AIC kicks Stonehill to set up second round NCAA tilt with U.B. Sunday

Bridgeport -The number five seed American International College Yellow Jackets used a dominating second half performance to post a 3-1 win over the fourth-seeded Stonehill College Shyhawks in an NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament match played at the University of Bridgeport on Friday afternoon. AIC moves on to the NCAA Division Championship Second Round where they will face number one seed in the East Region, the University of Bridgeport on the Purple Knights’ home field at 12 noon on Sunday. With the win, the Yellow Jackets are now 12-7-1 overall. Stonehill, making its first-ever NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament appearance, closes out 2016 with a 15-6-1 overall record.

AIC got on the scoreboard first on Friday when sophomore Johanna Nilsson netted her fourth goal of the year on a penalty kick after a handball in the box at the 17:35 mark.

Stonehill tied things up at 1-1 with just under 15 minutes to play in the first half when senior Claire O’Brien calmly found the back of the net for the second time in 2016 off a free kick from just outside the top of the middle of the 18-yard box.

The match would stayed tied at 1-1 until the 63:30 mark when senior Stephanie Tweer put the Yellow Jackets up 2-1 with a long shot to the upper corner of the net from a feed by Johanna Nilsson. Friday’s goal is Tweer’s third of the season

Senior Jessica Margaretta added an insurance goal for AIC just under seven minutes later when she ripped a shot just under the crossbar for her second tally of the year.

Senior goalkeeper Jamie Block made seven saves for Stonehill, and AIC’s Madison Brown made one save to earn the win and had some help when two Skyhawks’ shots were cleared off the goal line by her teammates.