BEVERLY, Mass.- Behind a three goal offensive outburst, the Gulls downed the Leopards 3-1 on Saturday afternoon to remain undefeated in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play. The Gulls improved their overall record to 6-3-1 (2-0-0) as they extended winning streak to six. Wentworth dropped their first decision in their last three contests to fall to 2-5-2 (1-2-0) on the season.
Endicott was able to jump out to an early lead as LeeAnn Card (Paxton, Mass.) put home her second goal of the season. Card's goal came off of a beautiful corner kick from Ashley Mueskes (Georgetown, Mass.). Mueskes took the ball in the right corner and lifted a cross that went right over the Wentworth keeper's outstretched arms and to the head of Card. Card buried the header past a diving Miranda Stuckey (Lafayette, Ind.) to make the score 1-0 just seven minutes in to the match.
The two squads would battle for the next 20 plus minutes until Jenelle Wolff (Lynnfield, Mass.) would tie the match at 1-1. Wolff, who notched her first tally of the season, took the feed from Olivia Moore (Salem, Conn.) and beat Endicott keeper Katie Donnelly (Madison, Conn.) for the equalizer that would stand as the only score until there was just seven minutes left in the contest.
In the 83rd minute, Taylor Geas (Somers, Conn.) would score Endicott's second goal from a corner kick to make the score 2-1. On this piece, Ally George (Stratham, N.H.) would set up on the far corner and loft a gorgeous cross into the box that Geas was able to put a head to. Geas leapt over all defenders and the goalie on the play to knock home her second goal in as many contests to give the Gulls the one goal advantage.
Not wanting to give the visiting Leopards any hope of a comeback, Endicott would add another tally to extend the lead to two with just two minutes remaining. Freshman Mackenzie Gaudette (Concord, N.H.) was able to get through the Wentworth defense as she was set up on a fantastic through ball from senior captain Sarah Person (Holden, Mass.). Once through the defenders and with a charging keeper baring down on her quickly, Gaudette chipped the ball perfectly into the air that left Stuckey with no shot of recovering to make the score 3-1.
That score would hold true through the final whistle and sealed the sixth straight victory for the Gulls. Endicott keeper Katie Donnelly won her sixth straight also and has now allowed one goal or less in her last nine contests in net. While she made six saves to her counterparts four, the defensive back line for the Gulls put forth a phenomenal team effort that consistently frustrated Wentworth's forwards. Person, Allison Ferro (Shelton, Conn.) and Clare Mansfield (Stoneham, Mass.) were able to force the Leopards attack offsides multiple times and repeatedly shut down many forward attacks from the visitors. The Gulls would outshoot the Leopards 23 to 10 with each team notching seven on frame. Endicott also took eight corner kicks while not allowing Wentworth to take any.
Endicott now has a quick turnaround as they travel to Plymouth State for a 2 p.m. match tomorrow in Plymouth, N.H. Wentworth also has a relatively quick turnaround as they play host to Western Connecticut on Monday at 7 p.m.
