BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott women's soccer team improved to 2-0-0 on the season Saturday by defeating Keene State 4-2. With the setback, Keene State falls to 1-1-0 on the year.
The Gulls fell behind early as Tori Laires (Ludlow, Mass.) took the feed off a corner from Katie Silegy (Keene, N.H.) and one-touched a shot inside the left post to give the Owls the 1-0 lead just 2:18 into the match.
Endicott would then go on to score four straight goals by four separate players to stake a lead that they would never surrender. Freshman Catherine Elkas (Holden, Mass.) put the Gulls on the board in the 33rd minute when she buried a low shot off a long cross into the right win. Assists on Elkas' first career tally went to senior co-captain Casey Mellen (Litchfield, N.H.) and junior Alyssa Silk (Charlton, Mass.). Mellen then scored just 22 seconds later herself as she put her shot in the top corner from 25 yards out, off two quick passes from sophomore Abigail Silverstein (Katonah, N.Y.) and freshman Claire Shields (Latham, N.Y.).
The Gulls would then tack on two more after halftime as Sharlotte Pernice (West Springfield, Mass.) and Larissa Cade (Middlefield, Conn.) continued their impressive starts to the season to give Endicott a 4-1 advantage before a penalty kick by Keene's Katie Silegy closed the gap to 4-2 in the 75th minute to finish the offensive output for the match.
BEYOND THE BOX
- The Gulls scored have now scored four goals in each of the first two matches of the season, the highest offensive output through two matches since the 2012 season in which the Gulls posted 10.
- Endicott has seen two players register multiple points in both wins on the season as Mellen and Silverstein recorded three and two points, respectively on Saturday.
- Through two contests, eight Gulls have recorded points, with Cade, Rachel Hanna (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Pernice all tied with four to lead the team.
- Keeper Caroline Armbruster (Stowe, Vt.) recorded four saves on six shots to notch her second win of the season.
- The Gulls improve to 3-8 all-time against the Owls and have now won three of the last five meetings. The four goals scored by Endicott ties a single match high in the series for either team, tying Keene's 4 goal outburst in a 4-2 win on September 18, 2000.
FOR THE FOES
- For Laires, her first half goal was the second of her career, as she last scored on October 5, 2015 in the team's 3-3 tie of Middlebury as a sophomore.
- Silegy's goal off the penalty shot in the 75th minute was the seventh goal of the junior's career. Her assist in the first half was her third career helped.
- Keeper Danielle Warhall (Spofford, N.H.) made seven saves in the setback, one more than she made in the season opening win over Salve Regina.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott has an off-day on Sunday before returning to action on Monday to take on NEWMAC foe Babson at noon in Babson Park, Mass. The Gulls are looking to improve to 5-4 all-time against the Beavers. Keene State returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to GNAC foe Lasell for a 4:00 p.m. start.
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