PORTLAND, Maine – Wellesley College (1-0), ranked ninth nationally in the 2016 Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III Preseason Poll, defeated Saint Joseph's College (0-1), 4-0, in a non-conference field hockey contest – and season-opener for both programs - at Fitzpatrick Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
THE LEAD
After a scoreless first half during which neither team put forth a true scoring opportunity, Wellesley came out firing after the break, netting four goals – including three off penalty corners – off 13 shots over the closing 35 minutes to claim the shutout victory.
THE KEEPERS
Saint Joseph's sophomore Megan Baker (Gorham, Maine) faced seven shots with three saves while Wellesley senior Lucy Hurlock (Needham, Mass.) recorded three stops in a shutout performance.
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Sophomore forward Kara Kelly (York, Maine) registered a pair of shots, both on goal, in the loss
LEADERS – WELLESLEY:
- Senior midfielder Courtney Peterson (Glastonbury, Conn.) scored twice on three shots, a team-high
- Freshman defender Mitzi Wiggin (North Hampton, N.H.) opened the game scoring with her first collegiate goal in the 43rd minute
- Senior midfielder Nikki Sharkin (Summit, N.J.) capped the afternoon's ledger with an unassisted tally at the 67:46 mark
- Sophomore midfielder Cecie Negron (Midlothian, Va.) was credited with an assist on the Wiggin strike
TEAM STATS
Wellesley held considerable advantages in shots (14-4), shots on goal (7-3), and penalty corners (12-3) on the afternoon.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
With the loss, Saint Joseph's falls to 0-2 all-time versus Wellesley College, a program that has advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons. The Monks and Blue first met last fall, when Wellesley hosted Saint Joseph's and won by a 3-1 margin (9/29/15).
St. Joe's is now 10-11-1 all-time in season-opening play and suffers an inaugural loss for just the second time in the last 10 years, as the Monks also fell to Husson University (3-2) last fall, a setback that snapped a streak of eight consecutive opening day victories.
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's is off until next Saturday when the Monks open Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play in an 11:00 AM game at Anna Maria College.
Wellesley returns to action tomorrow with a 12:00 PM contest at Husson University.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
