Stockton University Athletics

Ospreys Reached Double Digits in Wins for Third Straight Year

Field Hockey | 12/17/2019 1:30:00 PM

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The Stockton field hockey team continued its rise as the Ospreys won 14 games, just one off the school record set in 2018, for their third straight winning season. Head coach Sarah Elleman led the team to the best start in school history by winning the first 10 games, including four by shutout, and the best winning percentage in the program's 17 seasons (.778).
 
Stockton had 19 players garner playing time in 10 games or more, five of whom started all 18 matches, and that depth was evident during the season. Eleven different players scored goals and helped the Ospreys to their second consecutive NJAC Tournament appearance.
 
Leading the team was junior Casey Cordonna, who earned NJAC First Team and NFHCA South Atlantic Region Second Team nods for her play. Cordonna led a staunch defense and was the trigger for the penalty corner unit. She tallied five goals and dished two assists for 12 points to finish third on the team in scoring.
 
Joining Cordonna in the all-conference category was NJAC Second Team selection Issy Gilhooley who tied for sixth in the league with a team-high eight assists, which is also tied for third in a season at Stockton. Gilhooley scored three goals for 14 points, second on the team, and made one defensive save. She potted the game-winning goal in overtime against Ramapo.
 
Juniors Lauryn Flynn and Hannah Wescoat, sophomore Kelsey Andrus and freshman Isabella Ceraso rounded out the defensive corps. Flynn and Wescoat started all 18 games and made one defensive save apiece while Ceraso made 14 starts in her rookie year and Andrus played in 15 games off the bench.
 
Backstopping the Ospreys was senior goaltender Emily Gilligan, who was selected as an NJAC Honorable Mention player this season. Gilligan had another record-setting season in net with a school-record six shutouts, tying for first in the NJAC. Her 112 saves also ranked third in the conference.
 
A two-time NJAC Defensive Player of the Week, Gilligan posted .836 save percentage (2nd in NJAC) and a 1.33 goals against average (4th in NJAC), both the second-best season totals in program history. For her career, Gilligan leaves the program as its leader in shutouts (12), goals against average (1.23) and save percentage (.832).
 
Up front, Gianna Morganti led the team with 11 goals (T-8th in NJAC) and three assists for 25 points. Morganti was a perfect 4-4 on penalty strokes and had four game winning goals (T-5th in NJAC), two of which snapped 2-2 ties in 3-2 victories over Arcadia and Stevens. The transfer from Rider scored at least one point in each of her first seven games in an Osprey uniform.
 
Juniors Madison Dancisin and Kassidy Wentzell scored four goals apiece, with Dancisin adding one assist for nine points. Dancisin netted two game-winners, both snapping 1-1 ties in 2-1 wins, while Wentzell netted the winner in overtime in a 1-0 triumph over Wesley.
 
Senior Jennelle Long finished her career with a goal and three assists for four points. Lainie Allegretto, a transfer from TCNJ, made her presence felt with a pair of goals in her first year in Galloway while Corinn Guilford also scored twice, including the OT winner versus Alvernia.
 
Shelby Scott (1 goal, 2 assists) and Madison Maguire (1 goal) also found their way onto the scoresheet while Gracee Roberts (17 games), Devyn Parker (17 games), Tori Wilson (12 games) and Isabelle Marsh (10 games) contributed to the team's success as well.
 
Stockton loses a pair of senior starters in Gilligan and Long but could return a large nucleus of key players in 2020 including the team's top five scorers and entire starting defense from this season as the Ospreys try to continue their current run of three straight years with a double-digit win total.