Endicott Downs Nichols 6-0 Behind Dominant Offensive Performance

BEVERLY, Mass. - The Endicott women's soccer team defeated Nichols 6-0 in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action on Columbus Day to improve to 7-3-1 (4-0-1 CCC) on the season. With the setback, Nichols fell to 4-7-1 (1-3-1 CCC) in 2017.

The Gulls received a dominant offensive performance that saw four different women score in the match, led by multi-goal efforts from Gabriella Prisco (West Haven, Conn.) and Rachel Hanna (Chelmsford, Mass.). Endicott got on the board first in the 14th minute when Mary Verneris (Hamden, Conn.) scored her seventh of the season and third of the holiday weekend. The junior took a feed from Brady Sezon (Easton, Conn.) and one-timed her shot past the Bison keeper.

Prisco would then double the Endicott lead at the 27:02 mark by scoring her first career goal while dawning the Endicott uniform. The freshman was able to maneuver around a pair of Nichols defenders on the right side of the field and cut towards the box where she was able to blast a shot to the upper left-hand corner to give Endicott the 2-0 lead. The Connecticut native would close out the scoring in the first half by posting her second tally of the contest in the 41st minute off the assist by Emilee Kemnitz (Southington, Conn.). Kemnitz lofted a pass over the defense, allowing Prisco to run on and make one move before again beating the keeper to the left side, this time, the lower left corner.

Hanna would open the second half by scoring just 1:20 into the half. The senior ran onto a long feed and was able to deke the Nichols keeper with a deft touch to avoid the sliding save attempt and put it in the back of the net to extend the Gulls' lead to 4-0. Hanna again added to Endicott's lead just 47 seconds later, putting back the rebound that was created off of a save of Larissa Cade's (Middlefield, Conn.) shot, giving Endicott the 5-0 lead.

Scoring would wrap up in the 73rd minute when Shannon Hickey (East Haddam, Conn.) scored her second career goal. Hickey flicked a high arcing shot towards cage that slipped just over the keeper's hands, closing out the scoring at 6-0.

BEYOND THE BOX

• Keepers Shelby Elwell (Litchfield, Conn.) and Caroline Armbruster (Stowe, Vt.) combined to shut-out the Bison as each keeper played 45 minutes in cage. Elwell's record improved to 6-1-1 with the win.
• Endicott out-shot Nichols 24-1 as the Gulls improved to 22-3-1 all-time against the Bison. The Gulls have won 18 straight in the series, which includes 13 shutouts. 

FOR THE FOES

• Keeper Brooke Downey (Middleboro, Mass.) made seven saves in the setback. 

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott remains home for a matchup against Tufts on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., while Nichols hosts Gordon on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.