GAME DAY INFORMATION |
DATE: May 4, 2022
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LOCATION: W.B. Mason Stadium | North Easton, Mass. |
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GAME DAY LINKS |
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO |
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The Stonehill College Skyhawks finished their season tied with Adelphi for the best-conference record in the Northeast-10. After earning the top seed ahead of the Women's Lacrosse Championship, the University of New Haven Chargers, who placed eighth, will embark to North Easton, Mass. for the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Inside the Series
The Blue and Gold have found themselves in the NE10 post season consecutively since 2009. However, this will be the first instance where they will be facing the Stonehill Skyhawks.
Earlier in the season, back in April, the Chargers hosted the Skyhawks when the Massachusetts school was ranked 18th across all Division II institutions. This meeting, which ended in a 14-10 loss for New Haven, ended the Chargers four game winning-streak with the Skyhawks that dated back to its start in 2016. After this loss, the Chargers held a 6-3 record and gave Stonehill the lead in the series; given it was tied 7-7 prior to the first draw on April 2.
Looking at scoring between these two schools, the Blue and Gold average 10.8 goals per game when facing the Skyhawks. On the opposite end, Stonehill averages 12.3 goals per game when meeting on the same playing field as the Chargers.
Scouting the Skyhawks (14-2, 12-1 NE10)
Stonehill ended their regular season run winning their last eight contests, which accounted for all of their games in the month of April, scoring in double figures each time. Their only losses this season were to Lynn University, who are a part of the Sunshine State Conference, and Assumption, who was ranked 19th at the time.
Both Adelphi and Stonehill hold a 12-1 conference record on the 2022 season. When both these schools met on April 23, extra minutes were forced and the Skyhawks defended their home field, W.B. Mason Stadium, and took the win 14-13. Despite both schools holding the same conference record, Stonehill was awarded the first-seed in this tournament. This will be the first regular season championship for Stonehill in 13 years, their last was in 2009. Prior to the start of the season they were picked ninth in the NE10 Coaches' Poll, but have written their own narrative and now sit atop the rankings.
The Skyhawks ruled the early 2000s in terms of conference titles, winning nine straight starting in 2000. The closest they've gotten since was runner up to Adelphi back in 2010.
Emma Sullivan, Stonehill's senior midfielder, dominated the weekly NE10 honors all season earning Defensive Player of the Week six times, out of the 10 weeks of the season. She totals 71 points, from 57 goals and 14 assists. She also leads the team in ground balls, draw controls, and caused turnovers with 63, 116, and 39 respectively. The Madison, Conn. native ranks second in all of the Northeast-10 in terms of scoring, in front of her is New Haven's Raegan Bailey (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire).
Also dominating the conference leaderboard is the three-time Player of the Week winner, Lydia Rudden. The junior leads the Skyhawks in points, as well as the entire NE10, with 98. She has also assisted 63 goals, another conference high this season.
Scouting the Chargers (11-6, 7-6)
New Haven finished its 2022 campaign with an 11-6 record, their best since 2019 when they finished 12-7. Since the formation of a women's lacrosse program in 2001, this is the 12th time that they have ended a season with double-digits in their win column - the evolution of the players and staff has propelled New Haven to be a well-developed program since their inaugural 2001 season where they only had one, single victory.
The Chargers have never won a conference title. In 2014, they fell to Adelphi in the championship game 14-4. As the eight seed in this tournament, they are given a ticket of opportunity to bring home their first title in program history.
This season, the Chargers are led on offense by Raegan Bailey (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire). She set the tone for her debut season as a freshman high starting off in her first game with a career high of six goals, which she went on to achieve in three other games throughout the season. In total Bailey has scored 62 goals for the Blue and Gold, which is fifth in program history for most in a single season. This stat translates over to the conference leaderboard, where she ranks first amongst the NE10 in terms of goals scored this season, right behind her is Sullivan of the Skyhawks.
All season, the Chargers have been dominant in the circle. Collectively New Haven has won 236 draws, a big part of this number is Gianna Caprioli's (Clinton Corners, N.Y./Franklin Delano Roosevelt) 106. Caprioli is second in all of the Northeast-10 in terms of draw controls. The freshman had a high of 12 when facing Saint Michael's. But her performance in week nine when the Chargers won against two ranked opponents, Assumption and Saint Anselm, led her to be named the NE10's Defensive Player of the Week for her 19 draw controls, five caused turnovers, and two goals.
Every game this season, Gabby Buscemi (East Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) has stood in front of the net, defending the goal for New Haven. She has nabbed NE10 Goalkeeper of the Week three times this season. As a sophomore, she has the highest save percentage of all goalkeepers in the conference, 48.4 percent, as well as winning percent at 62.5. On top of that she leads with 185 saves, which is top of the list by a landslide. Behind her is Saint Anselm's goalkeeper with 156, a difference of nearly 30 goals. Her near-200 saves is second-best in program history for saves in a single season.
When and Where
Live from Stonehill College, watch the Chargers square off against the first-seeded Skyhawks. This matchup is the final of the quarterfinal games premiering on Wednesday. Starting off is Southern New Hampshire at Le Moyne at 1:00 p.m. followed by Bentley versus Adelphi and Assumption versus Pace at 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., respectively. Finishing off the night is New Haven and Stonehill at 7:00 p.m.
Catch all the action unfold on the NE10 Now Network. For the night matchup with New Haven and Stonehill, live stats will be available through the NewHavenChargers.com website!
