MIT Rallies Past Blue Field Hockey, 5-2

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- MIT scored five unanswered goals to rally from a 2-0 first period deficit and defeat Wellesley College field hockey, 5-2, in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Tuesday night at Jack Barry Field.

Junior Carson Dennis (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.) scored a goal and added an assist for Wellesley, as the Blue dropped to 7-8 overall and 3-4 in the NEWMAC. MIT improved to 9-4 overall and 5-1 in the NEWMAC with the win.

MIT earned eight penalty corners in the first quarter but it was Wellesley that seized a two-goal lead on goals from Dennis and junior Maggie King (Philadelphia, Pa.). Dennis put the Blue ahead at 8:58, scoring her team-leading tenth goal of the season when she beat MIT junior goalkeeper Grace Moore (Boston, Mass.) to the near side. King made the score 2-0 when she tipped a drive from Dennis into the cage on a penalty corner in the final seconds of the quarter. 

MIT answered back with a two-goal second period to tie the game before halftime. Sophomore Mia Reilly (Los Angeles, Calif.) netted the first at 4:23 of the period, slamming home a cross from junior Jennah Haque (Bethesda, Md.) at the far post. First year Paige Forester (Glencoe, Ill.) tied the game just over three minutes later, scoring her 18th of the season on a penalty corner set-up from junior Amanda Garofalo (Fairfield, N.J.) and senior Devon Goetz (Rockville, Md.) to make the score 2-2. 

Goetz put the Engineers ahead for good 7:56 into the second half, scoring her fourth of the season, and the eventual game-winner, on a breakaway shot from the top of the circle. Garofalo doubled the MIT advantage with 3:41 left before the fourth, when Goetz sent her in on a break to make the score 4-2. Goetz finished the contest with a goal and two assists for MIT. 

MIT sealed the 5-2 scoreline in the fourth, when first year Carly Briggs (Lexington, Mass.), deflected a Taylor Grey (Horsham, Pa.) drive into the Blue cage on a penalty corner with eight seconds left on the clock. The Engineers finished the contest with a 16-4 advantage in shots and an 11-3 advantage in penalty corners.

Moore earned the win in the MIT cage, improving to 9-4. Wellesley junior Janelle Sullivan (Philadelphia, Pa.) turned back two shots in the setback (7-8 overall).

Wellesley will take on Simmons in non-conference play on Saturday, October 26, at 10:00 AM. MIT will host Clark in a NEWMAC game at 1:00 PM.