Box Score Box Score
Wenham, Mass.- The #5 seeded Nichols College field hockey team defeated #1 seeded Gordon College 4-3 in overtime to advance to The Commonwealth Coast Conference Finals for the first time since 1995. Junior Lauren Pettoruto (Windham, N.H.) scored the game-winning goal with 1:11 left in the first overtime with the assist going to freshman Eileen Clinton (Londonderry, N.H.). The loss was the Fighting Scots first against TCCC opponents this season as they went 8-0 during the regular season. Ironically, Gordon beat the Bison 4-3 in overtime in their meeting on Oct.13 in Wenham. Nichols will face #2 seeded New England College this Saturday, Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. in TCCC Finals.
The Bison, now 15-5 on the year, nearly ended the game just 16 seconds into overtime as Pettoruto sent a shot shoulder high which Wilson stabbed at with her outstretched left arm and sent the ball just over the top of the cage to preserve the 3-3 score in OT. The Fighting Scots turned around just a minute later and earned a penalty corner; Scots freshman midfielder Ariadni Niavradaki (Hania, Greece) took two point-blank shots into the pads of Nichols keeper MaryKate Bednarz (Springfield, Mass.) but came up empty.
With 9:56 to play in the extra frame, Pettoruto had another great look at the goal on a 4-1 break-away for the Bison but Wilson was again there with a diving stop and got just enough of the ball to send it away and keep the Nichols celebration on hold. Back-to-back Fighting Scots corners came up empty with less than five minutes to play and the Bison again went on the attack. This time down the field, Clinton saw an open Pettoruto across the field but Wilson dove to intercept the pass.
With just 1:11 showing on the clock, the persistent Pettoruto gave the Bison the game-winner as she took a cross from Clinton and sent it just past the Scots defense and into the back of the cage for the 4-3 win.
The Fighting Scots burst out of the gate in the first period of play as GC junior forward Abby Walker (Portland, Maine) deflected a pass from freshman midfielder Veronica Pierce (West Hartford, Conn.) into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead after just 1:07 of play. With 28:12 to play in the opening stanza, the Bison tied up the score at 1-1 as sophomore Emily Stearns (Mansfield, Mass.) tapped in a pass from classmate Sara Bailey (Athol, Mass.).
Midway through the opening half, Bailey notched her 20th goal of the season to put the visitors up one, 2-1, as she deflected the ball into the cage on an assist from freshman MaryKate Frodema (Springfield, Mass.). With 8:47 to play in the half, GC knotted the game at two a side as Pierce hit sophomore midfielder Kristin Lewis (Barre, Vt.) with a pass which Lewis tipped past Bednarz to make it an even contest at the break.
After a scoreless opening 15 minutes of the second half, Nichols sophomore midfielder Beverly Burrill (Bridgewater, Mass.) fired the ball into the circle from 25 yards out; Wilson allowed the ball into the back of the net as it appeared untouched, but the ball was ruled touched by Bailey inside the circle and the Bison took a 3-2 lead. Just 17 seconds later, however, Pierce took the scoring into her own hands as she drove past several defenders and deflected the ball off the post and onto the backboard for the equalizer, 3-3 with 14:26 to play. Nichols earned two penalty corners down the stretch in the second period but could not score until Pettoruto's game-winner in OT.
Bednarz made 18 stops in the contest as the Scots crashed the net on several occasions in the first half while Wilson made nine saves in the first, four in the second, and four more in OT.
With her two goals and one assist today, Bailey has set a new school record for points in a season with 50. She is one goal away from tying the seasonal goals record, set by Amy Bernard in 1984. Clinton's assist on the game-winning goal and Frodema's assist on Bailey's first goal broke a Nichols record for assists in a season as they were both their 12th of the year.
Nichols last won the TCCC Championship in 1995, defeating Regis College 2-1 in the finals. Saturday's game will be the Bison's first appearance in the finals since that time.
