Senior All-American Kathryn Nelson figured in all three goals for Stonehill with a goal and two assists. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Nelson notches four points to lead Skyhawks to second-straight win

Senior All-American Kathryn Nelson (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) played a role in all three Stonehill goals as she finished with a goal and two assists for the match. Freshman Jennifer Foley (Holden, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) added a goal and assist for the Skyhawks, while senior Caitlin O'Keeffe (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) contributed a goal.

Freshman Elizabeth Genovese (Street, Md./North Harford) made four saves to preserve the win, while Lindenwood senior Samantha Brown (Harare, Zimbabwe) posted 13 stops in the cage to keep the Lions in the match. Stonehill racked up a 36-11 advantage in shots for the contest, including 20-7 on target, and posted a 13-4 edge in penalty corners.

Junior back Erin de Jesus (Harare, Zimbabwe) made three defensive saves for the Lions, while also scoring a goal. Senior Irene Taranhike (Harare, Zimbabwe) dished two assists, while sophomore Maria Schafer (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette) chipped in with a goal.

Freshman Jennifer Foley added a goal and assist for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Stonehill looked poised to run away with the game with a pair of goals 46-seconds apart within the opening ten minutes. O'Keeffe opened the scoring when she tipped in a pass from the top of the arc by Nelson on the left side for her first goal of the season 8:30 into the match. Nelson doubled the lead at 9:16 with her team-leading sixth goal of the season by one-timing a shot at the left post off a cross from the right side by Foley.

Lindenwood cut the lead in half just over ten minutes later when de Jesus scored her first of the year off a corner as she tipped in a pass from the top of the arc by senior Michelle Sturtevannt (Nelson, British Columbia) off the stopper of Taranhike at 19:30.

Despite the lopsided shot margin, Stonehill wasn't able to get any breathing room until Foley scored her fifth of the season on a breakaway set up by a long pass from the left side by Nelson. Foley broke in one on one with Brown, slipped to the goaltenders left and then rolled the ball into the open cage at 61:28.

The insurance goal proved vital as Lindenwood drew back within a goal once again at 65:46 when Schafer one-timed a Taranhike pass from the right side at the left post for her first goal of the year.

Stonehill (5-5, 0-2 NE-10) is off until next Saturday, October 1, when it hosts 7^th-ranked Merrimack College for a key Northeast-10 Conference clash at W.B. Mason Stadium at noon. Lindenwood (0-7) travels to Saint Louis University on Friday at 1 p.m.