Box Score DUDLEY, Mass. – Five different players, including four first-year players, tallied goals as Nichols College handed Newbury a 6-0 defeat Monday afternoon. Forward David Johnson (Canterbury, Conn.) led the way with five first-half points on a pair of goals and an assist, while sophomore Michael Schell (South Windsor, Conn.) added two helpers. The six-goal shutout marks the largest shutout and margin of victory since a 7-0 win over Curry on September 28, 2002.
Johnson factored in the Bison's first three goals as Nichols took a 3-0 lead before the seven-minute mark. He chipped the ball ahead to first-year midfielder Daniel Smith (Verona, N.J.), who opened the scoring just 1:57 into the frame before scoring the next two goals.
Midfielder Mark Capitanio's (Mansfield, Mass.) pass careened off a defender and found Johnson's feet for the first tally at 2:37 before Johnson followed four minutes later by stripping a defender and shooting in a low roller for the three-goal advantage.
Schell set up the final two goals of the first half, first crossing the ball to junior midfielder Brian Ligawiec (Ware, Mass.) at the near post in the 44th minute, then blocking out a defender and passing across the box to first-year forward Joseph Neves (Norwood, Mass.) with 37 seconds left in the frame.
Stephen Dudley (Franklin, Mass.) closed out the scoring for the Bison in the 62nd minute with a corner kick that deflected off a Newbury defender and past Nighthawks goalkeeper William McNally.
McNally came up big late in the second half, tipping a ball just over the crossbar in the 75th minute with his left hand as he dove to the right, then following with a point-blank stop just a few minutes later.
The Nighthawks posted their best chances late in the game, notably when leading scorer John Mawson fired from 18 yards out on the left with 25 seconds left in the game, but his shot glanced off the right post.
McNally finished with 11 saves, while Nichols netminders Brendan Hamilton (North Attleboro, Mass.) and Joseph Rinaldi (Waterbury, Conn.) each made a save in 45 minutes played.
The Bison held a commanding 37-12 shot advantage, and a 7-3 lead in corner kicks.
Nichols (2-1) is back in action on Thursday when the Bison host Daniel Webster at 4 p.m. Newbury (0-2) hosts Fitchburg State Wednesday at 3:30 on the campus of Pine Manor College.
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