Freshman Devin Ingersoll registered two goals and an assist in tonight's win over Southern Connecticut State. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Nelson and Ingersoll lead the way as Skyhawks open NE-10 title defense

EASTON, Mass. (September 28, 2010) – Stonehill College opened defense of its 2009 Northeast-10 Conference regular season title defense with a rain-soaked 5-2 victory over Southern Connecticut State University in the Conference opener for both at W.B. Mason Stadium tonight.

Junior Kathryn Nelson (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) and freshman Devin Ingersoll (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) both led the way for Stonehill with two goals and an assist each. Senior Lindsey Pinkham (Skowhegan, Maine/Skowhegan) scored a goal for the second-straight match, while classmate Lauren Gifford (Goffstown, N.H./Goffstown) chipped in with two assists.

Senior goalkeeper Lauren Zarrella (Morris, Conn./Wamogo) kept Southern Connecticut State in the contest with an incredible 18 saves (11 first half). Stonehill senior Courtney Osier (South Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) finished with three saves (all first half) in the cage for Stonehill. The Skyhawks registered a 30-8 advantage in shots for the night and a 17-4 margin in penalty corners.

Sophomore Erica Fisher (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) and freshman Amanda DeChent (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) netted goals for Southern Connecticut State.

Stonehill opened the scoring when Pinkham tipped the ball into an open net with Zarrella off her line on a feed from the right side by Nelson just 3:30 into the game. DeChent equalized the game moments after entering as a substitute when she redirected a drive from the top of the arc by senior Ann Farrier (Belfast, Maine/Belfast) at 22:21.

Junior Kathryn Nelson also had two goals and an assist tonight. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes).

Stonehill responded less than six minutes later as Nelson fired in a low angle shot from the right side off a pass from the top of the arc by Ingersoll at 28:01. The Skyhawks took a 3-1 lead into the intermission when Ingersoll took a pass from Gifford and fired a rocket past Zarrella from just inside the arc at 31:11 for her first collegiate goal.

Stonehill extended its lead to three goals 2:18 into the second half when Nelson scored her Conference-leading 11^th goal with a tip on a drive from the top of the arc by senior Courtney Foley (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield Memorial) off a corner. It was the NE-10 leading sixth assist of the year for Foley.

Southern drew back within two goals just over three minutes later when Fisher took a pass from freshman Meghan Lahm (Wingdale, N.Y./Dover) and fired a low shot past Osier for her second goal of the year at 40:27. Stonehill sealed the win with Ingersoll's second of the night, assisted by Gifford, with a drive from the upper left corner of the arc off a corner at 64:51.

Stonehill (5-4, 1-0 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it visits Saint Michael's College for an NE-10 matchup at 11 a.m. The Skyhawks don't return home until Wednesday, October 13, to host American International College at 4 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (2-6, 0-1 NE-10) visits Saint Anselm College on Saturday at 2 p.m.