EASTON, Mass. (October 27, 2024) – The Stonehill College women's soccer team secured its spot in the Northeast Conference Playoffs after defeating Mercyhurst University, 3-0, on Senior Day at WB Mason Stadium Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Skyhawks improved to 8-9 overall and 7-2 in conference play, while the Lakers fell to 3-11-4 overall and 2-4-3 against conference opponents.

Highlights

• Stonehill honored its six seniors and families prior to this afternoon's game, as classmates Ashley Kendrigan, Olivia Webster, Hannah Watson, Paige Marjanski, Karleigh Schultz, and Grace Caso each played their final home regular season game for the Skyhawks today.
• In addition, Stonehill also recognized its four graduate students, Emmy Dumaresq, Meghan Lord, Kara Moore, and Yara Fawaz who have each made a lasting impact on the program.
• First-year student Erin Foley registered her first career two-goal game for the Skyhawks and now ranks second on the squad with five goals throughout the season.
• Junior Hannah Anselmo improved her conference-leading point total to 20 after netting her seventh goal and dishing out her sixth assist of the season.
• Dumaresq and sophomore Kayla Cassidy recorded their first and second assists, respectively, for Stonehill.
• First-year goalkeeper Allie Sougaris posted her seventh career win and fourth career shutout after stopping all four shots she faced on the day.

How it Happened
After a back-and-forth start on either side opened the first 30 minutes of play in the conference matchup, Sougaris would be called into action at the 31:03 mark of the first half to make an incredible diving save on a junior Anna Clarke left-footed shot bound for the lower-left corner of the Skyhawks net. However, Sougaris would stretch out and make an incredible save to keep the game scoreless one-third of the way through the matchup.

Five minutes later, Stonehill would reward its goalies' efforts and take the first lead of the game at the 36:18 mark when Foley sent a shot past graduate netminder Chelsea Radicia and into the back of the net on a penalty kick.  

Foley would cap off her brace less than three minutes following her first goal of the game after a pair of perfect passes from Cassidy and Anselmo eventually made its way to the first-year forward out in front of the six-yard goalie's box, where she would capitalize, and chip a shot into the back of the net for her second goal of the game and fifth of the season.

Coming out of the halftime break, the two sides, meeting for the first time in each program's history, would play throughout the middle third of the pitch over the first 35 minutes of play in the second half of action.

Stonehill would eventually break through again in the 82nd minute when Anselmo netted her conference-leading seventh goal of the year off a beautiful cross into the 18-yard box from Dumaresq. Anselmo's goal would cap off the scoring, cement the Skyhawks' 3-0 victory on the day, and help clinch the program's first playoff appearance in the NCAA Division I era.

Up Next
Stonehill (8-9-0, 7-2-0 NEC) rounds out its 2024 regular season on Thursday, October 31, traveling to New Britain, Connecticut to matchup against NEC foe Central Connecticut State. Opening kickoff between the Skyhawks and Blue Devils is set for 6 PM.     

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