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Upset-minded Gulls come up short against Nichols

Upset-minded Gulls come up short against Nichols
Boxscore

Beverly, Mass. – Chelsea Correia (Seekonk, Mass.) netted the game winning goal just over six minutes into overtime to push Nichols past Endicott in an evenly played The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) field hockey matchup Tuesday afternoon. Nichols improves to 10-3 overall and remains perfect (6-0) in the conference. Endicott stalls at 8-6 overall and 3-3 in TCCC play.

Both teams tallied first half goals before turning up the defense in the second half. The extra period provided a handful of opportunities for either team to grab the win. In the end it was Correia’s goal, her second of the day, that made the difference.

Endicott came out and made an immediate push toward the Nichols goal. Bison keeper Krista-Jean Forand (Plymouth, Mass.) was tested early and forced to make a save on a shot by \#Taylor Matties\# (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) when the game was less than two minutes old.

The Gulls struck first at 21:00 after obtaining a penalty corner. \#Lindsey Mills\# (Arlington, Mass.) played the corner to the top of the circle. The Gulls sent the ball back to Mills at the near post, who drove a pass across the circle to a wide open \#Alexandra Parese\# (Wilton, Conn.). The junior forward connected from close range to put the hosts on top 1-0. 

The Bison would answer less than four minutes later after earning a penalty corner of their own. Correia sent the corner towards Emily Widdison (Greenfield, Mass.) at the top of the circle. Widdison played a sharp pass directly back to Correia, who tucked the ball into the back of net. 

The two teams entered the break knotted at one goal apiece.

In the second half, Nichols’ was forced to make a change at goalkeeper following a yellow card. Emily Cornacchio (Salem, Mass.) entered the game less than a minute into the second stanza, but was rarely tested in her eight-plus minutes on the field. 

The Endicott offense ripped off 15 shots in the second frame but only put three on goal. Forand was forced to make just three saves in the period thanks, in part, to a defense that blocked 11 shots. 

Defensively, the Gulls limited the conference’s top offense to just three shots in the second half and 10 for the game.

With neither team able to find the back of the net through 70 minutes, both sides were cut down to seven players for overtime.

The Gulls quickly gained possession and earned three consecutive penalty corners. Parese’s attempt at 72:48 was deflected off the line by Nichols’ Samantha Lacerra (Watertown, Mass.). 

Endicott had six shots in the extra frame but came up empty. Forand recorded three saves during that time.

Nichols weathered the storm early and countered in the closing minutes. Eileen Clinton (Londonderry, N.H.) and MaryKate Frodema (Springfield, Mass.) were both denied by Endicott keeper Taylor Teixeira (Exeter, N.H.), the latter coming on a diving save that rejected a sure goal.

At 76:12, Clinton found Correia from across the circle and the junior forward capitalized as the defense shifted.   

Teixeira went the distance and finished with six saves to keep the Bison below their season average of 3.50 goals per game.

Ferand turned back the Gulls ten times in 67:31 minutes of action. 

Endicott had a drastic advantage in shots (31-10) and penalty corners (20-11) but was stymied by a tough Nichols defense that deflected a number of shots. 

The Gulls return to the field on Saturday, October 16 when they travel to Regis for a 10:00 am start. Nichols hosts Fitchburg State on Thursday at 7:00 pm for a non-conference matchup.
Field hockey falls to NEC
October 23, 2010 Field hockey falls to NEC