2016 Southern Connecticut  State University Women's Lacrosse Notes  - Games 14-15
Southern Connecticut (3-10, 1-8 NE-10) at Assumption (3-9, 1-8 NE-10)
April 19 • 7 p.m. • Worcester, Mass.
SCSU at No. 2 LeMoyne (12-0, 9-0 NE-10)
April 23 • New Haven, Conn. • 12 p.m.

Complete Game Notes as a PDF

COMING INTO THE FINAL STRETCH
Just four games remain in the regular season for the Southern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team, with two contests coming up this week. The Owls open on Tuesday at Assumption, a stretch that concludes a run of eight of nine contests away from Jess Dow Field. SCSU then starts a two-game homestand on Saturday when No. 2 nationally ranked LeMoyne visits the Elm City.

DUO MOVING UP THE ASSIST CHART
Sophomores Nicole Healey and Carolynn Keal are moving up Southern's all-time assist list. Keal had three assists last week to move into a tie for the top spot with former Owl Grace Martha (22 assists). Healey also set up three goals and  is now in sole possession of third place with 18 assists.

OWLS ON THE CUSP
Of Southern's 10 losses this year, six have come by a combined differential of 12 goals.

HEALEY'S HAT TRICK HAPPY
Nicole Healey has recorded a hat trick in seven of the Owls' 13 games so far this season. She also has recorded multiple point efforts in 11 of 13 contests.

LAST TIME OUT
Nicole Healey matched a career-high with five goals and classmate Carolynn Keal set a new career-high with five points, but unfortunately, another close decision went against the Southern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team in a 14-13 loss at Franklin Pierce on Saturday.
• Healey's five points all came via goals, while Keal added two goals and three assists. Jennifer McCarthy and Kennedy Sherman each scored twice.
• Franklin Pierce scored the first goal of the game and actually never trailed in the contest. Healey had two first half goals, with single tallies also coming from Keal, Sherman and Hailey Prindle-Nelson. The Ravens led 7-5 at the break.
• The lead ballooned to 9-5 before Healey and Sherman scored to cut the gap to 9-7. FPU followed with a goal before the Owls evened the score at 10-10 on the strength of markers from Keal, McCarthy and Tessa McNaboe. The contest was also tied at 11-11 and 12-12 before the Ravens scored consecutive goals to take the lead for good. Healey added a late goal to make it a one-goal final.

AMONG THE NE-10 LEADERS
Three Owls currently rank among the Northeast-10 Conference statistical leaders. Carolynn Keal is No. 2 in the league in groundballs and fourth in caused turnovers. Nicole Healey ranks fourth in draw controls, while Brianna Grande is eighth in caused turnovers.

ALL-TIME VS.  ASSUMPTION
The Greyhounds hold an 11-3 lead in the all-time series between the schools.

THE LAST MEETING WITH ASSUMPTION
Four different players registered four points as part of a ferocious second half comeback, but the Southern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team came up one goal short in a 14-13 loss to Assumption on April 2, 2015.
• Jennifer McCarthy had a team-high four goals for the Owls. Nicole Healey and Carolynn Keal each had three goals and one assist, while Emma Farrel  had one goal and three assists.
• Assumption opened the scoring just over five minutes in before back-to-back goals by McCarthy gave the Owls a 2-1 lead. Assumption tied it before Keal netted her first of the day to restore the one-goal lead. The Greyhounds then scored the final five goals of the opening half to build a 7-3 lead at the break.
• Keal closed the gap to three goals again early in the second half, but two straight Assumption tallies made it 9-4 with just under 25 minutes to play. Three consecutive goals from SCSU – one from McCarthy and two from Healey – closed the deficit to 9-7.
• Assumption answered with the next two goals to pad its lead to 11-7, but the Owls continued to fight. Healey netted her third of the day before Assumption's Molly Brown made it 12-8. Eliza Doane netted her first goal as an Owl to trim the gap to 12-9 before Farrel's rip off a free position shot made it 12-10.
• The Greyhounds scored two of the next three goals – Keal's third of the day came in between – to pull ahead by a 14-11 margin with 1:52 left. However, Lauren Anderson and McCarthy connected to make it a one-goal game with 39 seconds left. Assumption won the ensuing draw control and ran out the clock in a one-goal win.

ALL-TIME VS. LEMOYNE
The Dolphins have won all five previous meetings with the Owls.

THE LAST MEETING WITH LEMOYNE
Carolynn Keal  tallied a hat trick for the Southern Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team in its 19-5 loss to No. 4 nationally ranked LeMoyne on March 25, 2015.
• LeMoyne jumped out to a 6-0 lead before Lauren Anderson connected for the Owls. After another Dolphins goal, Keal netted her first of the day to make it 7-2. The Dolphins rattled off six straight goals to take a 13-2 lead at the half.
• Emma Farrel added a second half goal along with two more markers from Keal.
• Nora Anderson stopped 12 shots for the Owls in the game.

FINDING THE NET
The offensive tandem of Nicole Healey and Samantha Cozzolino has provided a key spark through Southern's first 13 games of the year. Healey leads the Owls in goals (31), assists (8) and points (39), while Cozzolino is first among Southern rookies in goals (21), assists (3) and points (24). 

GRANDE ACCLIMATING QUICKLY
Freshman defender Brianna Grande is second on the team with 18 caused turnovers and with 29 groundballs this year.

CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR
The Owls were either tied or had the lead for the bulk of their 120 minutes of action against nationally ranked Bentley and Stonehill during the week of April 4. In fact, the Owls led in the second half of both games before ultimately coming up short.

POSTING A PROGRAM FIRST
The Owls registered their first shutout in program history on March 17 against Post. Goalie Chelsea Callahan stopped all three shots on net in order to notch the shutout. Southern's previous low for goals allowed was four, set on three occasions.

QUICK PROGRESS 
The Owls needed just seven games in 2016 to match their win total from last year.

HEALEY NAMED TO NE-10 WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Nicole Healey was named to the Northeast-10 weekly honor roll on March 21 for her play in the games against Dowling, Post and St. Thomas Aquinas. Healey led Southern with 12 points (nine goals, three assists) during the week.

QUITE A WAY TO FINISH
Nicole Healey capped her hat trick in the opener with the game-winning goal on a free position shot in overtime to give Southern the win.

A STRONG DEBUT
Freshman Alexandra Takacs turned away eight shots to earn the win between the pipes in her collegiate debut against Merrimack.

IN SEASON OPENERS
With the win against Merrimack, the Owls now hold a 2-13 record in season openers. The win was over American International College in 2007. 

GOOD GROUP BACK
Southern Connecticut has 13 student-athletes returning from last year's team.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
The Owls welcome seven newcomers to the team for the 2016 season - Brianna Grande, Tessa McNaboe, Olivia Murray, Samantha Cozzolino, Kennedy Hanks, Alexandra Takacs and Chelsea Callahan.

THE CAPTAINS
Seniors Lauren Anderson and Jennifer McCarthy and junior Lindsey Luposello will serve as team captains for the 2016 season. 

IN THE NORTHEAST-10 PRESEASON POLL
Southern Connecticut was selected 13th in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches.

ON DECK
The Owls are back in action on April 27 for their home finale against AIC.