Box Score Willimantic, Conn. – September 12, 2023 – The Springfield College field hockey team used a pair of quick scoring bursts to register five goals for the second-straight outing as it bested Eastern Connecticut State, 5-0, on Tuesday afternoon.
The Pride has now strung together three-consecutive victories to improve to 3-2, while the Warriors dipped to 1-2-1.
Each team took six corners on the afternoon, but it was the Pride that controlled much of the action as it took 25 of the game's 29 shots. After a scoreless first quarter, Springfield strung together a pair of markers just 1:20 apart to seize the momentum. Kaelin Cerasuolo (Hampden, Mass.) would net her first career goal in what would account for the game-winning strike at the 16:51 mark as she slotted home a centering pass from Audrey Dolan (Westminster, Mass.). Dolan then got into the scoring mix herself thanks to a tremendous individual effort as she dove towards the back post and poked in a centering drive by Samara Skully (East Rochester, N.Y.) at 18:11.
After taking a 2-0 advantage into halftime, Springfield erupted for three goals in a 10-minute stretch of the third to break the game open. Skully entered into the scoring column as she was able to backhand in a goal off a look from Kaitlin Bardellini (Northfield, N.H.) at 34:27 before Hailey Gaydos (Newington, Conn.) finished a terrific centering pass by Emma McLaughlin (Norwalk, Conn.), who was able to beat her defender to the endline at 43:22. The scoring concluded just over a minute later as Goydos connected again, this time redirecting a Bardellini bid in front of the cage.
Neilee Hess (Franklin, Mass.), who was recently tabbed the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Defensive Athlete the Week, earned the victory after making a save.
Springfield begins conference play on Saturday when it opens at Salve Regina in a 12 pm contest.
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