SPRINGFIELD, Mass. Senior Jenna Masionis (Ashland, Mass.) netted a pair of goals to help lead the American International College Yellow Jackets past Dowling College, 5-0, in non-conference field hockey action this afternoon at Abdow Field.
With the win AIC evens their record to 2-2 while the Golden Lions fall to 1-4 in the setback.
AIC scored early an often and it was started in the 9th minute when sophomore Emma Heroth (Johnstown, N.Y.) corralled a rebounded shot and found classmate Taylor Ruscillo (Carle Place, N.Y.) on the right side for the 1-0 edge.
Heroth then potted her own goal in the 25th minute on a very similar play. This time it was freshman Liv Magni (Sweet Valley, Pa.) who slipped a pass past the goalie to the right side and Heroth slapped it in the empty net for the 2-0 lead.
Dowling had a great chance to cut into the deficit in the 28th minute off a penalty corner. However, sophomore Elizabeth Athing's (Atlantique, Fire Island, N.Y.) blast from the left side of the circle was met by a kick-save from AIC junior net-minder Ainslee Penfield (Greenfield, Mass.) to preserve the lead headed into halftime.
The Yellow Jackets wasted little time coming out of the intermission as Masionis sent a rocket into the back of the cage from the right side for the 3-0 advantage just 90 ticks into the final frame.
The Black and Gold continued the pressure when senior Amanda Johannes (Killingworth, Conn.) sprinted past the defense up the left side and beat the keeper five-hole in the 45th minute for the four-goal edge.
AIC finished the scoring off a penalty corner as junior Emily Kollar (Leighton, Pa.) blasted one from the top of the circle to the front of the net and Masionis held the ball and finished it with a turnaround shot into the right side of the net in the 59th minute for the final score.
Penfield finished the game with five saves while her counterpart, junior Ariana Ovadia (East Meadow, N.Y.), registered an eye-popping 20 saves in the setback.
Each team also recorded a defensive save as sophomore Sarah Shams-Kollar (Poway, Calif.) made a stop for Dowling and senior Jacqueline Millard (Nassau, N.Y.) sacrificed her body late in the contest for the Yellow Jackets.
American International outshot their opponents 34-9 and 26-6 on goal and also led in penalty corners 13-7.
AIC returns to action on Saturday as they travel to Mercy College for a 12 p.m. affair and Dowling travels to Adelphi on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest.
