Garden City, N.Y. - A career afternoon for sophomore Danielle Kempf led the Adelphi University field hockey team to a stunning upset on Saturday afternoon, as the Panthers shut out the Stonehill College Skyhawks, the top-ranked team in the country, 5-0.
Kempf netted three goals for Adelphi (4-4, 3-1 NE10), along with one assist, posting a career-best seven points against the Skyhawks (6-2, 2-1 NE10), while Emily Power and Elissa Frein contributed the two other goals in the shutout defeat.
It is Adelphi's first win against Stonehill in six seasons, dating back to a 3-2 overtime triumph in North Easton, Mass. on Oct. 14, 2012.
Both teams were remained scoreless for the first 23 minutes, thanks in part to a defensive save by Jessica Lodato at the 15 minute-mark, before Kempf netted her first goal of the afternoon off a pass from the far post to give the hosts an early edge over Stonehill.
After the first 35 minutes, Kempf got on the board once again scoring the Panthers' second goal with just over 20 minutes left in regulation. Less than two minutes later, Power went one-on-one with the keeper following a long pass from Alexandra Kanapes, giving Adelphi a 3-0 advantage over the visitors.
The Brown and Gold held onto the momentum as Stonehill removed its keeper over the last five minutes in favor of another field player, allowing Kempf to dribble up to the empty net and tally her third goal of the day - the lone goal which was unassisted for the Panthers on the afternoon.
With no time on the clock and a 4-0 lead, Frein took advantage of a late penalty corner to put the finishing touches on the mammoth upset.
The Panthers out-shot the Skyhawks after 70 minutes, 12-10, while Leah Savage ended the contest with four saves in the cage. Lodato nabbed her first defensive save of the year for the Panthers, while Kate Manson also posted her team-lading fifth assist of the season.
For Kempf, it is her first hat trick of 2018 and second of her career, and she now leads the team with six goals on the year.
The Brown and Gold will return to Motamed Field on Tuesday for a Northeast-10 matchup against LIU Post at 7 p.m. The contest is dedicated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where the organization will be collecting donations at the game.
About Adelphi Athletics
Adelphi University joined the Northeast-10 Conference in the fall of 2009, and in the past eight seasons, has collected 27 regular season conference titles, 29 tournament championships, 41 individual crowns and captured the Northeast-10 Presidents' Cup four times (2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), while winning six NCAA Division II National Championships.
For the latest on Adelphi University Athletics, follow the Panthers at www.aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat.
