Press Release

OVERTIME GOAL GIVES PURPLE KNIGHTS QUARTERFINAL VICTORY Saint Michael’s to take on Bryant in NE-10 Semifinals on Saturday FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      FOR MORE INFORMATION October 30, 2003                                                                       Contact: Seth Cole                                                                                                 Phone: (802) 654-2537 COLCHESTER, Vt. – Senior Jenn Gray’s (Skowhegan, Maine/Skowhegan Area) goal 2:57 into overtime gave No. 9 Saint Michael’s College a 3-2 comeback victory versus No. 8 Stonehill College in a Northeast-10 Conference quarterfinal contest Thursday morning at Doc Jacobs Field. With the win, the Purple Knights, seeded fourth in the conference tournament, advance to the NE-10 semifinals for the seventh consecutive year to face top-seed and host Bryant College on Saturday at 11 a.m. Saint Michael’s split with the fourth-ranked Bulldogs during the regular season, with each team winning on its home field. Gray, the reigning NE-10 Player of the Year and conference player of the week, tallied the winner from 10 yards out off of a crossing pass from classmate Debbie Gallant (Salem, N.H./Timberlane). The Chieftains, winners of eight of their last 10 games entering Thursday’s contest, opened the scoring 12 minutes into the first half. Sophomore Julie Michalos (Norwood, Mass.) redirected a crossing pass from senior Caitlin Creen (Worcester, Mass.) past Purple Knights’ junior goalkeeper Jess Anderson (Springfield, Vt./Springfield) for her seventh goal of the year. Saint Michael’s responded with a pair of tallies before intermission. Senior Jilby Danis (Burlington, Vt./Rice Memorial) evened the score midway through the stanza, converting off of a feed from classmate Jessica Simmons (Bethlehem, N.H./Profile) for her 17th goal of the year, one shy of tying the school record. The Purple Knights took a 2-1 lead with 2:30 remaining in the first half, as Danis fed Cassie Dewey (Lebanon, N.J./Mount Saint Mary’s Academy) for the freshman’s seventh goal. Stonehill, however, dominated play in the second half, and knotted the score with 20:38 left in regulation. Freshman Colleen Burbank (Dedham, Mass.) notched the equalizer off of a penalty corner, with assists credited to senior Libby Hanna (Augusta, Maine) and sophomore Laura Maryanopolis (Gloversville, N.Y.). That set the stage for Gray’s clincher, her third game-winner of the season and 11th goal of the year. The shot was Saint Michael’s first in more than 40 minutes, since Dewey’s goal late in the opening half, and gave the Purple Knights its ninth straight overtime win, and ninth in a row against NE-10 rivals since 1999. The victory was also the Purple Knights’ 32nd in their last 36 games at home, compiling a 9-1 record at Doc Jacobs Field in 2003. Anderson stopped seven shots for Saint Michael’s, which won its sixth consecutive game in improving to 13-6. Freshmen Megan Kendall (Norwich, Conn.) and Carolyn Egan (Mansfield, Mass.) combined to turn aside three shots for Stonehill, which completes the season 13-7. GAME SUMMARY Stonehill                        1          1          0          - 2 Saint Michael’s              2          0          1          - 3 First Half: STO, Julie Michalos (Caitlin Creen, Kelly Latendresse), 23:02; SMC, Jilby Danis (Jessica Simmons), 18:13; SMC, Cassie Dewey (Danis), 2:30. Second Half: STO, Colleen Burbank (Libby Hanna, Laura Maryanapolis), 20:38. Overtime: SMC, Jenn Gray (Debbie Gallant), 12:03. Saves: STO, Megan Kendall (35:00), three saves; Carolyn Egan (37:57), zero saves; SMC, Jess Anderson (72:57), seven saves. Shots: STO 13, SMC 6. Penalty Corners: STO 9, SMC 11. ###PURPLEKNIGHTS###

For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002