Box Score DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College women's soccer team handed Bay Path College a 2-0 defeat in the Bison's home opener under the lights at Vendetti Field Tuesday evening. First-year midfielder Kaitlyn DiBuono (Auburn, Mass.) picked up the game-winner in the 12th minute on her first career score, and classmate Chelsea Shaughnessy (Halifax, Mass.) added her first collegiate goal in the 88th minute to lead the Bison (2-2, 0-1 TCCC), who outshot the visiting Wildcats, 41-3, in the game.
Nichols tested Bay Path netmider Samantha Gunseth right away, and forced the Wildcats' defense to kick the ball out of bounds, setting up the Bison's first score. A throw-in from around eight yards out deflected off a defender before landing at DiBuono's feet right in front of the net. The midfielder sent the shot past Gunseth into the right corner of the net at 11:53 for a 1-0 lead.
Sophomore Nicole Johnson (Westhampton, Mass.) set up Shaughnessy for the 2-0 lead with just over two minutes left by sending a low cross into the box from the left side that the first-year midfielder tipped into the right side of the net.
Nichols had plenty of opportunities throughout the game, including a header from Shaughnessy off a free kick by senior Kaila Gray (Pembroke, N.H.) in the 21st minute that Gunseth tipped wide.
Bay Path's best chance of the game came in the 73rd minute when senior back Victoria Malanowski blasted a free kick from 20 yards out that careened off the crossbar.
Nichols goaltender Sarah Levesque (Ludlow, Mass.) made one save to earn the shutout victory, while Gunseth stopped 16 (nine in the first, seven in the second) in the loss.
Nichols is back in action at the University of New England in a noon TCCC game Saturday. Bay Path is at Elms Saturday at 7 p.m.
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