EASTON, Mass. (February 24, 2019) – Stonehill College opened its 2019 season with a commanding 21-2 victory over Queens (N.Y.) College in non-conference women's lacrosse action on Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon.
Stonehill, featuring a roster filled with ten freshmen, saw six of them net goals in their collegiate debuts, accounting for 15 of the Skyhawks 21 markers this afternoon. Kendall Fressle led the way with six goals in her collegiate debut, converting 2-of-4 free-position attempts, and adding two ground balls and a caused turnover. Classmate Emma Sullivan netted four goals and collected a team-high eight draw controls, with five ground balls and two caused turnovers, while freshman Meghan Manzo recorded five points with a goal and four assists. Corinne Lewis rounded out the Skyhawk freshmen with multiple goals, netting a pair to go with five ground balls and a caused turnover. Classmates Brittany Eccleston and Julia D'Agostino rounded out the freshmen to score goals in their debuts. D'Agostino also chipped in with four draws, two ground balls and a caused turnover.
Junior Kaity Healey, who missed all but three games last season due to injury, returned with a five point game, adding two goals and three assists, with two draw controls and two ground balls. Classmate Jennifer Wheaton added four points with three goals and an assist, collecting four draws, while sophomore Olivia Pino totaled a goal and two assists, with two caused turnovers.
Junior Bailey Grant and sophomore Kaleigh Wright split the goalkeeping duties for Stonehill, with Grant notching one save in the first half. Sophomore Jessica Serpe registered 11 saves and seven draw controls in goal for Queens.
Senior Patriece Ausili and freshman Chloe Herzog each netted goals for Queens. Ausili also collected two draw controls, while sophomore Rebecca Gibble chipped in with three ground balls, a draw and caused turnover.
Stonehill scored the first nine goals of the contest in the opening 14:04 and didn't look back, building a 16-1 lead by halftime. The Skyhawks got goals from five different players over the first eight minutes, with Manzo recording a goal and assist, before Wheaton scored her second on a free-position shot 8:37 into the half for a 6-0 Stonehill lead. Fressle's first collegiate goal gave Stonehill a seven goal lead with 20:38 remaining in the first half and then Lewis netted back to back goals within a two-minute span to stretch the Skyhawks lead to nine goals with 15:56 remaining.
Herzog broke up the streak with her first goal in her collegiate debut with 14:58 on the clock, but Stonehill scored the last seven goals of the half to stake out its 16-1 lead at the intermission. Fressle started the seven-goal run for the Skyhawks with consecutive free-position goals within a two-minute span and then Sullivan added her second and third goals of the half within two minutes for a 13-1 Stonehill lead with 5:28 remaining. Fressle added her fourth and fifth goals of the half, sandwiching D'Agostino's first career goal, to close out the first half scoring.
Wheaton had a hand in Stonehill first two goals of the second half, scoring her third of the day 3:34 in and then assisting on Fressle's sixth of the afternoon three minutes later to run the Skyhawks lead to 18-1. Sullivan capped her four-goal game off a feed from Manzo with 11:11 left that produced a 20-1 Stonehill lead.
Stonehill (1-0, 0-0 NE10) is right back in action on Tuesday, when it hosts Saint Thomas Aquinas College at W.B. Mason Stadium at 3 p.m. Queens (0-1, 0-0 ECC) hosts Holy Family University next Saturday at 1 p.m.