EASTON, Mass. (November 6, 2024) – The fourth-seeded Stonehill College women's soccer team will travel to Washington, DC, to play the top-seeded Howard Bison tomorrow at noon in the semifinal round of the 2024 Northeast Conference women's soccer tournament at Greene Stadium.
 
"We're excited to make our DI postseason debut but also focused on surpassing that milestone. I think we've seen a positive progression in our style of soccer all season, and we've been able to manage many different game scenarios," said head coach Alex Wilson. "I am so proud of this group's work daily on and off the field, but the mental focus on continuing into November is special. The NEC Championship presents this 2024 squad with an opportunity to continue to present the brand of soccer that we've been working on here at Stonehill."
 
Stonehill (8-9-1, 7-2-1 NEC) is making its first-ever appearance at the NEC Postseason Tournament after clinching a spot in the playoffs with its 3-0 shutout victory over Mercyhurst University on Sunday, October 27. The Skyhawks' last appearance in the postseason came in 2019 when they lost in the quarterfinal round of the Northeast-10 Conference tournament to Southern Connecticut State University, 1-0. Despite losing in the quarterfinal round, the nationally ranked Skyhawks qualified for the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer tournament and earned their first tournament win in school history against Jefferson University, 2-1, on November 22, 2019.
 
Howard (9-4-5, 8-1-1 NEC) has been a formidable force since entering the league in 2021. The Bison have qualified for the NEC Postseason tournament in back-to-back seasons, last year as the fourth seed and this year as the top seed in the conference. A season ago, Howard's run for a conference championship title ended in the semifinal round when the eventual 2023 NEC Champion Central Connecticut State Blue Devils took down the Bison in double overtime, 2-1.
 
Tomorrow afternoon's match will be Stonehill and Howard's second meeting this fall. In the season's sixth week, the Skyhawks hosted the Bison on the turf at WB Mason Stadium, cruising to a 3-0 shutout victory. Junior Hannah Anselmo tallied her first career two-goal game, while first-year student Erin Foley netted the first goal of her collegiate career. In addition, the victory marked first-year goalkeeper Allie Sougaris' first win and shutout of her career.  
 
Stonehill opened its 2024 campaign with a 1-7 record in non-conference play before going on a tear to end the regular season, winning seven of its last ten games and finishing the year with a 7-2-1 record against NEC opponents. The team posted five shutouts in the 18-game schedule, ranking top five in the conference. It also ranked fourth in the NEC with 27 goals and a 1.50 scoring average.
 
Anselmo has been Stonehill's offensive catalyst this season, taking home NEC Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading the league with 22 points off eight goals and six assists. In addition, Foley has paved the way for rookies in the conference in 2024, scoring a first-year student-leading six goals throughout the season, which also ranked third overall among all goal scorers in the league.
 
Senior Grace Caso and graduate student Emmy Dumaresq anchored the midfield for the Skyhawks, ranking first and third on the squad in minutes played. Caso, an All-NEC second-team selection, also ranked third on the team with eight points on the season off three goals and a career-high two assists. Dumaresq, the team leader in minutes played, started in all 18 contests throughout the season and registered four points off a goal and two assists.
 
The Skyhawks back-line of graduate student Kara Moore, sophomore classmates Lily Roslonek and Lindsey Brown, as well as first-year student Alyson Guerette were mainstays in the Stonehill starting lineup throughout the season. The defensive quartet helped the Skyhawks concede nine total goals, secure four clean sheets, and post a 7-2-1 record in conference play to earn their spot in the postseason tournament.
 
In net, Sougaris ranks second in goals against average and wins with a 1.14 and seven, respectively. She also ranks sixth in the NEC in save percentage with .745. The first-year netminder's four shutouts mark the most by a Skyhawk goalkeeper since Kaitlin Brown, '19, registered eight clean sheets between the pipes in 2018.  
 
Howard opened the season with a 1-3-4 record while closing the season with an 8-1-1 mark, completing its schedule with four straight wins. This season, the Bison were led offensively by first-year forward Gabriella Garcia-Terrell and sophomore Samantha James, who tied for the team lead with 13 points. Garcia-Terrell, the NEC Rookie of the Year, paved the way for Howard with five goals and 29 shots on goal, while James, the NEC Midfielder of the Year, dished out a team-high five assists.
 
On the defensive end of the pitch, redshirt junior Rachel Suttle started all 18 games for a Bison defense that conceded a league-low six goals against NEC rivals. In addition to her defensive prowess, Suttle showed off her attacking threat by scoring three goals on the season.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Trinity Knox, who repeated as NEC Goalkeeper of the Year, posted six shutouts and allowed only six goals across ten league matches. Knox boasted the third-best goals-against average (1.158) and save percentage (.765) among NEC goalkeepers.
 
The winner of tomorrow afternoon's match will advance to Sunday's Championship game, where it will take on the winner of the No. 2 Wagner College versus No. 3 FDU contest. Wagner earned the second seed with its 7-1-2 league mark and 23 points, while FDU finished the regular season at 7-2-1 in conference play and 22 points.
 
2024 Northeast Conference Women's Soccer Postseason Tournament Schedule
 
Thursday, November 7 – Semifinals
Match 1: #4 Stonehill at #1 Howard, 12:00 PM
Match 2: # 3 FDU at #2 Wagner, 7:00 PM
 
Sunday, November 10 – Championship
At Highest Seed
Match 3: Match 1 Winner vs. Match 2 Winner TBD at Higher Seed
 
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.