No. 9 Field Hockey Blanks St. Joseph’s in Season Opener, 4-0

PORTLAND, Maine – Senior Courtney Peterson (Glastonbury, Conn.) scored a pair of goals and first year Mitzi Wiggin (North Hampton, N.H.) knocked home the game-winner to lead No. 9 Wellesley College field hockey to a 4-0 victory over St. Joseph's College (Maine) in non-conference play on Saturday afternoon at Fitzpatrick Stadium. 

Wellesley, who also got a goal from senior Nikki Sharkin (Summit, N.J.), opens the season at 1-0. St. Joseph's is now 0-1.

Senior Lucy Hurlock (Needham, Mass.) made three saves on three shots on goal to earn her seventh career shutout for the Blue. In the St. Joseph's cage, sophomore Megan Baker (Gorham, Maine) turned aside three of seven shots on goal to drop to 0-1 on the year.  The Blue finished with a 14-4 advantage in shots, including a 13-3 edge in the second half.

Following a scoreless first half, the Blue unleashed a four-goal outburst after the break. The Blue scored on three penalty corner opportunities in the second half, including on the game's opening goal at 42:08. Sophomore Cecie Negron's (Midlothian, Va.) shot following the insertion was blocked, but Wiggin was there to deposit it into the cage for her first collegiate goal.

The Blue doubled their advantage at 57:12 on another penalty corner, when junior Emmy Hamilton (New York, N.Y.)  set-up Peterson for her first of  the season. Peterson, Wellesley's leading returning scorer from 2015, would add her second of the game on an unassisted tally at 65:13 to give the Blue a 3-0 lead.

With the Blue leading comfortably late in the second half, Sharkin closed out the scoring with 2:14 to play, converting on the Blue's final penalty corner attempt. The Blue held a 13-3 advantage in penalty corners in the contest.

Wellesley will play again tomorrow, Sunday, September 4, at 12:00 PM at Husson University.  St. Joseph's will open conference play next Saturday, September 10, at 11:00 AM at Anna Maria.