Field Hockey Pulls Past Wheelock, 4-2
FIELD HOCKEY PULLS PAST WHEELOCK, 4-2
Box score CHICOPEE, MA, Oct. 3, 2008 - Elms College senior defender Ellen Silva (Palmer, MA) netted a pair of goals and the Blazers scored three times in the second half to pull away to a 4-2 win over Wheelock in Friday night's New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) field hockey game at Leary Field.
The Blazers snapped a seven-game losing streak and improved to 2-7, 1-2 NECC. Wheelock lost its third straight and fell to 1-8, 1-1 NECC.
Silva opened the scoring for the Blazers in the 16th minute after rifling a shot from a near impossible angle past Wheelock sophomore goalkeeper Meredith Race (Marion, PA).
Silva added her second goal of the game - and third this season - just 36 seconds into the second half to extend Elms College's lead to 2-0.
Wheelock junior forward Kelsey McAuliffe (Groveland, MA) cut the Wildcats' deficit in half in the 44th minute when she blasted a shot from point-blank range just inside the penalty spot past Elms College senior goalkeeper Katelyn Wasgatt (Worcester, MA).
Sophomore midfielder Denise Perks (Blackstone, MA) reclaimed the Blazers' two-goal advantage with her team-leading fourth goal of the year in the 57th minute after collecting a centering pass from senior forward Sarah Lapolice (West Springfield, MA) and hammering a shot just inside the far post.
The Wildcats, however, would not go away, as McAuliffe netted her second goal of the game in the 65th minute after one-timing a shot past Wasgatt off sophomore midfielder Julie Kilcoyne's (Sterling, MA) long free hit.
Junior forward Danielle Boyer (South Hadley, MA) provided the Blazers an insurance tally with 1:59 remaining for the 4-2 final.
Wasgatt finished with 11 saves, including sensational stops in the 33rd and 46th minutes, while Race turned away three shots in the losing effort.
Elms College returns to NECC action when it hosts Bay Path on Saturday, October 4. Game time at Leary Field is 1:00 p.m.