BEVERLY, Mass. – New England College field hockey closed out its regular-season schedule on Tuesday afternoon, falling to No. 23 Endicott College, 4-0, in a non-conference matchup.
The first period featured back-and-forth action between the Pilgrims and the Gulls. Senior goalkeeper Annie Raduazzo (Amherst, N.H.) made two saves in the opening 10 minutes to keep NEC within striking distance. On the offensive end, seniors Kameryn Mazzulli (Waterford, Conn.), Isabelle Toupin (Derry, N.H.), and Lauren Hall (Belfast, Maine) each recorded a shot on goal within a 14-second span, but all three attempts were turned away by Endicott goalkeeper Faith Minickene. The teams remained scoreless through the first 15 minutes.
Endicott broke through in the 24th minute as Abby Antonelli found the back of the net to give the Gulls a 1-0 lead. The hosts continued to apply offensive pressure throughout the remainder of the second quarter, holding NEC without a shot while Raduazzo made four additional saves to keep the deficit at one heading into halftime.
The Gulls carried their momentum into the third quarter, doubling their lead just over a minute after the restart on a goal by Riley Perkins, assisted by Antonelli. Raduazzo added two more saves on attempts by Perkins late in the period as Endicott maintained its advantage.
Endicott continued to pressure the Pilgrims in the fourth quarter, adding a third goal early in the period before extending its lead to secure the 4-0 victory. With approximately 10 minutes remaining, senior Amy Philbin (Long Island, N.Y.) entered in goal for NEC. The Pilgrims continued to push offensively, with Mazzulli striking the post on a late attempt. Raduazzo and Philbin combined for 11 saves in the contest.
The Pilgrims earned the No. 5 seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) playoffs and will travel to Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Saturday, with the quarterfinal matchup set for an 11 a.m. start.
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