Senior Brittany Ford paced the offense with a goal and assist. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Curtis posts third career shutout with three save performance
Ford notches goal and assist 

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (September 4, 2012) – Stonehill College got on the winning track with a commanding 6-0 triumph over American International College in non-conference field hockey action at Ronald J. Abdow Field this afternoon.

Senior goaltender Kaitlyn Curtis (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough) made three saves to preserve her third career shutout and Stonehill got goals from six different players to roll to its first win of the season. The Skyhawks bounced back from a 6-2 setback to No. 2 Bloomsburg University on Saturday by erupting for five second half goals and posting a 22-6 shots advantage, including 16-3 over the final 35 minutes.

Senior Brittany Ford (Augusta, Maine/Cony) paced the Stonehill offense with a goal and assist, while sophomore Nicole Ciccia (Monroe, Conn./Lauralton Hall) scored the only goal the Skyhawks would need in the first half. Sophomore Emily Sideris (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) added her second goal of the year, while juniors Kelly Gouveia (Dartmouth, Mass./Dartmouth) and Devin Ingersoll (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) and freshman Rachel Murphy (Worcester, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) each added markers.

Junior Kori Huffman (Brattleboro, Vt./Brattleboro Union) finished with eight saves in the cage for American International.

Ciccia scored the lone first half goal with an unassisted tally at 22:29. Ingersoll opened the second half with her first goal of the season, assisted by sophomore Jennifer Foley (Holden, Mass./Notre Dame Academy), 5:46 into the second half. Ford set up Gouveia just 1:09 later for her first marker of the year and a 3-0 Stonehill lead at 41:55.

Ford scored at 45:56, assisted by junior Gina Sheehan (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury), for the Skyhawks fourth goal. Sideris and Murphy capped the scoring with a pair of unassisted goals a minute apart at 63:24 and 64:24, respectively.

Stonehill (1-1, 0-0 NE-10) returns to action on Thursday to host Saint Anselm College in non-conference play at W.B. Mason Stadium at 6 p.m. American International (0-3, 0-0 NE-10) visits Saint Anselm on Saturday at noon.