SPRINGFIELD, Mass.-Led by two goals from senior forward Jenna Masionis (Ashland, Mass.) and three assists by junior midfielder Kaylin Harbin (Stroudsburg, Pa.) The American International College field hockey team built a large lead and then outlasted a rally by the Southern Connecticut State University Owls in a 6-4 non-conference win over their Northeast-10 rivals at Ronald J. Abdow Field.

AIC improves to 4-3 on the season ahead of their first NE-10 contest.

The Owls had a pair of early scoring chances, but junior goalkeeper Ainslee Penfield (Greenfield, Mass.) kept the ball out of the net to keep the score even at zero.
Then, at 17:04, Harbin dished a pass to Masionis for a shot that became her fourth of the season.

Harbin had a hand in generating what turned into AIC's second goal three and a half minutes later, taking a shot on a penalty corner. Though Owls' junior Audrey Doloff stopped that shot, the rebound bounced to junior midfielder Erica McLean (Branford, Conn.), who was able to put it back for her second of the year.

AIC's third goal was on a solid passing play from sophomore midfielder Shea Homer (Glens Falls, N.Y.) to Masionis for a shot that wound up in the net for her second of the game and fifth of the season at 23:45.

The Owls got one back late in the half on a passing play from the left side of the goal to the right side in front, with Bailey McGinnis's pass going to Kristi Montemurro for her third of the year at 30:07.

Right out of halftime, AIC regained the three-goal edge. Harbin came up the left wing and moved around a defender to pass to Homer, who made a move of her own to get open and score her first of the year at 35:46.

Then, on a corner, Harbin passed to junior back Emily Kollar (Leighton, Pa.), who threw the ball through a maze of legs and into the net at 53:23 for her first of the season.

AIC extended the lead to 6-1 less than three minutes later, as McLean came out of a defensive corner with the ball and made a pass to freshman midfielder Alyssa Nonis (Port Moody, B.C.), who then took the ball to the left side of the field before passing across to sophomore forward Taylor Ruscillo (Carle Place, N.Y.), who fired a shot to the low left corner for her fifth of the year at 56:10.

Southern Connecticut battled to the end, scoring three times in the final 11 minutes with goals by Emma Farrel, Kristi Montemurro, and Colleen Murphy before the contest ended, but was unable to overcome the deficit.

Penfield earned the win to improve to 4-3 on the season with 6 saves, while Doloff had 16 saves in the loss to fall to 1-5 on the campaign.

AIC opens Northeast-10 play Saturday at the Saint Michael's Purple Knights for a 2:30 p.m. contest.