No. 9 Wellesley Field Hockey Earns 4-2 Win Over Husson

BANGOR, Maine – No. 9 Wellesley College field hockey broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of second half goals to take a 4-2 non-conference victory over Husson University on Sunday at the Winkin Complex.

The Blue improve to 2-0 on the season after winning back-to-back games. Husson drops to 1-2 after splitting a pair of games over the weekend. 

The host Eagles struck first, and fast, in the contest, opening the scoring just 1:33 into the first half when senior Kerianne Downing (Dedhman, Mass.) finished on an assist from first year Libby Kain (Dexter, Maine). 

Husson held on to the lead for just under 19 minutes before Wellesley sophomore Cecie Negron (Midlothian, Va.) scored her first goal of the season at 20:05, following a Wellesley penalty corner. Wellesley took the lead for the first time on the day just over four minutes later when senior Courtney Peterson (Glastonbury, Conn.) scored her third of the season with an unassisted effort at 24:30 of the first half. 

Husson got the only chance on goal for the remainder of the opening half, but Wellesley senior goalkeeper Lucy Hurlock (Needham, Mass.) turned away junior Amber Anderson (Dover-Foxcroft, Maine) to keep the score at 2-1 heading into halftime. Hurlock finished the game with 12 saves for the Blue.

The hosts broke through in the second half, scoring at 39:43 on an effort from junior Taylor Shaw (Plymouth, Mass.) after a flurry of Blue shots just a minute earlier failed to produce the third Wellesley goal. 

The game was tied at 2-2 for just 45 seconds before Wellesley sophomore Rachel Hwang (Campbell, Calif.) put the Blue back out in front with her first goal of the season, and the eventual game-winner, at 40:28. The Blue added an insurance marker at 44:18, scoring on a penalty corner to make the score 4-2 when Negron found Peterson following the insertion from sophomore Emmy Hamilton (New York, N.Y.).

Senior Kaitlin Dolloff made 10 saves in the Husson cage, getting an assist from senior Whitney Arno (Dover-Foxcroft, Maine), who finished with a defensive save. The Eagles outshot the Blue in the contest, 25-17, while Wellesley finished with a 10-8 edge in penalty corners. 

Wellesley returns home to host Wesleyan (Conn.) in their home opener next Sunday, September 11, at 12:00 PM. Husson will travel to Springfield next Saturday, September 10, for an 11:00 AM contest.