PURPLE KNIGHT MEN FALL TO TOP-RANKED LE MOYNE, 13-3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              FOR MORE INFORMATION
May 1, 2004                                                                                      Contact: Seth Cole
                                                                                                        Phone: (802) 654-2537

GAME #2 FINAL: BRYANT 15, SAINT MICHAEL’S 8

1 2 Total
Saint Michael’s (9-8) 6 2 - 8
Bryant (12-5) 6 9 - 15

SCORING SUMMARY
SMC GOALS: Lauren Piekarski (3), Megan Rule (3), Kristen Palazzo, Kendra LaFauci BRY GOALS: Shaun Leddy (4), Lauren Carlisle (4), Melissa Talamini (2), Amanda Gallant (2), Maureen Burns, Elizabeth Blaisdell, Lisa Nichols SMC ASSISTS: Palazzo (2), Piekarski, LaFauci BRY ASSISTS: Blaisdell (3), Gallant (2), Leddy, Carlisle, Marissa Lawrence, Liz Moore

GOALIE SAVES
SMC: Jess Anderson—10
BRY: Samantha Libby—8

EASTON, Mass.-- Top-seeded and fourth-ranked Stonehill advanced to its sixth straight appearance in the Northeast-10 Conference women’s lacrosse championship with a 15-4 league semi-final victory over fourth-seeded Merrimack Saturday afternoon, as the Chieftains will face second-seeded Bryant in Sunday’s conference championship match, as the Bulldogs defeated third-seeded Saint Michael’s in the other semi-final 15-8.

Sophomore Jenny McGrath (Milton, Mass.) netted four goals and an assist for five points in the triumph for Stonehill (13-3), which is bidding for its fifth straight tournament title, while junior All-America Colby Confer (Madison, Conn.) matched McGrath’s total with four tallies. Sophomore All-America Erin Acone (Bow, N.H.) notched a hat trick and added two assists for the Chieftains, who also received two goals and a pair of assists from junior Brenna Newfell (North Billerica, Mass.). Freshman Tracey Hoffman (Nashua, N.H.) tallied a goal and two assists for three points, while juniors Courtney Duggan (Billerica, Mass.) and Colette Carpenter (Massapequa, N.Y.) collected two points each, with Duggan adding a goal and assist and Carpenter notching a pair of helpers.

Junior Kate Condon (Columbia, Md.) netted a hat trick in the setback for Merrimack (10-6), which also received a goal from sophomore Alison Colarusso (North Andover, Mass.) and a pair of assists from senior Alisa Arakelian (Franklin, Mass.).

Sophomore Lauren Stone (Slingerlands, N.Y.) picked up the win in goal for Stonehill with a nine-save effort, while freshman Emily Sherlock (Cambridge, Mass.) also made nine stops in net for Merrimack as the Chieftains outshot the Warriors by a 36-16 margin for the match. Merrimack wrapped up its season with its highest win total in three seasons under first-year Head Coach and former Stonehill All-America Katie Lanbert.

In Saturday’s second semi-final, freshmen Shaun Leddy (Sea Girt, N.J.) and Lauren Carlisle (San Diego, Calif.) each netted four goals and an assist for victorious Bryant (12-5), as the Bulldogs outscored the third-seeded Purple Knights (9-8) by a 9-2 margin in the second half after the two teams played to a 6-6 deadlock at the break. Freshman Amanda Gallant (Andover, Mass.) added two goals and two assists for four points for Bryant, which also received a marker and three assists from senior Elizabeth Blaisdell (Gorham, Maine) and two goals from junior Melissa Talamini (Mendon, Mass.). Sophomore Maureen Burns (Derry, N.H.) and freshman Lisa Nichols (Danvers, Mass.) netted single goals for the Bulldogs, who also received assists from sophomore Marissa Lawrence (Falmouth, Maine) and freshman Liz Moore (Clifton Park, N.Y.).

Junior Lauren Piekarski (East Sandwich, Mass.) and freshman Megan Rule (Bow, N.H.) each notched hat tricks in the setback for Saint Michael’s, which also received a goal and two assists from sophomore Kristen Palazzo (Armonk, N.Y.) and a goal and an assist off the stick of freshman Kendra LaFauci (North Andover, Mass.).

Sophomore Samantha Libby (Penacook, N.H.) picked up the win in goal for Bryant with an eight-save effort, while junior Jess Anderson (Springfield, Vt.) made 10 stops in net for Saint Michael’s as the Bulldogs outshot the Purple Knights by a 33-19 margin.

Stonehill and Bryant will meet in a re-match of last year’s Northeast-10 championship match won by the Chieftains by an 18-2 margin. Stonehill is looking for its fifth straight conference tournament title, as the Chieftains defeated Bentley in 2000, Merrimack in 2001, Assumption in 2002 and Bryant last spring.

###PURPLEKNIGHTS###

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