Field Hockey Hangs On to Top Worcester St., 3-2

WORCESTER, Mass. – Junior Alex Lenart (Princeton Junction, N.J.) scored her first goal of the season and classmates Cassidy Novello (Scotch Plains, N.J.) and River Schiff (Potomac, Md.) each added another to help Wellesley College field hockey take a 3-2 victory over Worcester St. in non-conference action on Tuesday evening at John Coughlin Memorial Field. 

Wellesley (2-3 overall) snaps a two-game skid with the victory. Worcester St. (3-2 overall) got goals from senior Carly Duff (Warren, Mass.) and junior Grace Adams (Leominster, Mass.) but couldn't rally to overcome a two-goal first quarter deficit. 

Lenart found the back of the cage five minutes into the opening period, finishing on a feed from first year Ceci Miller (Lewiston, Maine). The Blue doubled its advantage 6:17 later when Novello capitalized on a rebound after the initial effort from Rose Weseley (New York, N.Y.) was turned back by Worcester St. goalkeeper Madison Ferrara (Somerset, Mass.). The goal was the second of the season for Novello.

After being outshot 7-1 in the first quarter, Worcester St. got a goal back in the second quarter when Duff scored at the 6:52 mark on a set-up from Karalyn Jones (Wilbraham, Mass. ). Duff's marker was the only goal in the second, as the Lancers held off two late penalty corners and a flurry of Wellesley shots in the final minutes of the second to send the game to the break with a 2-1 score. 

Schiff helped the Blue regain its two-goal edge in the third quarter, finishing on an assist from Sophia Sohigian (Wilmette, Ill.) with 1:13 left on the clock. Schiff's second of the season turned out to be a big one for the Blue. Adams pulled the Lancers back within a goal with just over ten minutes to play in the fourth. However, Worcester St. could not find the tying goal as the Blue held on for the win. 

Wellesley goalkeeper Kyra Deehr-Lewis (Newtown, Pa.) made nine saves to earn the victory (2-3). Ferrara turned back 13 shots in the Worcester St. cage in the loss (3-2). 

Wellesley will host Clark to open the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) season on Saturday at noon. Worcester St. will look to bounce back when it hosts Wheaton next Tuesday, September 20, at 7:00 PM.