Endicott routs Nichols, 20-2
April 11, 2009
BEVERLY, Mass. - Endicott's Sara Gunter (Kennebunk, Maine) and Valerie Feldman (Albany, N.Y.) combined to score eight goals and five assists as the Gulls beat Nichols College, 20-2, on a cold and rainy Saturday in Beverly, Mass. The win, Endicott's seventh in a row, improves the Gulls to 9-2 overall and 6-0 in The Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Bison fall to 2-6 and 0-5 in league play with the loss.
It didn't take long for the Blue and Green to grab commanding control of the game as the Gulls scored six times in the opening 10 minutes of action. Much of the early success can be attributed to the draw control advantage, as Endicott won the game's first five draw controls including four by Gunter.
The Gulls ran their lead to 12-0 with 2:10 to play in the opening half as freshman Michelle Loizzo (Longmeadow, Mass.) cleaned up a loose ball in front of the net off a rebound, scoring her fifth of the season. Nichols finally got on the board with just under a minute left in the first frame as Rachel Storey (Cumberland, R.I.) took a pass from Krista-Jean Forand (Plymouth, Mass.) and buried a lay-up at the top of the crease. Endicott would lead 13-1 at halftime.
It was much of the same in second half as the Gulls scored just 3:07 into the frame when Sara Gunter found a streaking Molly Sowles (Cumberland, Maine) for a quick turnaround strike, giving the Blue and Green a 14-1 cushion. Nichols responded with a Krista-Jean Forand tally off an assist by Rachel Storey, making it 14-2. From there, Endicott closed out the afternoon with six unanswered to take the 20-2 win.
Molly Sowles ended the afternoon with three goals and a helper, while Kristen Micho (Syracuse, N.Y.) had two and one. Alex Pearce (Underhill, Vt.) also chipped in with a pair of goals. Four other Endicott players registered a single goal in the victory.
Endicott outshot Nichols 52-2 on the day, with both of Nichols' shots finding their mark. Endicott also controlled the ground ball game, holding a 46-22 edge. Nichols' goalie Mary Michaud (Agawam, Mass.) was one of the lone bright spots for the Bison, as the freshman made 22 saves in the losing effort.
Nichols returns to action on Tuesday evening when the Bison meet the Fighting Scots of Gordon College at 7:00 p.m. in Wenham, Mass. Endicott looks for its eighth straight win on Tuesday when the Gulls host Colby-Sawyer College for a 4:00 p.m. start time. That game will be available online beginning at 3:55 p.m. on Endicott's broadband webcasting channel, Endicott All-Access, free of charge.