Junior Paige Frost was a double-winner to help lead the Skyhawks past Saint Michael's, including the clinching win at No. 3 singles. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane)

Skyhawks to square off against third-seeded Southern New Hampshire for third-straight year in NE-10 Championship match on Sunday

EASTON, Mass. (April 20, 2012) – Top-seeded Stonehill College, ranked sixth in the most recent NCAA Division II East Regional rankings, won three tight doubles matches on its way to a 5-0 victory over fourth-seeded Saint Michael's College, ranked ninth in the region, in semifinal round action of the 2012 Northeast-10 Conference women's tennis tournament at Charles Watt Tennis Courts this afternoon.

Stonehill (15-4, 12-1 NE-10) advances to the NE-10 Championship match for the fourth-straight year and NE-10 record seventh time overall where it will face third-seeded and two-time defending champions Southern New Hampshire University (17-5, 12-1 NE-10) at Watt Courts on Sunday at 1 p.m. The indoor backup site will be the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex. SNHU advanced to the championship match for the third-straight year with a 5-0 win over second-seeded Adelphi University in today's other semifinal. Saint Michael's sees its season come to a close with a 13-8 record overall, 10-3 in the NE-10, having made its 13th NE-10 Tournament appearance.

Junior Paige Frost (Brigantine, N.J./Holy Spirit) and freshman Meryl Lawrence (North Scituate, R.I./Mount Saint Charles Academy) led Stonehill to its fourth-straight win and 11th in 12 outings as double-winners. Frost and senior Sarah Hickey (Lee, Mass./Lee) combined to scratch out a 9-8 (8-6) triumph at No. 1 doubles over Saint Michael's senior Eileen Mullowney (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) and junior Emily Magee (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) to clinch a sweep of the three doubles matches. Frost then clinched the win for the Skyhawks with her 6-3, 6-0 win over junior Jean-Marie McGrath (Niwot, Colo./Alexander Dawson School) at No. 3 singles.

Lawrence and senior Amy Toegemann (Narragansett, R.I./The Lincoln School) rallied for an 8-6 win at No. 3 doubles. Lawrence put Stonehill's first singles point up on the board with her 6-2, 6-2 victory over freshman Caroline Toutoungi (Weston, Conn./Weston) at No. 5. Senior Bacall Brooks (York, Maine/Saint Thomas Aquinas) and junior Jacqueline Harrow (North Reading, Mass./North Reading) notched the Skyhawks first point of the afternoon with their 8-3 triumph at No. 2 doubles.

Stonehill was leading in each of the four remaining singles matches when play was halted with Frost's singles win.

Stonehill 5, Saint Michael's 0

Singles:

1. Amy Toegemann (STO) vs. Emily Magee (STM) 6-4, 4-3, unfinished

2. Katie Gilligan (STO) vs. Alex Dalton (STM) 7-5, unfinished

3. Paige Frost (STO) def. Jean-Marie McGrath (STM) 6-3, 6-0

4. Sarah Hickey (STO) vs. Hannah Benoit (STM) 6-1, 4-3, unfinished

5. Meryl Lawrence (STO) def. Caroline Toutoungi (STM) 6-2, 6-2

6. Jacquelyn Harrow (STO) vs. Emily Ogilvy (STM) 6-2, 4-4, unfinished

*Doubles:

1. Frost/Hickey (STO) def. Magee/Eileen Mullowney (STM) 9-8 (8-6)

2. Harrow/Bacall Brooks (STO) def. Dalton/Caroline Martin (STM) 8-3

3. Toegemann/Lawrence (STO) def. Toutoungi/Ogilvy (STM) 8-6

 * - doubles matches played first