Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. - Senior Emily Widdison (Greenfield, Mass.) scored her 23rd goal of the season on Senior Day for the Nichols College field hockey team, which dropped a 4-3 decision to Endicott College in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Saturday morning at Vendetti Field.

Sophomore Molly Melanson (Simsbury, Conn.) made 14 saves in goal for the Bison (12-7, 7-3 CCC), who saw their five-game winning streak snapped. Nichols will face University of New England in the CCC Semifinals on Wednesday in Biddeford, Maine.

The Gulls (13-4, 9-1 CCC) fell behind 2-0 in the first half as Nichols received goals from junior Amanda Broughton (Plymouth, Mass.) at 2:44 and Widdison at 21:52. Broughton opened the scoring 2:44 into the contest when she knocked in a rebound off a shot from sophomore Kaylee McNamara (Watertown, Mass.). Widdison doubled the Bison lead later in the half with a low hard shot from just inside the circle.

Less than three minutes later, Endicott cut the deficit to 2-1 as senior Hannah Thornberg (Oakland, Maine) converted a goal line pass from sophomore Emily Sawchuck (Cumberland, Maine) into her 21st goal of the season. The Gulls knotted the score at two on a penalty stroke goal by senior Cassie DeSimone (Reading, Mass.), whose shot went high into the right corner of the net.

Sawchuck gave her team the lead just before the half as she chipped a rebound past Melanson at 33:26. Nichols held a 14-8 edge in shots through the first 35 minutes. In the second half, the Gulls padded their lead when sophomore Kathryn Walker (Middlebury, Conn.) scored off her own rebound at the left post with 9:12 remaining in the half.

Nichols received two corners as time expired in regulation. On the second attempt, Widdison fired a shot from the top of the circle that was blocked, and the rebound came to sophomore Avery Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.), who quickly fed McNamara for her fifth goal of the season.

“We played OK today. We didn't play our best, and that's what we needed to do,” said Nichols head coach Kristan Mallet. “We had some defensive lapses which hurt us, and we need to sharpen that up going into the tournament.”

Senior Taylor Teixeira (Exeter, N.H.) recorded 11 saves to earn her 13th win of the season for Endicott, which outshot the Bison 20-7 in the second half to bring the total shots to 28-21 in favor of the visitors.

The Gulls have earned the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and will host Gordon College in the other semifinal.