#10 Wellesley Field Hockey Closes Out Regular Season with 4-0 Victory over UMass Dartmouth

WELLESLEY, Mass. — Nathalie Gruet scored a pair of goals and Courtney Peterson added a goal and two assists as #10 Wellesley College field hockey topped UMass Dartmouth, 4-0, in non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon at the Wellesley Outdoor Fields Complex.

The Blue finish the regular season unbeaten at home, improving to 10-0 at home and 16-2 overall. The Corsiars drop to 10-9 following today's result.

The Blue took control of the game early, scoring three goals in the opening 19 minutes of play after withstanding back-to-back penalty corners from the Corsairs. UMass Dartmouth held a 9-5 advantage in penalty corners in the contest, including a 7-1 advantage in the first half, but Blue goalie Lucy Hurlock and the Wellesley defense fought off the early push to keep the game scoreless in the opening minutes.

Lallie Lukens scored her second goal of the season on a feed from Courtney Peterson at 5:45. Gruet started the play, streaking down the right side of the field before sending the ball into the arc where Courtney Peterson redirected it to Lukens who knocked a shot past UMD goalie Liz St. Germaine to give Wellesley the 1-0 lead.

St. Germaine finished with five saves for the Corsairs, while Hurlock made four saves for the Blue, playing the first 57:03 before being replaced in the cage by senior Becky Hamilton.

Peterson then found Gruet for the second goal of the game just over five minutes later, as the Wellesley senior scored her 19th and 20th goals of the year just under seven minutes apart. Gruet's second goal of the afternoon came on a restart following a foul as the senior navigated through the UMass Dartmouth defense and beat St. Germaine by popping the ball up and over her outstretched leg.

A UMass Dartmouth timeout following the third Wellesley goal helped to ease the Blue's momentum but with the Corsairs unable to convert on a penalty corner at 24:43, the first half would end with the Blue holding a 3-0 edge.

Wellesley held the visitors without a shot in the second half as the only marker after the break would come from Courtney Peterson at 65:41. Courtney Peterson's 12th goal of the year would be the fourth and final of the day for the Blue as they closed out the 4-0 victory.

Wellesley will return to action in two weeks when they host the semifinals of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference tournament on Saturday November 8. UMass Dartmouth will close out the regular season this Saturday when they host Keene St.