Stark and Mirabile goals the difference in front of Conte's four saves
Stark scored her third gamewinning goal of her first collegiate season this afternoon (PHOTO BY Brian Foley) |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (October 13, 2023) – Stonehill College got a pair of goals from first years to secure its second Northeast Conference win of the season with a 2-1 victory at Merrimack College in NEC field hockey action at Duane Stadium this afternoon.
Highlights
- Stonehill freshmen Tyra Stark and Karleigh Mirabile each scored goals to provide the offense for the Skyhawks in their second NEC win of the fall.
- Junior goalkeeper Shannon Conte made four saves to preserve the win for Stonehill, with sophomore Madison Darmstadt chipping in with a defensive save early in the second half.
- Senior Katelyn Bennett scored the lone goal for Merrimack to pull the Warriors back within a goal.
- Senior Brooke Bolduc finished with two saves in the Merrimack cage.
Mirabile's first collegiate goal provided much needed insurance late in the third quarter (PHOTO BY Brian Foley) |
How It Happened
- Stonehill grabbed a quick lead just 2:59 into the contest as Stark scored her third goal of the season. Conte preserved that early lead with two of her four saves in the opening frame.
- The Skyhawks doubled their lead with a minute remaining in the third quarter as Mirabile netted her first collegiate goal.
- Merrimack pulled a goal back 1:55 into the fourth with Bennett scoring her second goal of the year, assisted by freshman Chloe Agopian.
- The Stonehill defense did the rest, holding the Warriors without a shot on goal the rest of the way to sew up the win.
Noteworthy
- Stark has scored the gamewinning goal in all three Stonehill victories in her first collegiate season, having scored all three over the last six games. She netted two-straight Stonehill goals prior to Mirabile's second half tally.
- Mirabile is the third Stonehill player to score her first career goal this season, joining Stark and senior Lacy Moran.
- This afternoon marked the 42nd meeting all-time between the two former Northeast-10 Conference rivals, the second at the NCAA Division I level, with Stonehill taking a 26-16 lead in the all-time series, including both wins in their two encounters as members of the NEC.
- Conte notched her sixth career win in the Stonehill cage with the victory today.
Up Next
Stonehill (3-10, 2-2 NEC) is right back in action on Sunday when it hosts Colgate University at Northeastern University's Dedham Field in Dedham, Massachusetts, at noon. The Skyhawks return to W.B. Mason Stadium on Sunday, October 22, to host Saint Francis University for an NEC matchup on Alumnae Day at noon. Merrimack (0-13, 0-4 NEC) visits the University of New Hampshire for a non-conference matchup on Sunday at 1 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
