BEVERLY, Mass. – In a back and forth overtime affair on Wednesday afternoon at Endicott Stadium, the Salem State Vikings field hockey team had the final touch of the ball, and it was enough to propel them past Endicott 3-2, snapping the Gull's winning streak at four games.
Viking senior Erin Wilson (Reading, Mass.) converted a penalty stroke with just 49 seconds remaining in the first overtime period for her first goal of the game, lifting the Vikings over their local rivals and dropping Endicott to 4-2 on the year. The stroke was set up when sophomore Nicole Bisbee (Tempton, Mass.) was brought down on a breakaway chance by Endicott keeper Taylor Teixeira (Exeter, N.H.).
Salem State improves to 5-1 with the victory, which they battled for by twice evening the score after the Gulls took a one-goal lead. Junior Lauren Pazdziorny (Middleton, Mass.) scored twice for the Vikings, her second and third goals of the season, while Endicott senior Hannah Thornberg (Oakland, Maine) added to her team-high tally with her seventh goal of the year.
Endicott constantly put pressure on Salem State and junior goalkeeper Michaela Boyer (South Hadley, Mass.), who was forced into fourteen saves on the day, as Endicott put sixteen of their twenty-three shots on target.
The Gulls also had a 17-6 advantage in corner chances, particularly towards the end of the first half (7-2), a half in which they outshot the Vikings 12-1.
Despite their offensive attack, it looked as though the teams would carry a scoreless deadlock into the halftime break, but Thornberg got Endicott on the board with her seventh goal of the season just 30 seconds before the break. Thornberg collected the rebound of a shot by classmate Melissa Enright (York Beach, Maine) and scored from a tough angle at the left side goal line.
Pazdziorny evened the game at a goal apiece ten minutes into the second half when she converted an opportunity off an interception inside the circle.
Endicott continued to threaten with penalty corners and converted when senior Taylor Matties (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) pounced on a rebound and fired her third goal of the year past Burke in the 51st minute. The Vikings, however, wasted no time in answering, using a corner of their own less than two minutes later to set up the tying strike, off the stick of Pazdziorny, with the assist coming from sophomore freshman Paige McNickol (Marlboro, Mass.).
Teixeira made two saves in defeat for Endicott, while sophomore forward Emily Sawchuck (Cumberland, Maine) led the offensive attack for Endicott with five shots.
Endicott will return to Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Salve Regina for a 5:30 pm game against the Seahawks.
The Vikings also get back to action in their conference as they will travel to Worcester State Saturday for a 10:00 AM MASCAC matchup.
