*Freshman forward Emma van der Vorst scored the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in the 53rd minute.
*Sophomore midfielder Kayla Hamric tallied her second goal in as many games in the sixth minute.
*Graduate students Jewel Christian and Gabriela Rivera each had an assist.
 
Box score
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – Mason freshman forward Emma van der Vorst converted a penalty kick early in the second half, lifting the Patriots to a 2-1 victory over Dayton in Atlantic 10 play on Thursday at George Mason Stadium.
 
Mason (6-3-0, 1-0-0 A-10) took an early lead just over five minutes into the contest.
 
Sophomore midfielder Kayla Hamric took a pass inside the box and scored just inside the post with a blast into the lower left corner to put the Patriots in front 1-0.  Hamric has scored in back-to-back games.
 
Graduate students Jewel Christian and Gabriela Rivera each picked up an assist on the goal.
 
"Kayla was outstanding tonight, getting that early goal really settled us down," Mason head coach Todd Bramble said.  "I was really happy with how we started and maintained a lot of the momentum throughout the first half."
 
The Patriots, winners of five of their last six games, have scored the first goal in four straight matches.
 
Dayton (4-4-1, 0-1-0 A-10) netted the equalizer in the 38th minute when senior defender Nadia Pestell floated a shot from 25 yards out into the upper right corner to make it a 1-1 game.
 
The Patriots responded early in the second half to take a lead they wouldn't give up.
 
After the Flyers committed a foul in the penalty area, van der Vorst converted the penalty kick, scoring into the lower right corner of the net to give the Patriots a 2-1 advantage.  She has recorded the game-winning goal in two straight games.
 
"Emma's doing so much more for us than just scoring goals," Bramble said.  "She holds the ball well in the midfield, she connects a lot of passes for us and she works hard defensively.  She's a well-rounded player who's in good form right now."
 
The Patriots finished with a 14-8 advantage in shots, including 8-5 in shots on goal.  Mason had five corner kicks, while Dayton had one in the game.
 
Emma van der Vorst has scored in six straight games, the second longest goal-scoring streak in program history.  She led all players with six shots and four shots on goal against the Flyers.
 
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Morgan Symmers (6-2-0, 1-0-0 A-10) made two saves in each half to record the win.
 
"We really appreciate the students and the community that came out to support us tonight," Bramble added.  "Having the Green Machine here was fantastic and we appreciate Doc Nix organizing that.  It made for a great atmosphere tonight and I'm sure that our players fed off of that energy."
 
The Patriots are back in action Sunday when they travel to Richmond to face VCU at SportsBackers Stadium.  The kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.