Endicott Defeats Wellesley in Tough Non-Conference Matchup

WELLESLEY, Mass.-  Endicott was able to knock off Wellesley 3-1 on Wednesday evening behind a strong offensive performance that was led by two freshmen in Jessica Joseph (Bedford, N.H.) and Shelby McLenithan (Bennington, Vt.).  It was the first goal of each player's career and helped elevate Endicott to a 3-3-1 record on the season after winning their third straight match.

Endicott owned a 1-0 lead just over 14 minutes into the contest as Clare Mansfield (Stoneham, Mass.) served a free kick into the box that was redirected into the Wellesley goal for an own goal.  Outside of that action, both teams would play pretty evenly as Endicott outshot Wellesley just 3-2 in the opening period.  

The second half would be much different as the Blue of Wellesley were able to tie up the match when Chloe Breider sent a long cross over the Endicott defense that found Kyla Petrie.  Petrie was able to bury the chance past Endicott keeper Katie Donnelly (Madison, Conn.) for her second goal of the season.

With the score even at one, Endicott's offensive went on to dominate the remainder of the second half as they out-shot the Blue 15-4 in the second period, forcing Wellesley keeper Claire Cerda to make nine saves in the loss.  The Gulls got their first tally of the evening when Jessica Joseph broke free from the defense, carried the ball up and snapped a shot on goal to record the first collegiate points of her career.  Joseph's goal came in the 68th minute and put the Gulls up for good, making her first career goal a game winner.  

Fellow first year player would also record her first collegiate points as she would insure an Endicott victory by putting home her goal in the 84th minute.  McLenithan's goal was created when she carried the ball up and used her ball handling skills to break down the defense and create a one-on-one with a Blue defender.  The freshman buried her shot past the keeper to give the Gulls a 3-1 lead that would last until the final whistle.  "Joseph and McLenithan had great combinations together and remained very poised on their goals," stated head coach Jodi Kenyon.

Endicott now has two days to prepare for CCC rival Roger Williams who comes into the match ranked #13 in the most recent NSCAA rankings.  The Gulls make the trip to Bristol, R.I. for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday.