EASTON, Mass. (August 15, 2024) – The Stonehill College women’s soccer team lost its 2024 season opener under the lights at WB Mason Stadium, 2-0, to the University of New Hampshire. With this loss, the Skyhawks begin the season 0-1, while the Wildcats open the campaign 1-0.

Highlights

• Goalkeeper in second year of study Kelsey Bello made her college debut and recorded five saves for Stonehill.
• senior Grace Caso, Junior- Katie Carey, and first-year students Meghan Dowd each of them took a shot on goal for the Skyhawks.
• Junior Abby Maier paved the way for the Wildcats’ attack, recording five shots on goal, scoring a goal and providing an assist on what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
• senior Meghan Guarente achieved her first goal of the season for UNH.
• Redshirt Junior Goalkeeper Sally Rainey recorded three saves in the clean sheet game, securing the Wildcats’ first win of the season.

How it happened

After some back and forth on the court, Bello was put to the test in the third minute of the game when she blocked a shot from outside the box that bounced off the redshirt senior’s shoe for the first time in her career. Chloe DeLyser. Just a few minutes later, at 5:55, Bello was there when he thwarted Maier’s goal attempt with a diving save and thus kept UNH from scoring early.

At 8:41 of the first half, PhD student Emmy Dumaresq nearly gave Stonehill its first lead of the season. After running down the left side of the field, Dumaresq sent a cross in front of the Wildcat goal, narrowly pushing it past Rainey in the net and giving the Skyhawks their first lead of the season.

But at 9:53 of the game, Maier took advantage of this for her team and played a perfect through ball to the left foot of Guarente, who sent the shot past Bello’s outstretched glove and scored the 1-0 for UNH.

Just before the halfway point of the first period, Caso fired a free kick from 30 yards out on goal, forcing Rainey to make a diving save to keep the Wildcats’ lead at one point. At 23:45, a costly Skyhawks defensive turnover allowed Maier to dribble on goal and score her first goal of the season, giving UNH a 2-0 first-half lead.

After Maier’s goal in the 24th minute, both sides played in the middle third of the court for the remainder of the first half and the second half. Although Bello and the Skyhawks’ defense held the Wildcats scoreless for the remainder of the season opener, Stonehill was unable to break through and tie the non-conference game, ultimately losing to UNH by a final score of 2-0.

Next
Stonehill (0-1-0, 0-0-0 NEC) returns west to face the University of Portland on Sunday, August 18. Kickoff between the Skyhawks and Pilots in the second Cross & Anchors Classic is set for 1 p.m. PT at Merlo Field in Portland, Oregon.

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