Lancers Fight Off Southern ME. Comeback Attempt In Win

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Lancers (3-1, 0-0 MASCAC) traveled north to face off against the Southern Maine Huskies (1-1, 0-0 LEC). 

FINAL: LANCERS 9 | SOUTHERN ME. 6

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Lancers found themselves off to a hot start to begin this non-conference matchup with the Huskies. Sophomore midfielder Mckayla Fisher (Peabody, MA) pressured a Southern ME. player in Worcesters offensive zone, eventually stealing the ball and moving downfield toward the net dumping a pass off to her right where connecting with graduate student attacker Shea Jarvis (Auburn, MA) who fired from distance to give the Lancers a quick 1-0 twelve seconds into the game, her twelve of the season.

Southern Maine with possession deep in Lancer territory as 9:55 remained, the Huskies fired a shot that rang off the post rolling right to a Huskie player in the front of the net who scooped and shot directly in front of the net but was stopped by an amazing save from junior goalkeeper Olivia LaValle (Peabody, MA) to maintain the 1-0 lead.

Defense turned into offense as sophomore midfielder and recent Women's Ice Hockey ECHA Champion Cailey Ryan (Acton, MA) finds first-year midfielder Meghan Bowen (Westfield, MA) as she drove across the net from right to left shooting while being hit and scoring to put the Lancers up 2-0 with 8:49 remaining in the first. Bowen's fourth of the year.

Southern Maine got one back as the ball made its way behind the Lancer net with Emily Cloutier tossing the ball in front of the net finding Husky premiere player Rachel Shanks to cut the lead in half 2-1 with 7:21 remaining.

Worcester responded with first-year midfielder Madigan Kelley (Bourne, MA) under duress eventually getting the ball to Shea Jarvis who was able to get it to her spot for a shot and score to double the lead 3-1, 6:44 remaining in the first. Jarvis's second of the day and thirteenth on the season.

Southern Maine with the ball behind Worcester's net once again, Cloutier finds Shanks in front for the second time for a nearly identical goal for a 3-2 score with 3:47 left in the second 

After successfully killing off a penalty, the Lancer had an incredible full-field attack that began with an incredible pass from sophomore defender Amanda Palmisano (Woburn, MA) that found Jarvis who dumped it to junior attacker Abigail Wing (Griswold, CT), shooting it and scoring to double Worcesters lead 4-2. Wing's seventh of the year.

Seconds remained in the half when Lancers junior attacker Hannah Erickson (Dunstable, MA) scored on a free position shot, driving left to right and beating the Huskies goalkeeper for a score, 5-2 with thirty-five seconds left. Erickson's ninth score of the season.

Off the beginning second-quarter draw, Huskies Rachel Shanks catches the ball, sprints downhill with a head of steam shooting and scoring to make it 5-3 only nine seconds into the restart in an impressive display of athleticism and speed.

Southern ME. went on a mini run getting a second score with no answer as Julia McKenna caught a ball out of the air from Shanks, went downhill with the ball, launching it into the net to cut the deficit to one, the score 5-4 as 5:42 remained in the quarter.

SECOND HALF:

Rachel Shanks received a ball in front of the net, a staple play for the Huskies, and during the catch she spun to create separation, shooting, and scoring for her thirteenth score of the season to tie the game 5-5 for the first time since the beginning of the game. 

Worcester with a woman advantage pressed the entire field that was captained by a run from Madigan Kelley, the ball eventually making its way to sophomore midfielder Shannon Donahue (Dennis, MA) connecting with Jarvis for a score to regain their lead 6-5 four minutes into the third. Jarvis's third of the afternoon and fourteenth of the year.

Abigail Wing displayed great vision and execution saucing a ball into traffic in front of the Huskie net to senior defender Hannah Erickson to make it a 7-5 score with 10:51 remaining. Erickson's second of the day and tenth on the season. 

Nearly seven minutes into the third, Fisher saw teammate Abigail Wing streaking toward the net, finding her in transition who was clobbered as she shot, still managing a way to find the back of the net for a goal to bring her team a three-score advantage, 8-5. WIng's second of the afternoon and eighth of the season. 

Madigan Kelley already with an assist on the afternoon placed herself on the score sheet four minutes into the fourth quarter with a free-shot opportunity from a penalty as she burst from right to left, scoring as she was bumped displaying the first-year's strength. The score now 9-5 with eleven minutes remaining in the fourth. This would be Kelley's fourth goal of the season.

Southern ME. eventually had the last goal of the day as Julia McKenna received the ball from a pass behind the Lancer net. With clear possession, McKenna was able to squeak one past LaValle to cut the lead to three seven minutes into the final quarter.

UPDATED RECORDS:

With the victory, the Lancers win three straight and improve to (4-1, 0-0 MASCAC) while Southern ME. falls to (1-3, 0-0 LEC).

WHAT'S NEXT?:

The Lancers will once again hit the road, this time traveling to Boston where they will compete against the Emmanuel Saints (1-2, 0-0 GNAC) in the team's last game before heading to Florida for two Spring Break matchups in Florida.