#7 Field Hockey Opens NE10 Slate with Five-Goal Outburst, Blanks So. Connecticut
NORTH ANDOVER, MA – Behind a hat trick from April Daugherty (Wakefield, RI), the #7 Merrimack field hockey team captured its seventh-consecutive victory. The Warriors shutout Southern Connecticut State 5-0 for their first conference win of the year and sixth-straight shutout Thursday evening at Warrior Field. Merrimack improved to 7-1 on the season and 1-0 in the Northeast-10 Conference with the clean sheet. The Owls drop to 2-6 overall and 0-1 in the league with the loss.
Daugherty got the home team on the board early in the game, tallying a goal in 3:12 after the tip-off. The junior co-captain knocked in a rebound for her seventh marker of the year.
Daugherty potted her second of the contest just before the 10 minute mark in the match. The forward fought for a rebound in the middle of the penalty area before sending it past the goalie for the Warriors' second of the day.
In the 20th minute, the Owls were awarded a penalty stroke which Sarah Cebry stepped up to take. Merrimack goalkeeper Kerri Bergquist (Mashpee, MA) guessed the correct direction but watched the ball sail wide of the post.
Just two minutes later, the Warriors earned a penalty stroke. Stephanie Heasman (Flanders, NJ) converted the opportunity and gave the hosts a 3-0 advantage.
Jen Otis (Penacook, NH) tacked on Merrimack's fourth goal of the opening frame 46 seconds after Heasman found the back of the cage. Sarah Salatto (Guilford, CT) took a penalty corner and slid the ball out to Katie Zubkus (Dover, NH) at the top of the penalty area. Zubkus settled the ball before pushing it to her left to Otis. Otis blasted a one-time shot into the right corner to cap off the first half scoring.
The Warriors owned a 20-4 edge in shots while earning all seven penalty corners in the opening 35 minutes.
Daugherty finished the hat trick 11:43 into the second stanza. Otis dribbled the ball down the left wing to the end line before turning towards the middle and slipping a pass to Daugherty unmarked in front of the goal. Daugherty tucked the ball into the net to complete the trifecta and give Merrimack a 5-0 lead.
Bergquist turned aside three shots in just over 50 minutes of action for the Warriors. The junior goalkeeper extended her scoreless streak to 420:00 with the flawless performance Thursday.
Rookie Gina Rosinski (Derry, NH) made her first collegiate appearance between the pipes, stopping a pair of shots to finish the game for the home side.
Merrimack concluded the contest with 33 shots and 20 attempts on frame. Southern Connecticut managed to register seven shots in the game.
"Another great team effort tonight. We put pressure on them early and we scored a couple of quick goals which set the tone," said head coach Anne Rounce. "It's good to get the first conference win of the season. We just need to keep playing the way we have been for the remainder of the season."
The Warriors travel to Manchester, NH to continue the Northeast-10 Conference schedule with a game at Saint Anselm September 24.
