EASTON, Mass. (September 15, 2024) – The Stonehill College women's soccer came up short at home in its non-conference season finale, 3-1, against Vermont Sunday afternoon. With the loss, the Skyhawks fell to 1-7 overall, while the Catamounts improved to 5-1-3 on the season.

Highlights

• Stonehill registered season-highs in shot attempts (15), shots on goal (6), and corner kicks (7) against Vermont.
• Junior Hannah Anselmo netted her first goal of the season. Anselmo now leads the team with three points off a goal and an assist.
• First-year goalkeeper Allie Sougaris made her collegiate debut in net for the Skyhawks where she tallied two saves on the afternoon.
• Graduate students Emmy Dumaresq and Meghan Lord as well as senior Grace Caso, sophomore Annie Renz, and first-year Erin Foley recorded shots on goal for Stonehill.
• Senior Bailey Ayer paved the way for the Catamounts offensive attack, netting her team-leading eighth goal of the season and dishing out an assist on what proved to be the game-winner.
• Senior Kate Bossert scored her fourth goal of the season for Vermont. Bossert's goal also marked her first game-winning goal of the season.
• Junior Kylee Carafoli and graduate Dani Pollard combined in net to make five saves for the Catamounts.

How it Happened
Stonehill came out of the gates strong, outshooting Vermont 3-1 over the opening five minutes of action, with one being on goal by Caso at the 4:44 mark of the contest. However, in the eighth minute, the Catamounts would score the game's opening goal when the team leader in scoring, Ayer, netted her eighth goal of the season.

A deflected cross off a Skyhawk defender from the far side of the pitch by sophomore Emma Warren would find its way onto the boot of Ayer, who sent a left-footed shot past Sougaris in goal for the game's opening score.

In the 22nd minute, first-year forward Martha Lord nearly leveled the game at one aside after redirecting a Foley cross off the post. Despite the scoring chance by the Skyhawks, Vermont would rush down the field one minute later and double its advantage on the scoreboard.

The Catamounts first goal combination of Ayer and Warren teamed up to assist on a header goal by Bossert from just outside the six-yard goalies' box, marking her fourth goal in three career appearances against Stonehill.  

After a back-and-forth stretch played throughout the middle third of the field, Vermont would extend its lead again at the 33:03 mark of the opening half. Junior Sydney Remington lofted a shot after receiving a pass from senior Tessa Weiss over a leaping Sougaris to give the Catamounts a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the halftime break.

Coming out into the second half of action, the Skyhawks would look to chip away at their three-goal deficit and get on the board. Off a corner kick from Martha Lord in the 57th minute, Dumaresq would narrowly score Stonehill's first goal with a header bound for the lower left corner of the net. However, Pollard would be in the right position in goal to stifle the Skyhawk's early second-half scoring opportunity.

At the 72:58 mark, Foley rifled a shot on goal from within the 18-yard box, but Pollard would be in the correct position to knock the ball away and keep the Vermont clean sheet intact. Eventually, Stonehill would break through and score its first goal in the 84th minute when Anselmo sent a shot bar-down into the back of the net for her first goal of the season.  

Despite Anselmo's late goal, the Catamounts lead proved too much for the Skyhawks to overcome, as Vermont walked away victorious by a final score of 3-1.

Up Next
Stonehill (1-7-0, 0-0-0 NEC) returns to action on Thursday, September 19^th, hosting Northeast Conference opponent Howard University. Opening kickoff between the Skyhawks and Bison is set for 3 p.m., at WB Mason Stadium.

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