Nov. 13, 2003

Beverly, MA - The seventh ranked Gulls were eliminated by second-seeded Springfield College last night in the first round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Field Hockey Tournament away at Benendum Field. The Pride (15-9) took a 1-0 lead 2:24 minutes into the first half, with their second coming at 14:11 to give them a 2-0 edge at half-time.

Senior goalkeeper Kelly McNamara (Reading, MA) fended off 19 shots by second ranked Springfield College in the first round of the ECAC tournament in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Gulls entered the tournament ranked seventh.

The Gulls dominated at midfield maintaining possession for most of the match. The Gulls were unable to find the back of the cage in 11 shots on goal.

EC defenders Lisa Cote (Jr/Manchester, NH), Ali Beaulieu (Jr/Augusta, ME), Melissa Durrant (Jr/Pembroke, Bermuda), and Erica Plasse (Jr/Old Orchard Beach, ME) played outstanding keeping the ball out of the circle much of the game. Sophomore Ashley Wallace (Hudson, NY) put the pressure on Springfield defending against 9 penalty corners.

Springfield managed just one goal in the second half, making the final score 3-0.

The Gulls finish their season with an overall record of 13-9. During the season, the Gulls were in first place in the CCC for more than 5 weeks. They were regular season conference champions and went on to post-season play for the second year in a row. Congratulations to the Gulls, and thank you to all the fans who supported the team all season!