No. 8 Field Hockey Falls to No. 1 Salisbury in NCAA Third Round, 1-0

SALISBURY, Md. -- Salisbury University senior Summer Washburn scored the only goal of the game in the second half as the No. 1 ranked Sea Gulls defeated No. 8 Wellesley College field hockey, 1-0, in the Third Round of the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship on Sunday afternoon at Sea Gull Stadium. 

Wellesley, the 2014 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) champion, ends the season with a program-best 19-3 record after advancing to the 'elite eight' of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. Salisbury advances to next weekend's national semifinals at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va. 

Sophomore Lucy Hurlock made seven saves in the Wellesley cage, turning aside the Sea Gulls time after time on the afternoon. Salisbury held a 14-4 advantage in shots in the contest, and a 9-4 advantage in penalty corners, but it took the hosts until the final ten minutes of the second half to solve Hurlock. 

With the Sea Gulls awarded their eighth penalty corner of the afternoon, junior Samantha Johnson inserted the ball to Washburn who powered a shot from the top of the arc, beating Hurlock to her right for her seventh goal of the season. 

With the Blue trailing, Salisbury senior goalie Rachel Clewer was called into action in the final ten minutes, making both of her two saves after the Sea Gulls took the 1-0 advantage. 

Clewer denied Wellesley junior Anissa Sridhar less than a minute after Washburn's goal. She then made a save on senior Nathalie Gruet with just 25 seconds remaining in the contest. 

Gruet's opportunity came on the first of two Wellesley penalty corner opportunities in the final thirty seconds of the contest, as a Salisbury foul following Clewer's second save would give the Blue one last chance as time expired. 

With one final play, Wellesley sophomore Courtney Peterson inserted the ball to classmate Nikki Sharkin who moved it to senior Meghan Peterson for a shot. However, Meghan Peterson's attempt flew to the right of the cage, giving the Sea Gulls the victory.