Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Junior Amanda Broughton (Plymouth, Mass.) and sophomore Avery Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.) each scored for Nichols College, which dropped a 5-2 decision at MIT in non-conference field hockey action Wednesday night at Jack Barry Field.
 
Seven MIT student-athletes recorded at least one point for the Engineers (6-2) , led by senior Kimberly Barker (Camden, N.Y.) and junior Molly Duffy (New Providence, N.J.) with three points each.
 
MIT opened the scoring on a breakaway 3:50 into the contest when Barker sent a cross through the arc which Duffy turned into a high shot on the near side. Nichols earned four penalty corners over the next seven minutes, which resulted in four shots but no goals. The Engineers responded with five corners of their own, but only three produced shots - two of which were turned away by sophomore Molly Melanson (Simsbury, Conn.).
 
The game became a back-and-forth affair until the 32nd minute when the Cardinal and Gray peppered Melanson with five shots. Eventually, Barker converted a feed from sophomore Molly McShane (Lake Bluff, Ill.) for a goal to send the Engineers to the locker room with a 2-0 lead.
 
MIT pushed its lead to 3-0 just 2:25 into the second half. Duffy sent the ball to junior Maddy Wharton (Swarthmore, Pa.) at the top of the arc on a penalty corner, and Wharton fired a shot inside the far post. Nichols got on the board in the 46th minute to cut its deficit to 3-1. Following a penalty corner taken by sophomore Jenn Townsend (Wethersfield, Conn.), Broughton managed to unleash a shot during a scramble in front of the net that beat sophomore netminder Jenna Klein (Parma, Ohio).
 
MIT responded by capitalizing on a Nichols turnover in the 59th minute. With a 4-on-2 fast break, McShane drew the defense to the near side before passing the ball to freshman Isabella DiDio (Jenkintown, Pa.), who tipped it into the far post. The Bison continued to attack and narrowed the gap to 4-2 with 5:49 left to play when Orszulak tipped in the rebound off of a shot by Townsend.
 
Following a Nichols timeout, the Engineers regained their three-goal at 5-2. In a two-on-two situation, Barker held on to the ball long enough to slip it behind the defense to freshman Molly McNamara (Auburn, Mass.), who converted the open net tally.
 
The Engineers held a 15-12 edge in penalty corners while outshooting the Bison 22-12. Klein finished the night with eight saves for MIT while Melanson made 14 stops. Broughton was also credited with a defensive save.
 
The Bison return to action on Friday with a 5 p.m. contest against Western New England on Vendetti Field. MIT hosts Clark (Mass.) University Saturday.

Courtesy MIT Athletics