Women's Lacrosse

April 22, 2006

Women's Lacrosse Falls To No. 3 Stonehill, 17-14


COLCHESTER, Vt. ? The Saint Michael's College women's lacrosse team (8-4, 5-3 NE-10), was defeated by Stonehill College (13-1, 9-0 NE-10), 17-14, in Northeast-10 action on Saturday afternoon at Duffy Field.

For the Skyhawks, freshman Michelle Kelly (Mendham, N.J./West Morris Mendham) scored four goals, while senior Erin Acone (Bow, N.H./Bow) scored three times, and tallied four assists. Sophomore Christa LaRocco (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip), meanwhile, netted a goal and contributed three assists, as senior Lauren Stone (Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland) turned aside nine shots between the pipes.

For the Purple Knights, sophomore Amanda Soule (Hartland, Vt./Woodstock Union) notched five goals, while classmate Brynne Curran (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) totaled four goals and an assist, and Courtney Wakem (Tiverton, R.I./Tiverton) stopped six shots.

Stonehill opened the scoring 7:14 into the contest when sophomore Kristen Darrell (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) scored the first of her three goals. Saint Michael's responded exactly two minutes later with Curran's first, and opened up a 6-3 lead with nine minutes remaining in the first half. The Skyhawks were able to rally three unanswered goals over the final 8:20, however, and the score was knotted at six entering halftime.

The Purple Knights tallied three quick goals to open the second half, reclaiming the lead at 9-6, 3:54 into the frame, but Stonehill, ranked third in the most recent Division II national poll, wouldn't quit, and went on a four goal run to make it 10-9 with 15 minutes left in regulation.

Junior Megan Rule's (Bow, N.H./Bow) free position goal with 5:09 left put the home on top, 14-13, but once again, the visitors were able to get the equalizer with just 1:16 remaining, thanks to senior Jenny McGrath (Milton, Mass./Milton). Still tied after 60 minutes of play, the two schools played an extra six minutes of overtime, and with goals by McGrath, Acone, and freshman Mary Maloney (Great River, N.Y./St. Anthony's), the Skyhawks avoided just their second conference loss since the inception of women's lacrosse to the Northeast-10 in 1999.

The Purple Knights will return to action on Tuesday, when they travel to Southern New Hampshire University for a 4 p.m. contest. Stonehill will play again on Thursday with a 4 p.m. match-up at West Chester University.