Nov. 11, 2009

Stonehill Athletics: NCAA Field Hockey Championship Central

The River Hawk Report - Volleyball, Field Hockey and Women's Soccer in Post Season

Gametracker: Live Stats UMass Lowell at Stonehill  

Game Notes: Nov. 13, 2009 vs. Stonehill (NCAA Tournament)

The #3 seeded UMass Lowell River Hawks are hoping that three is their lucky number this post-season. Friday evening's meeting with #1 seeded Stonehill College, in the NCAA Tournament Semifinal, will mark the third time the teams meet this season and UMass Lowell will look for its first win against the Skyhawks during the 2009 campaign.

If they pull off the upset, they will also advance to the NCAA National Championship game for the third consecutive year after falling to Bloomsburg in 2007 and 2008. Coming off a decisive 5-2 win at Bentley in the first round of the tournament on Saturday, the River Hawks hope to carry their momentum into the final leg of the season. They enter the semifinals with a 17-5 overall record and earned a 7-3 record in conference action.

The semifinal game will be played at Stonehill's W.B. Mason Stadium in Easton, MA and is set for 5:00 p.m.

"We are looking forward to this weekend and the fact that we are one of only four teams still playing," head coach Shannon Hlebichuk said. "My team has been working hard in practice this week and is focused on the task at hand."

UMass Lowell's win in Waltham last Saturday ensured the River Hawks' seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA Semifinal, so they will look for experience of their veterans to work in their favor. The first half of the game against the Falcons was back-and-forth, but thanks to a pair of goals by junior forward Katie Enaire (Amesbury, MA) in the second, UMass Lowell was able to crack the game wide open.

Stonehill has not played since its Nov. 1 loss to Bentley in the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Championship game. The Skyhawks fell to the Falcons 2-1, despite outshooting and out-cornering their opponent. The Skyhawks earned a first round bye in this year's NCAA Tournament for their consistent play all season, which has given them a 17-4 record entering the final four. They also played to a 9-1 clip in NE-10 play in 2009.

UMass Lowell is led by 2009 Northeast-10 Player of the Year Sammy Macy (Tewksbury, MA), who has tallied a conference-best 53 points and 23 goals on the year. Not far behind her is Northeast-10 First Team All-Conference selection Enaire, who has notched 22 goals and 51 points to date, good for second in the NE-10.

The River Hawks' veteran defensive corps have also helped to stave off many opponents this season and is led by the senior tandem of NE-10 First Team All-Conference defender Laura Sullivan (Norwood, MA) and Second Team selection Ashley Smith (Killingworth, CT).

Much of UMass Lowell's playmaking capability comes from the strength of its midfielders, including senior Molly Clay (Rockport, MA) and Liz Day (North Andover, MA). Day has a team-best eight assists on the year, which ties her for fifth in the conference. Both Clay and Day were named to the NE-10 Tournament All-Star Team this year for their efforts in the first two rounds of play.

The Skyhawks are led by the senior duo of Claire Hourihan (East Amherst, NY) and Jackie Ladino (North Dartmouth, MA). Both were named to the Northeast-10 All-Conference First Team and are among the top seven offensive producers in the conference. Hourihan ranks third with 20 goals on the year, while Ladino is tied for seventh with 12 tallies this season.Senior defender Stephanie Kott (Rutland, MA) was named 2009 NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year for her efforts on the backline, as Stonehill leads the NE-10 with six shutouts on the year.

The teams met twice this season, as the Skyhawks have earned the 2-0 advantage thus far. Most recently, the squads duked it out at UMass Lowell's Cushing Field exactly one month prior to this upcoming meeting. On Oct. 13, Stonehill earned the 3-1 win behind goals from Ladino and Courtney Foley (Wakefield, MA), who each scored a goal in Stonehill's first win over the River Hawks on Sept. 10 in Easton. That first meeting was UMass Lowell's first loss of the year, a 2-1 defeat at W.B. Mason Stadium.

"No matter what the season series is at, it doesn't matter at this point," Hlebichuk said. "It all comes down to this next game on Friday. The rest of the season is behind us."

UMass Lowell has played to a 7-6 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament and has won each of its last two semifinal contests - against Bentley in 2007 and 2008. UMass Lowell has only played Stonehill in the national tournament once, in 2005, when the River Hawks earned a 2-1 victory and went on to win the National Championship for the first time in program history. Stonehill is returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.

"I think our experience will help to keep us focused and keep our nerves in check," Hlebichuk said. "We want to go farther than we have the last two years and that has been our goal from day one."

The winner of Friday evening's game will advance to Sunday's National Championship game against the winner of Friday afternoon's Shippensburg/Bloomsburg game. The tilt will again be played at W.B. Mason Stadium at 1:00 p.m. All three games will be broadcast live via www.ncaa.com.

Admission for the games at W.B. Mason Stadium will be $7.00 for adults, $4.00 for students and senior citizens and $1.00 for children ages 2-12. All-session passes will also be available for $12.00 for adults, $6.00 for students and senior citizens and $3.00 for children 2-12. All calls regarding tickets should be made to (508) 565-1384.