SPARKILL, New York The American International College field hockey team won a critical Northeast-10 Conference matchup at Saint Thomas Aquinas College, taking a 2-1 victory on Wednesday, October 23.

FAST FACTS:
SCORE: AIC 2, Saint Thomas Aquinas 1
RECORDS:The Yellow Jackets improve to 9-6 on the year with a 5-6 NE10 mark; the Spartans fall to 7-8 overall and 5-6 in the NE10.
LOCATION:Spartan Field, Sparkill, New York

STATS:
STAC:
Lauren Cooper: One goal
Meghan McCarron: One defensive save
Suzanne Clark: Loss (6-8), 10 saves on 13 shots in 52:05
Jessie Hohenstein: No decision, two saves on two shots in 7:55

AIC:
Jenny Holmquist: Two goals
Georgia Barnes: One assist
Katelynn Leclerc: One defensive save
Nikki Bates: Win (3-3), six saves

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Yellow Jackets came out with fire and generated a pair of quality chances in the fourth minute of play with a bid by senior Jenny Holmquist turned back by Suzanne Clarke and a chance from senior Chelsea Davis pulled off the goal like by Meghan McCarren.
• The Spartans scored the game's first goal, a shot from the right side of the circle by Lauren Cooper at 9:50.
• AIC kept pounding away, managing three more shots before the quarter expired, but trailed 1-0 through one.
• In the second, the trend continued, with sophomore Sophie Schulpen and Holmquist firing shots in rapid succession, but Clarke stopped them.
• The Yellow Jackets finally broke through in the late stages of the frame; the team earned a series of corners and Holmquist batted a rebound into the net with no time on the clock to tie the game 1-1 at halftime.
• The action was more measured in the third; AIC had two shots on goal and the Spartans had none.
• In the fourth, the Yellow Jackets jumped on an opportunity, as a shot by senior Georgia Barnes was deflected into the net by Holmquist at 46:49.
• The Spartans played with desperation, generating a series of chances over the following 10 minutes; freshman Nikki Bates made three saves in the final frame alone, and the rebound of one chance was snared along the goal line by senior Katelynn Leclerc in the final four minutes.
• The Yellow Jackets held the Spartans from there to earn the victory.

NEXT UP:

• The Yellow Jackets host Adelphi University on Saturday, October 26 at 3:45 p.m.
• The game will serve as the team's senior day, where the program will honor Holmquist, Leclerc, Davis, and Barnes.

STAY CONNECTED:

• For more updates about the AIC field hockey team, follow @FieldHockeyAIC on Twitter and@AICfhonInstagram. For updates on all AIC Yellow Jackets teams, follow@AICAthleticsonTwitterandInstagram, and likeAIC Yellow Jackets on Facebook.