Apr 2, 2006
Ray Duckler, Monitor Staff
Bow's Erin Acone had no time to play like a freshman when she arrived at Stonehill College four seasons ago.
She was expected to play like a veteran, on a women's lacrosse team expected to win a national championship.
Period.
"It was kind of intimidating at first, coming into something with such high expectations," said the best player on the best Division II team, Stonehill College, in the country. "But once I came here, I realized how possible that goal would be to achieve."
Stonehill, in North Easton, Mass., won the national title in 2003, Acone's highly successful freshman season. The Skyhawks won the championship again last May, beating West Chester, 13-10, and if this season is any indication, it's a good bet they'll win their third title in four seasons May 14.
Stonehill beat Merrimack Friday, 17-5, its 34th straight win, an NCAA Division II record. Acone led the way, scoring five goals to become the third player in school history to reach 250 career points.
The Skyhawks, ranked No. 1 in the nation, have also won 52 straight league games, dating back to April 2000.
The Northeast-10 Conference has turned into Stonehill's private little playground. Under Coach Michael Daly, the Skyhawks have won six straight regular season league titles and five consecutive league tournament titles.
And with two national championships the past three years, Stonehill has become the Yankees of Division II women's lacrosse.
"We're looking at it like every time we step on the field we're defending the tradition of excellence," said Acone, a midfielder. "The girls who played in years past have established Stonehill as one of the top Division II teams, so we're playing for a sense of pride in the program itself."
Acone's resum? is too vast to document fully here, too rich with team, league and national accolades to give you a quick perspective.
In summary, she's the No. 1 all-star on a team of all-stars. She's on the current watch list for the Tewaraaton Award, given annually to the top women's lacrosse player in the country among all three college divisions. She's the lone D-II player mentioned, and it's the second straight year she's appeared on the list.
"She's one of the best overall athletes and she has the best work ethic on the team," Daly says. "During the off-season she worked harder than anyone else. That kind of commitment I have a great deal of respect for. She puts a great deal into it and loves the sport and loves this program, and she has made the team what it is today. She has that little extra, and that's the mark of a champion.
"Everyone has that level of commitment, but she does the extra things. What are you doing when no one's looking? She's making herself better, which makes our team better."
Acone, also a soccer star at Bow High, didn't catch the lacrosse bug until her freshman year. It became her passion, passing soccer. "It was a newer sport for me," she said, "and I liked playing at such a competitive level in a sport that's just starting to develop."
Stonehill's great run has made it one of the promoters of women's college lacrosse. Daly, the mastermind, has carefully handpicked players who can handle things immediately.
"One of our philosophies is if you give freshmen the opportunity right away, they'll embrace it right away," Daly said. "Everyone is a player and everyone needs to contribute, whether you're a freshman on your first day or a senior. You'll be surprised what you get."
What he got from Acone was a star player from the start, a tough competitor who talks trash during intramural soccer games.
She was named First Team All Northeast-10 as a rookie, and she helped Stonehill win its first of two national titles.
"What I remember most is the feeling of how well our team came together,"she said. "What separated us was how good we played together as a team."
She's only gotten better since, and Stonehill, after missing the NCAA Tournament in 2004, is again the defending champion and the No. 1 team in the nation.
The Skyhawks haven't lost since April 2004, and their 34-game winning streak has not added a stressful flavor to games. Instead, the Skyhawks use their recent history to create a psychological edge.
As Daly says, "If we come out hard in games, then the other team thinks about the streak, and when an opponent thinks about the streak, we have an advantage."
Stonehill has 10 games left before the postseason. Acone is seeking her third NCAA championship in this, her final season. She has no time to reflect on all those trophies she's earned and headlines she's created since '03.
That'll come later.
"It will be better to look back on those things once we accomplish all our team goals this season," Acone said. "I still think we have one of the strongest casts in Division II ... If we keep playing the way we are, we can have the same success we had last year."
(Ray Duckler can be reached at rduckler@cmonitor.com.)
