September 10, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carole Grills
(413) 585-2703
Field Hockey Posts Overtime Victory
Dudley, MA: In an evenly played contest with teams exchanging goals throughout the game, it was sophomore Natalie Wickles (Hatfield, MA) who tallied the game winner 6:20 into overtime to give the Pioneers the 5-4 victory over host Nichols College last night in Dudley, Massachusetts.
Nichols' Chelseas Correia (Seekonk, MA) scored the first goal of the game 1:37 into the game as she knocked in a rebound but Smith answered just over a minute later when first year Phoebe Hopkins (Philadelphia, PA) converted a hard shot to the cage. At the 6:44 mark, Nichols again took the lead as Eileen Clinton (Londonderry, NH) fed the ball to MaryKate Frodema (Springfield, MA) for the tally. The Bison maintained the 2-1 lead until late in the half when the Pioneers scored two goals in just over two minutes. Hopkins broke through Nichols defense and fired from 15 yards to even the score and then drew the goalkeeper off the line and quickly passed the ball to Rebecca Capute (Easton, MD) to give Smith the 3-2 lead. Less than a minute later, Clinton set up Frodema who knotted the score at 3-3.
The second half was a defensive battle as the game remained tied until less than two minutes remained in regulation. Nichols' Sara Bailey (Athol, MA) scored with 1:54 left but Smith was quick to retaliate when Capute found junior Lindsey Nguyen (Brockton, MA) to force overtime.
Junior Margaret Winter (Purchase, NY) played the entire game in the net for Smith and allowed 4 goals with 12 saves while MaryKate Bednarz (Springfield, MA) made five stops and allowed 5 goals.
The Pioneers will be in action again on Tuesday, Sept. 16 when they travel to valley rival Amherst College for a 7 pm contest.
1 2 OT F
Smith (2-1) 3 1 1 5
Nichols (0-1) 3 1 0 4
Scoring:
1. 1:37 NC - Chelsea Correia
2. 2:58 SC - Phoebe Hopkins
3. 6:44 NC - Marykate Frodema (Eileen Clinton)
4. 27:31 SC - Phoebe Hopkins
5. 29:49 SC - Rebecca Capute (Hopkins)
6. 30:52 NC - Frodema (Clinton)
7. 68:06 NC Sara Bailey
8. 68:47 SC- Lindsey Nguyen (Capute)
9. 76:20 SC -Natalie Wickles (Capute)
Shots: - Smith 14, Nichols-20
