Senior All-American Kathryn Nelson netted her second hat trick of the season to lead the Skyhawks today. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Nelson nets three goals, Genovese notches five saves in shutout

Three seniors accounted for the five Stonehill goals as the Skyhawks bounced back from two straight losses and picked up its first win in the month of October. Senior All-American Kathryn Nelson (Shrewsbury, Mass./Shrewsbury) led the way with her second hat trick of the season, while classmate Laura Menke (Greenland, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) posted a goal and assist while helping spearhead a defense which yielded just seven shots and no penalty corners. Senior Caitlin O'Keeffe (Morristown, N.J./Morristown) rounded out the senior scoring for the Skyhawks.

Freshman Elizabeth Genovese (Street, Md./North Harford) made five saves in the cage for Stonehill to notch her first collegiate shutout. The Skyhawks finished with a 28-7 advantage in shots for the match and a 9-0 edge for penalty corners. Sophomore Heather Philbrick (Kennebunkport, Maine/Kennebunk) finished with 11 stops in goal for Assumption.

Senior Laura Menke had a goal and assist for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

O'Keeffe opened the scoring 18:03 into the contest when she drove a loose ball from the upper left side of the arc past Philbrick for what would prove to be her second game winning goal of the season. Nelson doubled the Skyhawks lead with just under two minutes to play in the half when she one-timed a pass from freshman Jennifer Foley (Holden, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) at the left post at 33:01.

Nelson scored the first of three second half goals from Stonehill to put the match away with a drive from the left side off a corner pass from Menke at 49:35. Nelson finished off her hat trick 50-seconds later when she one-timed a shot from the left side of the arc off a turnover at 50:25 for her team-leading ninth goal of the season. Menke rounded out the scoring at 64:36 on a counter attack with her second goal of the year.

With her six points this afternoon, Nelson went over 90 career points with 94, and her 42 career goals are good for a tie for third place in program history with Aly Boulis (2004-07).

Stonehill (6-7, 1-4 NE-10) returns to action on Wednesday when it visits Southern Connecticut State University for an NE-10 matchup at 7 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Tuesday, October 18, to host Saint Anselm College at 7 p.m. Assumption (1-10, 1-6 NE-10) hosts Bentley University next Saturday at noon.