Dayton, Ohio – The George Mason Patriots (4-10-3, 3-5-1) dropped their last regular season away game to the Dayton Flyers (12-3-2, 9-0-0) on Thursday night at Baujan Field.

Mason continues to trail in the all-time series against Dayton, holding a 2-10-0 record. The Patriots remain winless on the road against the Flyers.

Facing the challenge of undefeated conference leaders Dayton, George Mason made strategic adjustments to their starting lineup and formation - transitioning from a three-man backline to a more stable four-man defense, while also increasing attacking pressure by shifting from two forwards to a front three. Senior Tessa Niedzwiedzki made her season debut in the starting lineup. Fellow senior Rachel Eberly, fresh off her equalizing goal against Davidson last week, earned her second start this year. Freshman Adriana Bonanno, usually positioned in midfield, was advanced into a center forward role.

Despite the tactical shift, Mason remained busy on the defensive end as Dayton pressed forward with intensity. The Patriots responded to the Flyers's attacking pressure with disciplined and organized defending. Committing numbers behind the ball, Mason maintained a compact shape and demonstrated strong positional awareness, consistently disrupting passing lanes and limiting the Flyers' ability to create clean chances. Anchoring the defense, junior goalkeeper Libby Davy provided a composed and confident presence, making timely reads and interventions to keep the match level heading into halftime.

Mason's most threatening offensive chances came later in the first half. In the 33rd minute, following a free kick delivered deep from Mason's own half, the ball eventually found redshirt sophomore Mia Arevalo-Delcid, who unleashed a strike from distance that sailed over the crossbar. Four minutes later, in the 37th minute, junior Ariana Bliven played a well-timed through pass to Adriana Bonanno, who slipped behind her defender and drove toward the penalty area. Before she could get a shot off, a Dayton defender executed a sliding tackle to dispossess her and end the attack.

Dayton opened the second half with urgency, generating multiple offensive chances before scoring twice in a two-minute span. The remainder of the match became a back-and-forth contest, with both teams exchanging attacking opportunities. While the Patriots began to build rhythm in possession, their shot attempts remained limited due to Dayton's defensive performance.

In the 67th minute, the Patriots broke through. Mia Arevalo-Delcid, a driving force in Mason's attack throughout the match, created a key turnover near midfield to spark a counterattack. Her decisive play led to an assist on Molly Starner's fourth goal of the season, which cut Dayton's lead in half and marked just the second goal the Flyers have conceded in Atlantic 10 competition.


HOW THEY SCORED 
 
Dayton
51' | Sophomore forward Laney Smith initiated the sequence with a throw-in to senior forward Karli Ferguson on the right side of Dayton's attacking third. Smith regained possession and clipped a pass to the top of the box, where senior midfielder Molly Russell settled the ball with her body before placing a low shot into the left corner of the net.

53' | Senior defender Kara Karfonta served a corner kick to the top of the six-yard box, where senior Ella Raimondi met it with a forceful header directed into the left side of the goal.

George Mason 
67' | Mia Arevalo-Delcid dispossessed a Dayton player near the halfway line and drove into the attacking third. She then played a pass to Molly Starner at the top of the box, where Starner struck a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the net.


INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Dayton outshot George Mason 18-2, including a 8-1 advantage in shots on goal. The Flyers earned five corner kicks, while the Patriots ended the 90 minutes with zero. Libby Davy made six saves.

Following Thursday night's defeat, George Mason remains in 10th place in the Atlantic 10 standings. Dayton continues their unbeaten streak in conference play and has clinched their first Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship since 2013.


NEXT FOR MASON    

George Mason returns home for their final regular season match to face Saint Joseph's this Sunday, October 26. Kickoff is set for 1:30 PM. The game will be available to be streamed on ESPN+.