Jones Leads Offensive Charge with Hat Trick to Start the Season

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Field Hockey Team started their 2022 season Thursday night at John F.  Coughlin Field versus Anna Maria College with a decisive 5-0 win.

The Lancers began their attack early on with a dominant first quarter that saw 10 shots by eight different Worcester State players. Emily Saucier started the action three minutes into the game with a quick strike that was turned away by Anna Maria goalkeeper Hannah Tobey. The resulting battle for possession led to Worcester State's first of four corners. Molly Cutting's attempt veered wide, but a quick grab in the transition and Karalyn Jones managed to corral the ball and find the back of the net for the first of her three goals on the night. The Lancers had six more attempts on cage, with Anna Maria turning back one before Zoe Athanasopoulos came up with a rebound off the goalie and pushed it in past the right post.

The second quarter saw fewer shots by Worcester State, but their accuracy was more on point, with two goals off the teams five shots. Jones completed her hat trick just six minutes into the quarter with feeds from Natalya Morin and Ali Roy.

The final two quarters saw both teams settle into a more tactical rhythm, with a shot each for the Amcats' Madison Marie- Romano and the Lancers' Grace Adams. The final quarter saw the endurance of Worcester as a late surge in pressure saw Molly Cutting collect a rebound of the goalkeeper's pads and quickly redirect the ball back into the cage for the fifth and final goal of the game.

Madison Ferrara and Sam Gastonguay combined for the shutout,  each recording zero saves on the night, while Adams and Jones led the team with four shots on goal.

The Lancers, ranked third in the Little East coaches' poll, move to 1-0 on the season while the Amcats move to 0-1. The Lancers next host Clark University on September 3 at 12pm.