Senior Claire Hourihan matched her own single-season program record with her 20th goal of the season to spark Stonehill's 3-1 comeback win at Southern Connecticut to clinch the Skyhawks second NE-10 regular season title.

Stonehill Clinches Second NE-10 Regular Season Title

Skyhawks rally past Southern Connecticut State behind Hourihan's record-matching 20^th goal

Boxscore 

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (October 24, 2009) - Stonehill College, ranked third in this week's Kookaburra/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II poll, clinched its second Northeast-10 Conference field hockey championship with a 3-1 comeback victory over Southern Connecticut State University at Jess Dow Field this afternoon.

Stonehill (16-3, 9-1 NE-10), ranked first in the latest NCAA Division II North Regional rankings, wins the regular season title for the first time since 2006 when the Skyhawks finished with a 14-2 NE-10 mark. Stonehill will host the NE-10 semifinal and championship rounds next Saturday and Sunday, October 31 and November 1 at W.B. Mason Stadium. The Skyhawks will await the winner of Wednesday's first round matchup between fourth-seeded Merrimack College and fifth-seeded Adelphi University in North Andover, Mass., at 3 p.m.

Southern Connecticut (6-13, 5-5 NE-10) clinched the sixth and final NE-10 Tournament spot and will play at third-seeded and No. 5-ranked University of Massachusetts Lowell on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

This afternoon, Stonehill got goals from seniors Claire Hourihan (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) and Jackie Ladino (North Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) as well as junior Lindsay Pinkham (Skowhegan, Maine/Skowhegan Area). Senior Stephanie Kott (Rutland, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) chipped in with her team-leading eighth assist of the year.

Senior All-American Jackie Ladino scored a goal, giving her 95 career points - good for a tie for third all-time at Stonehill.

Junior goalkeeper Courtney Osier (South Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) made three saves to preserve the win for Stonehill, while junior Lauren Zarrella (Morris, Conn./Wamogo) stopped 11 shots for Southern Connecticut as the Skyhawks finished with a 24-7 advantage in shots and a 16-3 edge for penalty corners.

Southern Connecticut opened the scoring 12:26 into the contest when senior KellyAnne McCafferty (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) scored into an empty net, assisted by freshman Laurie Cockerline (Lopatcong, N.J./Philipsburg).

Stonehill finally answered with a little more than 20 seconds left in the first half as Hourihan scored with a shot from the mid circle off a pass from Kott after a corner. The goal is Hourihan's 20^th of the season, matching her own single-season program record set last year. She has also now scored 49 career goals, four shy of Caitlin Gleason's program record of 53 set from 2004-07.

Stonehill clinched the win with two second half goals. Pinkham put the Skyhawks in front with her fourth goal of the year with a rebound from a shot off the post at 54:09. Ladino added an insurance goal with 4:34 left when the All-American tipped in a shot from sophomore Laura Menke (Greenland, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) in the mid circle. The goal gives Ladino 95 career points heading into post season play - tied with Aly Boulis (2004-07) for third in program history.

The win is the sixth-straight victory for Stonehill who have also won 16 of its last 17 contest.