Melissa Enright delivers penalty-stroke game-winner in 3-2 victory over Nichols

Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. – Endicott junior forward Melissa Enright (York Beach, Maine) converted a penalty stroke with less than seven minutes remaining in the game to lift the Gulls to a 3-2 victory over Nichols in the CCC regular season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon at Vendetti Field.

Endicott improved to 10-8 overall and 9-1 in CCC action heading into the CCC Tournament on Wednesday where the Gulls are expected to be the number one seed.  Nichols dips to 9-8 overall and 5-5 in conference play and have qualified for the postseason.

Tied at 2-2 and never having held the lead, Endicott was awarded a penalty stroke in the 64^th minute. Enright subbed into the game at that moment and sent the stroke past Nichols first-year goaltender Molly Melanson (Simsbury, Conn.).  Enright stands at 5-5 on penalty strokes this season.

Nichols came charging down the field immediately after the restart, but Emily Widdison's (Greenfield, Mass.) shot was stopped by EC goaltender Taylor Teixeira (Exeter, N.H.). Endicott followed with a series of shots and ended the game with a corner.

Senior Lauren Correia (Seekonk, Mass.) struck first for the Bison, redirecting in a long pass from Avery Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.) at the left post just over three minutes into the game.

Nichols carried the lead into the break despite being outshot 11-6 in the remainder of the stanza. Endicott was awarded 11 penalty corners in the opening half, but the Bison defense held firm, led by two defensive saves by senior Alexa Boucher (West Springfield, Mass.).

Early in the second half, however, the Gulls finally converted on a corner – the third of the half and 14^th of the game – as junior Taylor Matties (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) received a corner and played it in to first year Emily Sawchuck (Cumberland, Maine). She lifted it just off the turf to score less than two minutes into the half.

Widdison swung the advantage back in Nichols' favor in the 55^th minute when she crashed the net to pounce on a rebound off a corner set. Junior Barbara Roy (Springfield, Mass.) received the corner and pushed it in for Lauren Correia to take a shot. Teixeira kicked the ball away to her right, but Widdison came in from the top of the arc to knock it in.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Matties sent in a long shot for junior Hanna Thornberg (Oakland, Maine) to redirect into the far, open side of the net less than four minutes later to knot the game at 2-2.

Teixeira made three saves in the game, while Melanson stopped 12, including eight in the second half.

Endicott maintained a 28-10 shot advantage, and added on to its first-half corner lead to finish with a 21-6 margin.

Both Nichols and Endicott await the official announcement of their playoff opponents for the CCC Semifinals, which begin on Wednesday, November 2nd. The seedings announcement is expected tonight.

Courtesy of Nichols Sports Information