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Easton, Mass. - The Bentley University field hockey team won its second straight Northeast-10 Championship with a 2-1 victory over Stonehill College Sunday afternoon at W.B. Mason Stadium on the campus of Stonehill College. 

Freshman Nicole Dion (Lunenburg, Mass.) scored the eventual game-winning goal midway through the first half on a tip in from the far post for the Falcons.  Senior Nicole Murphy (Deham, Mass.) and sophomore Stephanie Sideris (Watertown, Mass.) assisted on the goal.

Bentley jumped out to the early lead when senior Allison St. Jean (Lebanon, Maine) knocked in her eighth goal of the season off a scramble in front of the net in the 11th minute.

The Falcons doubled their lead in the 20th minute when Dion scored her ninth goal of the season. 

In the second half Stonehill's offense piled on the shots as the Skyhawks outshot the Falcons 6-0 in the half.   In the 54th minute, junior Lindsay Pinkham (Skowhegan, Maine) received a pass from senior Stephanie Kott (Rutland, Mass.) and scored her fifth goal of the season to cut the Bentley lead in half, 2-1.

The Bentley defense kept the Stonehill offense in check as they kept the Skyhawks off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game to secure the 2-1 victory. 

Bentley senior goalkeeper Alyssa Sliney (Brewster, Mass.) made five saves in net and earned All-Championship honors.  Joining Sliney on the All-Championship team is Sideris and the championship's most outstanding player, Murphy. 

Stonehill senior Jackie Ladino (North Dartmouth, Mass.) and Kott were also named to the All-Championship team.

The remaining members of the All-Championship team include, Adelphi's Danielle DeMola, UMass Lowell's Liz Day and Molly Clay, Merrimack's Kerri Bergquist and Katie Zubkus and Southern Connecticut's Lauren Zarrella.

Bentley improves to 16-4 overall, while Stonehill is now 17-4.  Both teams will await word on possible NCAA tournament bids.

With 16 member institutions the Northeast-10 shares the distinction of being the largest Division II conference in the country along with the PSAC and WVIAC. Its 23 championship sports provide athletic opportunities for over 5,500 student-athletes, the largest such program of any Division II conference.

- NE-10 -

2009 Field Hockey All-Championship Team

Danielle DeMola - Adelphi
Nicole Murphy - Bentley
Stephanie Sideris - Bentley
Alyssa Sliney - Bentley
Molly Clay - UMass Lowell
Liz Day - UMass Lowell
Kerri Bergquist - Merrimack
Katie Zubkus - Merrimack
Lauren Zarrella - So. Connecticut
Stephanie Kott - Stonehill
Jackie Ladino - Stonehill
MVP: Nicole Murphy - Bentley