Velez's fourth quarter penalty stroke lifts Golden Rams to third win in four days

Hickey had a hand in both Skyhawk goals with a goal and assist (PHOTO BY Mary Gettens)

EASTON, Mass. (September 6, 2021) – West Chester (Pa.) University, ranked No. 1 in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II preseason poll, erased a pair of one goal deficits before notching a 3-2 triumph over No. 10-ranked Stonehill College in a non-conference field hockey matchup of Top 10 teams on Timothy J. Coughlin, '80 Memorial Field at W.B. Mason Stadium this afternoon 

Scoring
STO – Emma Mawn (Raegan Hickey), 2:04
WCU – Paige Wolfe (Valerie van Kuijck), 13:39
STO – Hickey (unassisted), 24:24
WCU – van Kuijck (Dara Spavlik), 38:36
WCU – Emma Velez (penalty stroke), 48:46

Goalkeeping
WCU: Claire Nielsen (60:00) 2 saves, 2 goals allowed
STO: Abby Campbell (60:00) 7 saves, 2 goals allowed 

Shots: WCU: 20, STO 7
Penalty Corners: WCU 8, STO 3

Mawn netted her first goal of the season to put the Skyhawks in front two minutes into the contest (PHOTO BY Mary Gettens)

How it Happened

• West Chester trailed twice on its way to its third win of the season over their four-day trip to the northeast. Senior back Emma Velez scored the deciding goal with 11:14 left in regulation on a penalty stroke.
• Stonehill looked poised to stake its second win to start the season over a Pennsylvania team holding a top rank in the Penn Monto/NFHCA preseason poll following its 1-0 triumph over No. 2 East Stroudsburg University on Saturday as senior Emma Mawn deposited her first goal of the season into the right side of the cage off a feed from the right by sophomore Raegan Hickey just 2:04 into the contest.
• West Chester leveled for the first time with 1:21 in the opening quarter as sophomore Paige Wolfe redirected a cross from the right by freshman Valerie van Kuijck.
• Stonehill forged ahead in the second quarter when Hickey notched her second goal in just as many games to start the season with 5:36 remaining in the half. She collected a pass from the right side and moved past her defender before driving a shot into the right side of the goal.
• van Kuijck equalized for West Chester for the second time 8:36 into the second half off her own corner when she tipped in a drive from senior Dara Spavlik on the left post.

Noteworthy

• West Chester posted a 20-7 advantage in shots for the contest, but just 10-4 on target. Junior Claire Nielsen registered two saves in the Golden Rams cage.
• Senior Abigail Campbell matched her career best with seven stops in the Stonehill cage, including three in the fourth quarter, while making her second career start.
• Hickey has played a role in all three Stonehill goals through the first two games of the season, scoring twice and adding the assist on the Skyhawks first goal today. She had the lone goal in Saturday's win over East Stroudsburg.
• Mawn's first goal of the season is the eighth of her career after scoring six as a sophomore to rank second on the team. She now has eight goals and seven assists for 23 points in 35 career games played.

Up Next

Stonehill (1-1, 0-0 NE10) returns to action on Saturday, when it opens its Northeast-10 Conference schedule at Saint Thomas Aquinas College at 10 a.m. The Skyhawks return to W.B. Mason Stadium next Tuesday, September 14, to host nationally ranked Saint Anselm College at 7 p.m.

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