Mike Tureski
18
Winner Merrimack MER 3-1, 1-0 NE10
10
Stonehill STO 2-1, 1-1 NE10
Winner
Merrimack MER
3-1, 1-0 NE10
18
Final
10
Stonehill STO
2-1, 1-1 NE10
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Merrimack MER 7 11 18
Stonehill STO 7 3 10

Game Recap: Women's Lacrosse |

Women’s Lacrosse Storms Past No. 20 Stonehill in NE10 Opener, Tops First Ranked Team since 2013

Links: Box Score

EASTON, Mass. – After falling behind by three goals early, the Merrimack College women's lacrosse team ripped off five straight goals to grab the momentum and then scored five straight to start the second half and never trailed again, as the Warriors upended 20th-ranked Stonehill College, 18-10, in their Northeast-10 Conference opener on Tuesday at W.B. Mason Stadium. The win is the program's first over a ranked team since a 10-9 double-overtime win against then-No. 7 Dowling in 2013.

The Basics
Score: Merrimack 18, Stonehill 10
Records: Merrimack (3-1, 1-0 NE10) | #20 Stonehill (2-1, 1-1 NE10)
Location: W.B. Mason Stadium | Easton, Mass.
Duration: 2:30

What They Said
"Our girls absolutely played their hearts out today. They executed everything we have been working on and we couldn't be more proud of their hard work and focus." -- Head Coach Julie Duffy

Rapid Recap
  • The opening 30 minutes were a tale of two halves; Stonehill had the hot start, outscoring Merrimack by a 4-1 margin in the first 10 minutes of regulation, but the Warriors would answer with five straight tallies to take a 6-4 lead with 8:30 left. The Skyhawks drew even with just under five minutes to play in the frame, Merrimack answered with another, but the Skyhawks had the last strike of a back-and-forth first half to send it into the break all even at 7-7.
  • Merrimack took control of the game with the first five goals of the second half, building a lead as large as 12-7 with just over 20 minutes to play. The visitors' lead would never shrink to less than four goals from there on out, limiting the Skyhawks to only three second-half tallies while finding the back of the net 11 times in the final 30 minutes to start their conference slate off 1-0.
Top Performances
  • Freshman Haley Bartlett had another sensational outing in only her fourth collegiate contest, pacing the Warriors with a career-high seven points – including a personal best six goals – to lead all players.  
  • Junior Amber Feminella added to her NE10-leading goal total with three more on Tuesday – now up to 17 on the season – while adding three assists for a six-point performance.
  • Sophomore Ally DaCosta also had six points for the second game in a row, tying a career-high thanks to a career-best five assists and a goal.
  • Classmate Olivia Colletti was also excellent on offense with a hat trick and an assist, while junior Bridget Schofield (2g, 1a), senior Annette Ruggiero (2g) and freshman Meghan Dzialo also found the scoresheet for the Warriors.
  • Sophomore Tammy Nguyen turned away 12 shots in net, with some coming at critical points in the first half with the outcome still very much at stake. Those 12 saves were one shy of her career-high.
  • Sophomore Danielle Schweitzer led the way with five ground balls and three caused turnovers, highlighting a defensive effort that saw seven different players cause at least one turnover, including six that had two or more.
Notes & Numbers
  • The win was the program's first over Stonehill since at least 2000, as the Skyhawks had remarkably won each of the previous 28 games since the turn of the century.
  • The victory over a ranked program was the first in nearly five years; the last was a 10-9 double-overtime victory over then-No. 7 Dowling at Martone-Mejail Field on March 30, 2013.
  • The NE10's fourth-ranked offense coming into the game (18.33) matched its average scoring output for the year with 18 goals, as the Warriors have recorded double-digit goal totals in each of their first four games, doing so for the first time since the 2011 season when they did so in their first eight games of the year.
  • Merrimack's 3-1 start is its best four-game record since the 2011 season, as well; that year, the Warriors finished 12-7 overall.
  • Stonehill outshot Merrimack by a 34-31 margin, although the Warriors put more shots on net (26-22).
  • Merrimack, one of the top teams in terms of converting free position chances, was only 2-of-8 on the afternoon while Stonehill was 5-for-10.
  • Merrimack finished with a 17-13 edge in draw controls despite Stonehill owning a 35-28 lead in ground balls. The two teams combined for 35 turnovers (18-17 Merrimack), but the Warriors caused a season-high 12 of those miscues.
Up Next
Merrimack will play its first home game of the 2018 season when it hosts defending national champion Adelphi on Saturday (March 10), with first whistle set for 3:30 p.m.
 
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