DUDLEY, Mass. – Senior
Brianna Kilborn (North Brookfield, Mass.) scored the game-winner goal as time expired to lift the Nichols College field hockey team to a 2-1 win over Roger Williams University in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Tuesday night at Vendetti Field.
The Bison – who snapped a 35-game conference losing skid with the win – were granted their eighth corner of the night with time winding down and the score tied at one in the second half. Sophomore
Erin Kelley (Dighton, Mass.) inserted the ball into the circle, then took off towards the cage to join the play. The ball eventually found its way back to Kelly, who sent the ball towards the right post, where Kilborn knocked it past RWU junior goalie Mya Lunn (Marion, Mass.).
Kilborn is the only remaining student-athlete of the team from the program's last CCC a win, a 5-4 overtime triumph in Bristol, R.I. against the Hawks on October 15, 2014. Current head coach
Jenn Townsend, along with assistant coach Victoria Utter, were student-athletes on that squad.
Nichols was outshot 12-7 on the evening – including 8-4 in the first half – but played its way to a scoreless tie after 35 minutes. Freshman
Carlee Tolley (Chatham, Mass.) opened the scoring at 21:36 when she redirected a shot from junior
Erin Jillson (New Salem, Mass.). Sophomore Sydney McCarthy (Little Falls, N.Y.) knotted the score at one when she banged in her own rebound less than nine minutes later.
Sophomore
Brooke Marion (Guilford, Mass.) made seven saves for the Bison to earn her fifth win of the season.
All-Time Series
Tonight's contest marked the 10th all-time meeting between Nichols College and Roger Williams University. Tonight's win snaps a five-game losing skid to the Hawks, who lead the series 6-4.
Quote
"This is what we've been working for, to play 100 percent of the game and not just the second half. It seems like that's the only half we play when we face a conference opponent. This was one of our goals going into the season, to snap this conference losing streak. Now we can move onto our next conference game against Gordon. We want to carry the intensity we had tonight into Friday's game against a team we played close with earlier this season. We need to come out and play a full 70 minutes." -Townsend, on tonight's win and Friday's game
Next up
Nichols (5-8, 1-7 CCC) – Friday, October 13 vs Gordon, 6:00 p.m.
Roger Williams (4-8, 2-6 CCC) – Tuesday, October 17 @ Salve Regina, 6:00 p.m.
