Stonehill Skyhawks - Skyhawk Talk 3-26

Women's Lacrosse
Tracey Hoffman		Stonehill opened defense of its Northeast-10 Conference championship on Thursday afternoon with a 21-6 league triumph over Saint Michael's at W.B. Mason Stadium. Senior Tracey Hoffman (Nashua, N.H.) paced Head Coach Michael Daly's fifth-ranked Skyhawks in the scoring column with a hat trick and five assists for a career-high eight points, while junior All-America Kristin Darrell (West Islip, N.Y.) and sophomore Michelle Kelly (Mendham, N.J.) each netted seven points in the win for the hosts, who also received a pair of goals and two assists off the stick of sophomore Mary Maloney (Great River, N.Y.). Junior Amanda McGeachey (Saco, Maine) picked up her third victory in net with a four-save effort for Stonehill, which claimed its 59th straight conference victory dating back to April 2000 and improved to 72-1 all-time in league play with the result. The Skyhawks take a 3-0 overall mark and a 1-0 Northeast-10 slate into a conference showdown on Tuesday evening when Stonehill travels to North Andover, Mass. to square off with 10th-ranked Merrimack at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Click here for the Skyhawk women's lacrosse home page!

Men's Tennis
Matt Grabala		Stonehill opened Northeast-10 Conference play in fine fashion over the weekend by posting a pair of league triumphs, as Head Coach Peter Miller's Skyhawks notched a 6-3 dual-match win over rival Bentley in Waltham, Mass. on Friday afternoon before opening their home slate on Sunday with a 9-0 sweep of American International at the Ames Sports Complex. Senior Matt Grabala (Bristol, Conn.) was one of three individuals to post three combined wins in the two outings for Stonehill, including a come-from-behind three-set singles victory over Bentley's Greg Maloomian at the number one spot. Freshman Mike Mashkevich (Framingham, Mass.) and sophomore Will Herchel (Hampden, Mass.) also posted 3-0 marks on the week for the Skyhawks, who have won five straight overall. Stonehill, which stands at 6-1 overall and 2-0 in Northeast-10 play, heads to Manchester, N.H. on Tuesday afternoon to take on Southern New Hampshire in a league dual-match that begins at 4:00 p.m. EDT. Click here for the Skyhawk men's tennis home page!

Baseball
Matt Giusti		After Mother Nature had postponed its first five Northern contests, Stonehill opened its Northeast-10 Conference slate on Saturday afternoon in dropping a tough league twinbill to Bryant by scores of 2-1 in the opener and 4-0 in the nightcap at Gorman Field. Sophomore Matt Giusti (Hopkinton, Mass.) was a tough-luck loser on the mound in the opener for Head Coach Patrick Boen's Skyhawks, as he went the distance in scattering six hits and allowing one earned run while fanning six, while freshman Brendan Shepard (Boxford, Mass.) rapped out three hits and drove in the lone run for the hosts. Sophomore Nate Weber (Hanson, Mass.) collected a pair of hits in the nightcap setback for Stonehill, as junior Mat Lindenmayer (Penfield, N.Y.) fanned four over seven-plus innings of work. The Skyhawks, 6-8 overall and 0-2 in Northeast-10 play, begin a busy week of action on Monday afternoon by hosting UMass Lowell in a Northeast-10 make-up game at Gorman Field beginning at 3:30 p.m. EDT. Click here for the Skyhawk baseball home page!

Women's Tennis
Allison Bleakney		Stonehill posted a pair of victories in three Northast-10 Conference outings last week, as Head Coach Pam Arpe's Skyhawks notched a 5-4 league dual-match triumph over Merrimack last Tuesday at the Ames Sports Complex and collected a 9-0 sweep of American International on Sunday afternoon at the Ludlow Tennis Club in Ludlow, Mass. Freshman Samantha Dircks (Stony Brook, N.Y.) posted a 5-1 combined mark in the three matches for Stonehill, which also included a 7-2 Northeast-10 setback to Bentley last Thursday afternoon at the Ames Sports Complex, while fellow freshman Lauren Rowinski (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) posted a 4-2 combined mark. Junior Allison Bleakney (Lewiston, Maine) was a winner in both singles and doubles action against Merrimack for the Skyhawks, who stand at 6-3 overall and 3-1 in Northeast-10 play. Stonehill, winners of 17 of their last 18 conference dual-matches, hosts Franklin Pierce in a league outing on Tuesday afternoon on the Stonehill Courts beginning at 3:00 p.m. EDT. Click here for the Skyhawk women's tennis home page!

Outdoor Track & Field
Torrey Price		Both Stonehill squads began their respective outdoor campaigns on Saturday with solid performances at the Northeastern Spring Open on the Solomon Track in Dedham, Mass., as sophomore Torrey Price (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) and senior Vinnie Williams (Springfield, Mass.) finished 1-2 in the men's 100 meters and qualified for the all-New England Championships for Head Coach Karen Boen's Skyhawks. Senior Derek Hebert (Rockland, Mass.) and junior Dickie Gerry (Bow, N.H.) placed second and third in the 400 and 1,500 meters, respectively, while sophomore Tyler Guilmette (East Longmeadow, Mass.) set a school record in the long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 4 inches. On the women's side, senior Maura Williams (Ellington, Conn.) won the 400 intermediate hurdles and qualified for the all-New England Championships in the event, while fellow senior Kelly Chaisson (Walpole, Mass.) provisionally qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a third place finish in the 10,000 meters. Both Stonehill teams will be in action on Saturday morning when the Skyhawks travel to New Haven, Conn. to participate in the Southern Connecticut Invitational at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Click here for the Skyhawk men's track & field home page! Click here for the Skyhawk women's track & field home page!

Equestrian
Jamie Marsalise		Stonehill placed fifth of 12 teams competing in the Stonehill Intercollegiate Horse Show on Sunday afternoon at Dry Water Farm in Stougthon, Mass., as Head Coach Sara DelVecchio's Skyhawks are now in second place in the IHSA Zone 1, Region 4 standings in a close race with both Wheaton and UMass Dartmouth for the top spot. Sophomore Jamie Marsalise (Laurel Hollow, N.Y.) earned high point rider honors by placing first in both the open fences and open flat while qualifying for IHSA Regional competition in the open fences, while senior Sara Zelazny (San Diego, Calif.) also placed first in the walk trot canter and qualified for IHSA Regionals. Stonehill also received first place performances from senior Heather Marban (Ridgefield, Conn.) in the open flat, sophomore Jenna Boyd (Middleton, Mass.) in the walk trot and freshmen Megan Martinez (New York, N.Y.) and Quinn Traendly (Hope Valley, R.I.) in the novice and open flats, respectively. The Skyhawks will close out their regular season slate on Saturday morning by heading to Danvers to compete at the Bridgewater State Intercollegiate Horse Show at 9:00 a.m. EDT before heading to Boxford, Mass. on Sunday morning for IHSA Regional competition that also begins at 9:00 a.m. EDT. Click here for the Skyhawk equestrian home page!

Softball
Courtney Young		Head Coach Danielle Delude's Skyhawks are set to begin both their Northern and Northeast-10 Conference slates on Thursday afternoon when Stonehill hosts UMass Lowell in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at Gartland Field beginning at 3:00 p.m. EDT. After facing tough competition at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. over Spring Break, including a pair of contests against nationally ranked foes, the Skyhawks will return to action for the first time in three weeks and are looking to improve upon their seventh place conference finish of a year ago, Stonehill's best in five seasons. Junior Lauren Rappoli (Wilmington, Mass.) and sophomore Courtney Young (Danvers, Mass.) each earned Northeast-10 Player of the Week accolades for their performances during competition at the Rebel Spring Games, as Rappoli batted .314 with 11 hits and Young added a team-best .333 average with four extra base hits. Click here for the Skyhawk softball home page!