O'Brien tallies her first goal of the season notching the game-winner

EASTON, Mass. (October 26, 2016)- The Stonehill College women's soccer team scored three unanswered goals in the second half to push past Northeast-10 Conference foe Merrimack College, 3-2, Wednesday afternoon at Skyhawk Field. This was Stonehill's final regular season match at home. 

Stonehill (12-4-1, 8-4-1 NE-10) saw three Skyhawks tally goals, including freshman Elizabeth Nerger (Marshfield, Mass./Marshifield), and seniors Lauren Kapatoes (Hopedale, Mass./Hopedale) and Claire O'Brien (West Hartford, Conn./Hall). Junior Taylor Shannahan (Mendham, N.J./Morris Catholic) assisted Nerger and Kapatoes' goals, while sophomore Courtney Campo (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) helped the game winner.

Merrimack's (7-7-3, 4-6-3 NE-10) two goal scorers were Amber Gustafson and Bianca Giacalone. Emily Maier assisted Giacalone's goal.

The Warriors held a 2-1 corner kick advantage over the Skyhawks, as both teams were unsuccessful in the box. But, in the 34^th minute of the game, the Warriors took charge and tallied the first goal of the game as Gustafson tucked the ball from the right and played it off a Stonehill defender finding the back left post.

For the rest of the half, neither team was able to capitalize on a pass inside the box, but Merrimack sent one more corner kick at the 39^th minute as Stonehill was able to clear the ball putting it back in its offensive third.

About three minutes into the second half, the Warriors extended its lead to two, as Maier too a free kick from about 30 yards out that ricocheted off the crossbar finding the feet of Giacalone. She was able to beat Stonehill's goalkeeper Jamie Block (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) sending the ball to the back left post.

The Skyhawks persisted with six shots back-to-back in a five minute span, unsuccessful at each one.in the 66^th minute of the game, Shannahan took the Skyhawk's fourth corner kick of the game sending the ball short to Nerger who sent an inswinger to the back of the net, cutting the deficit to one, 2-1.

About 10 minutes later, in the 77^th minute, Shannahan took another corner kick for the Skyhawks, as Kapatoes was able to head the ball past the goalkeeper for her sixth tally of the season. Stonehill continued pressuring Merrimack, as O'Brien chipped a left footed volley to the back of the net, two minutes later, as Campo set up a pass inside the six-yard box.

Merrimack was shut down by Stonehill in the remaining minutes of the game to give Stonehill its 12^th overall victory of the season, eighth conference and seventh at home.

Stonehill concludes its regular season schedule away from Skyhawk field with a Northeast-10 Conference battle against Le Moyne College on Saturday, October 29 with a noon start time.

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