NEWTON, Mass. – Salem State University scored twice in a three-minute span in the third quarter Thursday afternoon and went on to defeat Lasell University, 3-1, in the collegiate field hockey opener for both schools at Grellier Field.
The Vikings (1-0) got two goals from junior Mikayla Mason (Beverly, Mass.) and a goal and an assist from senior Allison Couillard (Tewksbury, Mass.) to earn the win. Junior Sheridan Blaha (Waltham, Mass.) scored for Lasell (0-1), with an assist from sophomore Maddie Sewade (Nashua, N.H.).
Neither team scored in the first half despite Lasell holding a 9-3 advantage in shots, including an 8-1 margin in the first period. The Lasers nearly scored with a minute to play in the half, but a shot by sophomore Lisa Ortiz (Lincoln, R.I.) clanged off the right post.
Couillard put the Vikings on the scoreboard six minutes into the second half when she knocked home a rebound of her own shot after Lasell senior goalie Sofia Rodriguez (Peabody, Mass.) had made the initial save. Just three minutes later Mason dribbled in from the top of the circle and slipped a shot past Rodriguez just inside the right post.
Lasell cut the margin to 2-1 with just under two minutes left in the third quarter when Sewade fed the ball into the circle to Blaha, who spun and fired a shot that found the back of the goal to put the Lasers on the scoreboard. Blaha and Sewade nearly tied the game in the fourth quarter with back to back shots early in the fourth quarter, but Salem senior goalie Kelli McCarthy (Foxborough, Mass.) turned them both away.
Mason tacked on an insurance goal for the visitors with 2:30 to play to seal the win, converting a feed from Couillard.
McCarthy finished with eight saves for the Vikings. Rodriguez made five saves in the second half for Lasell after freshman Courtney Tello (Nashua, N.H.) played the first half but didn't need to make any saves.
Lasell is back at home on Saturday with another non-conference game against Ramapo College at 1:00 p.m. Salem State plays Saturday at Gordon College, beginning at noon.
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