Box Score

EASTON, Mass. - The seventh-ranked and third-seeded American International College field hockey team dropped a tightly contested 1-0 decision at fifth-ranked and second-seeded Stonehill College in the first round of the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament Tuesday afternoon at W.B. Mason Stadium.

The Skyhawks improved to 16-6 for the season and advance to the national semifinals where they will face top-seeded and top-ranked UMass Lowell December 2 at the NCAA Division II Championship Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. The Yellow Jackets season comes to a close with a record of 14-8.

The game was scoreless until 1:02 into the second half when senior midfielder Lindsey Pinkham (Skowhegan, Maine) scored off a centering feed from freshman midfielder Devin Ingersoll (Londonderry, N.H.) for the only goal of the game.

AIC had a number of quality scoring chances, two of which were stopped by a defensive save, and had one goal disallowed because of a foul in the closing minutes of the match.

Senior midfielder Lauren Gifford (Goffstown, N.H.) recorded a defensive save on a shot taken by senior back Kat Heterbring (Java Center, N.Y.) at 27:55 and senior midfielder Courtney Foley (Wakefield, Mass.) registered a defensive save on senior forward Rhonwen Peters' (Aquashicole, Pa.) bit to tie the game at 57:29.

The Yellow Jackets appeared to score the game-tying goal with three minutes remaining in the game when junior midfielder Linsey Fernandes (Ajax, Ont.) put the ball past senior goalie Courtney Osier (South Dennis, Mass.), but it missed hitting the board by just inches and was waved off for being too high.

Osier recorded two saves to earn the victory in goal for the Skyhawks, while junior goalie Kim Steiner (Little Falls, N.Y.) tallied four saves in taking the loss.

AIC outshot Stonehill 11-8 in the game, including an 8-3 advantage in the second half. Penalty corners were also in favor of AIC, 9-6.

The Yellow Jackets were making their first-ever NCAA Championship Tournament appearance after winning a school-record 14 games under first-year head coach Stacey Blue.