulco, Izzy Grant, Kerrin Heuser.

Goalkeeping
Stonehill: Sarah Faley – 4 saves (60:00).
Adelphi: Emma Lemanski – 4 saves (60:00). 

More Leaders

Stonehill
Caused Turnovers: Emma Sullivan 2.
Draw Controls: Emma Sullivan 3.
Ground Balls: Emma Sullivan 5. 

Adelphi
Caused Turnovers: Alexandra Beebe 3.
Draw Controls: Kerrin Heuser 5.
Ground Balls: Emma Lemanski 3.

How it Happened

• Rudden dished out four assists, finishing with a single-season record 77 and school-record 119 points (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

  Adelphi never trailed, always keeping Stonehill from grabbing the lead despite shifts in momentum throughout the game, always staying a step ahead by breaking three first quarter deadlocks and then maintaining at least a goal cushion over the final three quarters.
• Beier opened the scoring 52-seconds in, off Adelphi's first of 20 draw controls in the contest. Stonehill equalized two minutes later with Sullivan's record-breaking 72^nd goal of the season.
• The teams traded free-position goals, before Adelphi claimed its first two goal cushion (4-2) after a free-position marker by senior Gianna Bifulco with 4:52 to play in the opening quarter.
• Stonehill responded by capping the opening quarter with goals from Fressle on a free-position and then junior Kayla Conway was fed by Rudden for her 48^th goal of the year with two-seconds to send the team into the second quarter level (4-4).
• Adelphi outscored Stonehill 4-1 in the second quarter to gain the advantage at halftime (8-5) as Heuser and Bifulco each registered a goal and assist in the frame. Bifulco connected with Grant with just four-seconds remaining in the half to give the Panthers their three-goal halftime lead after Rudden and Sullivan had combined for a goal with 3:46 left to pull Stonehill back within one (6-5) at the time.
• Stonehill started the second half strong with goals from junior Victoria Butler on a free-position and sophomore Lilly Leach, assisted by Rudden, pulling the Skyhawks back within a goal (8-7) just 3:18 into the third quarter.
• Adelphi held, however, and Beier scored the last three goals in the closing 7:46 of the third to extend the Panthers lead to a game-high four goals (11-7) heading into the final 15 minutes of regulation.
• Stonehill again rallied, netting the first three goals of the final frame, including a pair by Fressle sandwiched around a free-position goal for Sullivan, to draw back within one again (11-10) with 8:13 still to play.
• Stonehill was able to win the ensuing draw after Fressle's fourth goal of the game, but turned the ball over and Beier restored a two-goal Adelphi lead with her fifth of the game with 6:21 remaining.
• Stonehill pulled within a goal again as sophomore Abby Ahearn netted her eighth of the year on a free-position try after an Adelphi shot clock violation with four minutes to play.
• Adelphi collected the ensuing draw and after a timeout got an insurance goal by Grant, assisted by Beier, with 2:39 remaining.
• Stonehill won the following draw, but turned the ball over, putting the ball back in Adelphi's hands with 2:26 left and the Panthers were able to see the clock out from there, despite another shot clock violation with 15-seconds to play.

Noteworthy

• Outside of draw controls, the stats were mainly even across the board for the two teams, with shots finishing 22-19 in Adelphi's favor, ground balls even at 14-14 and Adelphi turning the ball over 17 times to 16 for Stonehill.
• Postgrad Emma Lemanski and freshman Sarah Faley each finished with four saves in goal for Adelphi and Stonehill, respectively.
• Despite the loss, Stonehill has posted two of the three double-digit goal games Adelphi has yielded this season.
• Stonehill's 358 goals scored this season is the second-highest season total in program history after a record 394 during the undefeated national championship season in 2005.
• The Skyhawks finished with a school-record 387 draw controls as a team – shattering the previous record of 309 in 2005.
• Stonehill's 225 caused turnovers as a team ranks third all-time.
• Fressle tacked on two free-position goals out of her four this afternoon, finishing the year with a school-record 23 and capping her career third all-time with 40 career free-position goals, just one shy of the program record shared by Kayla Green, '13 and Heather Sullivan, '13.
• Stonehill finished 11-2 this season against nationally ranked opponents.
• Stonehill reached 18 wins for the first time since finishing 18-2 in 2007.
• Stonehill saw its first 12-game winning streak since the 2015 season come to an end.
• Stonehill also earned NCAA Tournament bids in 2001, '02, '03, '05, '07, 2010, '13 and '15.
• Stonehill hosted its first NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament games since winning the 2003 National Championship on what is now Skyhawk Field in 2003.
• Stonehill moved up three spots to No. 5 in this week's IWLCA Division II poll, and up one spot to No. 7 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine poll.
• Stonehill has won 12 NE10 matches for the first time in program history, surpassing ten wins on six occasions.

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