No. 8 Field Hockey Picks Up First Conference Win, 4-0, Over SCSU
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Guided by five points and two goals from junior Candace Waldie (North Andover, Mass.), a balanced attack and stout defense led the eighth-ranked Merrimack field hockey team to its sixth consecutive victory – and fourth straight shutout – by a 4-0 margin over Southern Connecticut State on Thursday night in New Haven, Conn.
The match was the first Northeast-10 Conference showdown for either side, as the Warriors improved to 6-1 on the year and 1-0 in league play while the Owls dropped to 3-5 overall and 0-1 within the conference.
Waldie, the nation's leader in points (25) entering the week, posted another strong outing with a pair of goals and an assist, while seniors April Daugherty (Wakefield, R.I.) and Jen Otis (Penacook, N.H.) also found the back of the cage for the visitors.
Meanwhile, the Merrimack defense was brilliant again en route to its fourth consecutive shutout to up its scoreless streak – one that dates back to Sept. 6 at Bentley – to 303:35 since the last opponent's goal was scored. The Warriors are now two shutouts shy of the program record of six consecutive shutouts established last fall.
Senior goalkeeper Kerri Bergquist (Mashpee, Mass.), meanwhile, was tested a bit more on Thursday than she had been in her last few outings but managed to record eight saves and benefitted from defensive saves from sophomore Abbey Stacey (Messalonskee, Maine) and junior Sarah Dunbar (Hubbardston, Mass.) to keep the Owls off the scoreboard.
Daugherty put the Warriors on the board at 6:44 of the first half, taking a feed from junior Jessica Otis (Pittsford, N.Y.) and beating SCSU goalkeeper Audrey Dolloff (21 saves) on the lower-left corner to make it a 1-0 game.
Nearly 25 minutes later, Waldie buried a rebound for an unassisted strike to double the lead to 2-0 with less than five to go in the first stanza.
After heading into the break with a two-goal lead, both sides would exchange scoring chances but neither would strike until Jen Otis ripped a shot that deflected off a defender and into the cage to push the Warriors' cushion to 3-0 at 48:10. Waldie also assisted on the play.
Finally, with 15 minutes to go, Waldie picked up another loose rebound and put it into the cage for her second unassisted marker of the game, raising her team-leading goal total to 12 on the year while establishing the final margin of victory at 4-0.
"It was great to get our first conference win tonight, that was a total team effort," head coach Anne Rounce said afterward. "It's always nice to see a variety of people attacking the net, as well."
The Warriors held a commanding 47-15 advantage in shot attempts, as well as a 20-11 edge in penalty corners.
Next up, the Warriors return home to continue conference play against Saint Anselm on Sunday, Sept. 23. First whistle from Martone-Mejail Field is set for 12 p.m.
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