Lancers Field Hockey Drop Season Opener at Clark in Tight Battle

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Field Hockey started off their 2023 season looking to continue last year's momentum that carried them all the way to the Little East Semifinals in the first year of the MASCAC action. The Lancers claimed a tight 2-1 victory last year over the Cougars in the out of conference matchup that set the momentum for the season.

With both teams headed up by new coaches this season, it was bound to be a new game with new styles. Clark jumped onto the attack quick with the first four shots of the game before senior Zoe Athanasopoulos (Hopedale, MA) was able to make some contact for the Lancers first opportunity of the game. A further attempt by senior Grace Adams(Leominster, MA) off a resulting corner would give the Lancers one more chance in the quarter but the shot was blocked away to leave a null-null game into the second. The second quarter found Cougars continuing where they left off in the first until they managed to knock the ball around junior Madison Ferrara (Somerset, MA) in the 18' minute for the first score of the game. The Lancers were able to settle in on defense for the remainder of the quarter as Clark outshot Worcester 15-2 in the first half.

The second half started slow with six fouls split between the two teams. Clark earned a penalty corner that eventually set up a shot by Clark's Greer McCarty that missed just wide right. The Cougars had an onslaught of shots come in the 37th and early 38th minute with the Bobcats firing three shots within a minute as they worked the Lancers defense to preserve the one goal game. The first two were blocked with the third being saved by Ferrara to stop the Clark offensive front. Clark finished the third quarter with two more shots but the Lancers held strong to move the game into the fourth with the score still sitting at 1-0. 

Worcester State would eventually find themselves with a shot on goal that was saved by the Bobcat goalkeeper. Worcester started off the fourth with determination as sophomore Kaelin Coleman (attleboro, MA) fired a shot off in the early minutes that was blocked by a Clark defender. Athanasopoulos ripped a shot on goal that the Cougar goalkeeper settled for the save. After a penalty corner by Clark,  Adams and the Lancers brought the ball down and scored to bring Worcester within one, the score now 2-1 after an earlier Clark goal..

Clark added another attempt to their tally but the shot sailed wide as her teammate Fionnuala Gormley was stopped with another save from Ferrara. Clark outshot Worcester 24-8 while. Worcester State had three shots on goal, Clark nine.

Ferrara finished the night with seven saves on the nine shots from Clark. 

Worcester State moves to (0-1, 0-0) while Clark now sits at (1-0,0-0).The Blue and Gold return to action in their home opener versus Springfield College at 7pm.