Box Score Box Score
Dudley, Mass.- The New England College field hockey team snapped Nichols seven game win streak with a 7-2 victory in TCCC action on Wednesday evening at Vendetti Field. The Bison held a 1-0 lead early before the Pilgrims scored midway in the half to tie things up at 1-1. In the second, NEC out-scored the Bison 6-1 with senior Amanda Lester (Columbia, Conn.) scoring five of the goals and assisting on the other. The Pilgrims are now 5-4 overall and 2-1 in TCCC play while Nichols falls to 7-2 overall and 2-1 in conference action.
Sophomore Emily Stearns (Mansfield, Mass.) opened up the scoring when she tapped in sophomore Maria Kauker's (Bellingham, Mass.) blast into the circle 9:47 into the game. It was Stearns fifth goal of the year. Lester then tied things up with her 13th goal of the season at the 18:46 mark. Junior Courtney Pitcher (Biddeford, Maine) earned the assist. The Pilgrims were awarded a total of six penalty corners in the first half but the Bison defense held strong as the two teams headed into the half in a 1-1 deadlock.
The second half proved to be a different story as the Pilgrims put six points on the board, including four in the final ten minutes of the game. Sophomore Courtney Edmands (Kennebunk, Maine) put NEC up for good with her second goal of the season eight minutes into the second stanza. Freshman Marisa Ayotte (Feeding Hills, Mass.) gave the Pilgrims some breathing room ten minutes later while Lester registered three straight goals over a four minute span late in the game to push NEC's lead to 6-1.
Sophomore Sara Bailey (Athol, Mass.) broke the momentum with her ninth goal of the season with 1:53 late but Lester was not finished as she capped off the game with her fifth goal with seven seconds left. She now has 17 goals on the year.
Nichols will look to rebound next Thursday when it will host Westfield State at 7 p.m.
