Gulls Shock #19 UNE, Pull Into Tie for Conference Lead

Box Score

WENHAM, Mass. – With five second half goals, the Endicott field hockey team upset the previously undefeated UNE Nor'easters, ranked 19^th in the country, in a homecoming contest that was played at Brigham Complex on the campus of Gordon College. The Gulls improve their record to 6-8 and more importantly, see their conference mark reach 5-1, tying the Nor'easters at the top of the table. The Nor'easters suffer their first loss of the season to fall to 13-1 overall.

Hannah Thornberg (Oakland, Maine) and Melissa Enright (York Beach, Maine) each scored twice for the Gulls, while Thornberg added an assist for a five-point night. Taylor Teixeira (Exeter, N.H.) made five saves for her second shutout of the season.

After a first half in which the two teams played to a stalemate, Endicott opened the second half with two goals in less just over two minutes. Freshman Emily Sawchuck (Cumberland, Maine) started the scoring with her ninth goal of the season in the 43^rd minute when she finished a penalty corner from Thornberg.

Two minutes later, as a sudden rain continued to pour down, Enright notched her seventh goal of the year, finishing a hard shot past UNE goalie Kaitlyn Warren (Boscawen, N.H.) after bringing the ball into the circle. Thornberg would later make the lead 3-0 when she stole the ball in the circle and slammed a similar shot past Warren.

The Blue and Green capped their scoring with two quick goals as Thornberg notched her second of the game and her twelfth of the season in the 67^th minute. The assist came from Taylor Matties (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), and Thornberg's shot from near the goal line on the left side. Inside the same minute, Enright completed her double, with another unassisted goal, her eighth of the year.

The Gulls outshot UNE 9-3 in the second half en route to a 12-7 advantage in the game. The Nor'easters had a slight 9-8 advantage on penalty corners, but could not put one in the back of the net. Junior Emily Koehler (Pelham, N.H.) had three shots on goal and took all of UNE's penalty corners. Michelle Oswald (Jay, Maine) and Hannah Tavella (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) each added shots on goal for the visitors.

Warren made four saves while allowing five goals and as the only goalie on UNE's roster, saw her own personal record fall to 13-1.

Endicott will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon when they host Salve Regina at 4:00 pm. The Nor'easters will look to rebound on the same day with a home conference meet against Gordon at 6:00 pm.