Box Score ALBANY – A pair of quick two-goal strikes in the second half allowed Stonehill to defeat The College of Saint Rose 4-2 in a
Northeast-10 Conference encounter at
Sullivan Field at the Plumeri Sports Complex this afternoon. The Skyhawks (3-11-1/2-9-0 NE-10) scored twice 95 seconds apart in the opening 10 minutes and tallied two more times in a 25-second span midway through the period to secure the victory in the 2012 Saint Rose home finale.
Freshman midfielder
Massimo Smiroldo had a goal and an assist to lead the Golden Knights (1-13-0/1-10-0 NE-10). Junior forward
Jacob Sand scored the other Saint Rose marker. Meanwhile, freshman forward Drew Montano finished with a goal and a pair of helpers to lead Stonehill.
The Golden Knights engineered an 18-12 shot advantage and manufactured eight corner kicks while yielding only a pair. Both squads recorded seven shots-on-target, but the Skyhawks made the most of their chances despite the ability of Saint Rose to dictate the pace during several stretches throughout the afternoon.
The game stood deadlocked 0-0 at intermission before senior midfielder Jonathan Hope drove home a loose ball with 51:48 gone by following a flurry in front of the Saint Rose goal. Montano then delivered a through ball that sophomore midfielder Tyler Brondyk finished to make it a 2-0 affair.
The Golden Knights cut their deficit in half with 66:22 elapsed when Sand headed home a cross from Smiroldo.
However, sophomore forward Cam McDonough and Montano both struck in the 74th minute to afford Stonehill a 4-1 lead, before Smiroldo finished a cross from freshman midfielder
Martin Schlegel to close out the scoring.
Between the posts, senior keeper
James Taber recorded three saves for Saint Rose while freshman Luke Besse came up with four saves for the Skyhawks.
The Golden Knights developed a few additional threats to potentially change the outcome. Sand had a superlative look at an open goal that was cleared away at the last moment midway through the first period. Smiroldo subsequently rattled the crossbar with a well-placed free kick from the top of area in the opening three minutes of the second stanza that ultimately foreshadowed the game's outcome.
Prior to the match, backs
Dan Nilsson and
Alan McCann, and midfielders
Steve Richardson and
Zak Duguay along with Taber, were honored for their outstanding careers in a Saint Rose uniform as part of Senior Day Festivities.
Looking ahead, the Golden Knights are back on the road Tuesday with a 4:00 pm meeting at NE-10 rival and 15th ranked Southern New Hampshire in Manchester. Meanwhile, Stonehill is home Tuesday with a 3:30 pm NE-10 date versus Saint Anselm in Easton, MA.
Senior Day Photo Gallery
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