Field Hockey Comeback Falls Short at MIT

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – After falling behind by three goals Thursday night, Endicott scored twice in a three minute-span to pull within one but could not complete the comeback, falling 5-3 to MIT in non-conference field hockey action at Jack Barry Field.

Sophomore Alyssa Clark (Gorham, Maine) paced the Gulls with a goal and an assist while senior goalie Taylor Teixeira (Exeter, N.H.) made ten stops, but Endicott fell to 6-3 with the defeat.

The Gulls will now prepare for Saturday's homecoming contest, when they will play the first game on the new North Field, a 1:30 PM matchup with University of New England. Both teams are undefeated in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) and the two squads met in last year's CCC championship game.

Senior Molly McShane (Lake Bluff, Ill.) led the Engineers with a goal and three assists, as MIT improved to 8-2 on the season.

The hosts scored the only goal of the first half, just 2:23 into the game thanks to Caitlin Mackey (San Diego, Calif.), who took a feed from McShane, who drew Teixeira off her line, and finished into the cage. The majority of the first half was played in the midfield, although the Engineers recorded an 11-3 advantage in shots and a 6-5 edge in penalty corners.

Mackey and McShane helped to set up two more goals in the first four minutes into the second half. McShane finished a rebound chance from a shot by Maddy Wharton (Swarthmore, Pa.), while Laila Shehata (Bethesda, Md.) also helped lead to a goal. 

The Gulls sustained more MIT pressure thanks to a defensive save by Robin Hunt (Hampton, N.H.) and trailing 3-0, Endicott went to work through the play of Clark. The sophomore set up junior Stacie Teevens, who found the back of the net in the 54^th minute on the Gull's third penalty corner of the half. 

Minutes later, an MIT green card gave the Gulls a player-up opportunity and Clark buried a feed from sophomore Meghan Leary (Hampton Falls, N.H.) to narrow the gap to 3-2 with 14 minutes left to play. 

The Cardinal and Gray responded with a goal, but the effort was matched by Endicott in the 61^st minute on an unassisted tally by sophomore Kathryn Walker (Middlebury, Conn.) following a penalty corner to keep the deficit at one. 

The Gulls maintained the pressure as senior Taylor Matties (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) put a dangerous shot on net that was kicked away by freshman goalie Evia Kyritsis (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) and then cleared out by Wharton with 7:28 remaining. Endicott earned a penalty corner in the 66^th minute and almost registered the equalizer on a strike by Matties a minute later but it was off the mark. 

MIT countered with pressure of its own during the final minute and, despite a defensive save by senior Cassie DeSimone (Reading, Mass.), MIT junior Molly Duffy (New Providence, N.J.) finished a feed from McShane to put the game away. 

In MIT's net, sophomore Jenna Klein (Parma, Ohio) totaled four saves in 61 minutes of action as Kyritsis closed out the game with one save. 

Both squads resume league play on Saturday, Sept. 29, as MIT will stay at home to host NEWMAC rival WPI.