April 4, 2009
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Freshman goalie Leah Neff (South Berwick, Maine) tallied six key saves in the last 17 minutes of play as visiting Endicott College held on to beat the Western New England College women's lacrosse team 16-15 on Saturday. The Gulls improve to 7-2 overall and are a perfect 4-0 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference. Western New England College drops below the .500 mark at 4-5 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Senior midfielder Rebecca Bushnell (Guildford, Conn.), junior attacker Valerie Feldman (Albany, N.Y.), and sophomore midfielder Kellie Cunningham (Derry, N.H.) scored four goals apiece for the Gulls.
The Gulls grabbed a quick 3-0 advantage and led 9-3 with 2:06 left in the opening frame before Western New England College senior tri-captain Lindsey Fenton (Pelham, Mass.) put in two goals (five goals, two assists) to make it 9-5 at halftime.
At the start of the second half, the Golden Bears scored three times in a three minute span to make it 9-8.
The game was deadlocked three times before Feldman gave Endicott the lead for good at 11:59 to put them up 13-12.
WNEC threatened until the end however. With 2.5 seconds remaining in the contest, sophomore attacker Jeanmarie Barbato (Huntington Station, N.Y.) had a chance to tie the game on a free-position shot, but missed as time expired. She finished with three goals and an assist while midfielder Katie Toomy (Northborough, Mass.) also had three goals.
Sophomore goalie Marissa Bonitatibus (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) finished with 14 saves for the Golden Bears in the defeat. Senior goalie Molly Hamel (North Yarmouth, Maine) registered four for Endicott while Neff closed out the game in net for the Gulls.
Endicott wraps up its three game road trip when it travels to Biddeford, Maine on Wednesday for a TCCC matchup against the University of New England at 4:00 p.m. Western New England continues its six-game homestand when it hosts New England College on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
