Beverly, MA--EC battled a tough Salem State team tonight in soccer action. The Gulls dominated play in the first half, but Salem took advantage of their opportunities and defeated the Gulls 2-1.
With a minute remaining in the first half, Salem State found the back of the net, giving them the 1-0 lead at halftime. In the 51st minute, Salem would add to their lead. However, the Gulls did not give up, and continued to put pressure on the Salem defense.
In the 65th minute, sophomore defender, Staci Wiencko served a perfect free kick into the box. Both teams scrambled for the loose ball, and Endicott's Jillian Zagura came up with the ball, narrowing the gap by one.
Stacey Lubas and Margreta Weber continued to dominate in the midfield winning balls out of the air and finding their teammates feet. Unable to score another goal, the Gulls fell to nationally ranked Salem State (\#24).
The Gulls put a challenging week behind them as they faced, two nationally ranked teams in Wheaton College (\#2) and Salem State along with regionally ranked foe Western Connecticut State. Coach Gentile continues to emphasize to her team that challenging the best non-conference opponents leads to tremendous game preparedness in CCC play. The outlook continues to be bright for the Gulls as they look to repeat as CCC Champions.
The Gulls begin Commonwealth Coast Conference play, this Wednesday against Curry College. EC hosts CC at 7PM.
