SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--American International College Field Hockey hosts Saint Michael's College for a non-conference contest as part of a season-long four game homestand to start the 2016 campaign.

LAST TIME OUT:The Yellow Jackets found a way to get it done against a strong Slippery Rock squad, with senior midfielder Katie Lombardozzi scoring the game-winning tally on a deflection of a shot by sophomore midfielder Meghan Brock at 68:15 of regulation to give AIC a 2-1 victory. After classmate and forward Emma Heroth struck in the first half to give AIC the 1-0 lead, Slippery Rock drew even in the first minute of the second half. However, the pendulum of momentum shifted back to AIC's favor after that, and they commanded most of the second half, holding the visiting side without so much as a shot attempt on sophomore keeper Taylor Ross the rest of the way while firing five of their own. Though an excellent play kept a breakaway by junior forward Liv Magni from putting AIC up 2-1, ultimately the pressure was enough to earn the home team their second win in as many games.

Saint Michael's fought #6 Shippensburg to a scoreless tie after 35 in their last contest, but the Red Raiders overpowered the Purple Knights in the second half, and the seventh shot of the first nine minutes of the latter frame found the cage to give Shippensburg a lead it would never relinquish. The home squad would score again in the 59th minute for the 2-0 final score. Though the edge in shots of 23-5 was decisive for Shippensburg, senior goalkeeper Abagail Bowie shined, rejecting a dozen shots, just two short of her career high of 14.

LAST TIME THEY MET:Saint Michael's swept the season series from AIC last year with a 3-2 win in Colchester, Vt. and a 4-3 win in Springfield. Midfielder Erica McLean '16 had three of the team's five goals in those two games, with senior forward Taylor Ruscillo compiling two assists and Heroth one in the pair of contests. Bowie was a large part of the reason the Purple Knights won the latter game, making 12 saves in that victory as AIC outshot St. Michael's by a 15-9 margin.

ROOKIE HARDWARE:Davis's strong performance in the first weekend of the season earned her the first Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week accolade for the 2016 campaign. Davis is one of three current Yellow Jackets to have picked up the honor, joining Ruscillo (November 4, 2013) and Ross (October 12, 2015).

LIGHT THE LAMP LATE:Lombardozzi's late-game heroics marked the first time in six years that AIC tallied a game-winner in the final two minutes of regulation. Prior to Sunday's win, the last time a Yellow Jacket had won the game for her team in such fashion was October 26, 2010, when Lisa Duckles '13 scored on a penalty stroke with 1:29 left in regulation to lead AIC to a 3-2 win over then-number 7 LIU Post. Current Assistant Coach Linsey Fernandes '13 was on the field as a junior and had an assist on the first goal of the game, which was scored by Katrina Heterbring '11.

NEXT UP:AIC finishes off the four-game home stretch with a non-conference matchup against national number 7 Adelphi on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.