Field Hockey Blanks Bay Path

CHICOPEE, Mass. – The Elms College field hockey team defeated host Bay Path University, 1-0, in a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) game at Leary Field Wednesday night. The Blazers move to 1-11 overall, and 1-2 in conference play, while Bay Path sits at 3-6 on the season, and 1-1 in the NECC. 

The Blazers controlled the pace early, forcing three corners and pumping in three shots in the opening five minutes of play. After 15 minutes of back-and-forth play, Elms broke through in the 20^th minute of play as freshman Jillian Lapponese (Enfield, Conn.) tipped a pass from freshman Marissa Mizzone (Orange, Conn.) off the inside of the far post, netting her first career collegiate goal and giving the Blazers a 1-0 advantage. The Blazers had a chance to increase their lead in the final minute, but a shot from junior Julia Skoczylas (Ludlow, Mass.) rang off the goal post, send the teams into the intermission with Elms leading 1-0.

Elms maintained their strong play through the second half, holding the Wildcats shotless during the period, en route to the 1-0 victory.

"The team did a great job tonight," said Elms Head Coach Jennifer Ouellette. "I'm very proud of them. It was a beautiful game to watch. They utilized the skills that we went over in practice, and they perfected them, and it looked great on the field. There were great give-and-go's tonight, great transfer balls,lots of shots on net, and our corners looked great. Obviously, we would've liked to come away with more goals, but we'll take the win. We've beat Becker once this season, and we'll look to repeat that performance. We know what we have to do to beat them, and what we have to work on to be ready."

The Blazers outshot the Wildcats, 20-4, during the contest. Elms senior goalkeeper Samantha Alvino (Holtsville, N.Y.) made three saves, while Bay Path senior goalie Anna Meyer (Millbrook, N.Y.) stopped a game-high 13 shots.

The Blazers will host Becker College in NECC action Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The game will be the Blazers annual PINK OUT! game. The Wildcats travel to Daniel Webster Saturday afternoon for a 1:00 p.m. tilt.