SOUTH EASTON, Mass.-Despite a gritty performance, the tenth-ranked American International College field hockey team (4-2, 0-0 NE-10) could not get a go-ahead goal and ultimately fell 3-1 to the fourth-ranked Stonehill Skyhawks (5-0, 1-0 NE-10) in a non-conference matchup Thursday.

Stonehill tilted the balance of play in their favor as the first half went on, and final broke through at the 33:19 mark when senior forward Kelly Gouveia (Dartmouth, Mass.) tipped home a deflection for her first of the year. In all, the Skyhawks outshot AIC 13-5 in the first frame.

However, the Yellow Jackets tied the contest nearly immediately, with junior forward Jenna Masionis (Ashland, Mass.) firing a shot into the goal just :29 into the second half for her team-best sixth of the year.

Stonehill would net what turned out to be the game-winning goal at the 48:51 mark, when sophomore forward Erika Kelly (Watertown, Mass.) scored her 11th of the season on a pass from senior midfielder Devin Ingersoll (Londonderry, N.H.); they added an insurance goal at 65:25 when senior midfielder Kelsey Davis put in her first of the year on a shot that deflected off the post and in.

In goal, senior Kori Huffman (Brattleboro, Vt.) was stellar in the loss, stopping 14 shots while falling to 4-2 on the year; her counterpart, junior Elizabeth Genovese (Street, Md.) made just one save in the victory to improve to 5-0 on the campaign.

AIC next returns to action at home at Ronald J. Abdow Field Saturday, September 21, when they take on the Bentley Falcons at 1 p.m.