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Samantha Abro

Women's Soccer

Westfield State Downs Women's Soccer, 3-1

Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. – Westfield State senior Meg Gearin scored three unanswered goals to give the Owls women's soccer team a 3-1 victory over host Nichols College in non-conference action Tuesday afternoon. Westfield State improves to 2-1 on the season after handing the Bison their first loss on the year; Nichols evens to 1-1 overall.

Gearin paced the potent Westfield offense that combined for 16 shots on net, sending in a game-high five of her own, and scored on a highlight reel-worthy corner kick in to put the Owls up for good in the 58th minute.

Nichols took an early 1-0 lead as first-year Samantha Abro (Northborough, Mass.) scored her first career goal. Sophomore Chelsea Shaughnessy (Halifax, Mass.) served the ball ahead into the box for Abro, who shot it high. Westfield State goalkeeper Jessica Pieciak deflected the ball with an extended hand above her head and into the net in the 17th minute.

Gearin knotted the score in the 31st minute; after eluding several Nichols defenders, she fired on the ground past the left of Nichols keeper Meaghan Billings (Tewksbury, Mass.), as she dove to stop the ball.

Westfield carried the momentum into the second half where Gearin quickly placed her corner kick from the left past the entire crowd in front of the net into the upper right-hand side for a 2-0 lead in the 58th minute.

She added an unassisted tally in the 77th minute for a 3-1 lead, and the Owls defense held the Bison to just four shots – two on net – in the second half to hold on for the win.

Pieciak made five saves in the win, while Billings made 12 saves in the first 62 minutes. She was followed by Maureen Lynch (Holbrook, Mass.), who made one save while allowing the final goal in just over 25 minutes. Andrea D'Antuono (West Greenwich, R.I.) saw no shots in the final 3:43.

Nichols is back in action on Thursday when the Bison host UMass-Dartmouth in a 4 p.m. game. Westfield travels to the Skidmore College Tournament this weekend where the Owls take on host Skidmore Saturday at noon and then Russell Sage Sunday at 11 a.m.

Box Score

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