HENNIKER, N.H. – Coming off a road victory at UMass Boston, the New England College field hockey team returned home Tuesday night to host the Fighting Scots of Gordon College, earning a 3-0 victory for their third straight win.
The Pilgrims took an early lead just 31 seconds into the game when senior Kacey McClay (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) tapped in a rebound off a save by Gordon goalie Haylee Briggs. Junior Kennedy Overhoff (Whitefield, N.H.) picked up the assist after receiving the ball following the save. NEC added four more shots in the opening period, but the Fighting Scots defense kept the Pilgrims from extending their lead.
The second period remained quiet offensively, with NEC recording four shots, including two on goal, to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Pilgrims continued to control the game early in the third period, with two different players recording shots just seconds apart. Gordon recorded its lone shot of the game in the third, but senior Amy Philbin (Long Island, N.Y.) made the save to keep the Fighting Scots off the scoreboard. NEC extended its lead when McClay scored her fifth goal of the season, following up a rebound from another Briggs save to make it 2-0.
Looking for an insurance goal, the Pilgrims continued to apply pressure in the fourth period. Senior Kylee Henriquez (Methuen, Mass.) recorded three shots but was unable to find the back of the net. Her pressure helped NEC earn two penalty corners. On the second corner, sophomore Mary Kelley (Cumberland, R.I.) inserted the ball to senior Kameryn Mazzulli (Waterford, Conn.), who found fellow senior Elliott Connors (Henniker, N.H.) in front of the goal. Connors finished the play for the first goal of their career, giving the Pilgrims a 3-0 advantage.
NEC added four more shots in the fourth quarter, finishing the night with a 24-1 advantage in shots over Gordon.
The Pilgrims return to action Saturday when they remain at home to open Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) competition against Simmons at 3 p.m.
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