Despite Second Half Surge, Gulls Drop to Gordon in Double OT

WENHAM, Mass. – The Endicott field hockey team traveled to Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) opponent, Gordon on Saturday afternoon. Despite a second half surge the Fight Scots lifted to a 3-2 double overtime victory to hand the Gulls their second loss of the season. With her three point effort, senior Emily Sawchuck (Cumberland, Maine) snapped the career point's record with a total of 129. Endicott falls to 10-2 (5-1 CCC) while the Fighting Scots improve to 6-6 (4-2 CCC).

Endicott will see action next on Saturday when they host CCC opponent Roger Williams at 1:00 p.m. on North Field. Gordon will play next on Monday when they host non-conference opponent New England College for a 7:00 p.m. matchup.

The first half was a battle as the Fighting Scots just outshot the Gulls 9-5 while the Blue and Green took seven penalty corners to Gordon's three. Gordon got on the board first 20 minutes into the first half after last season's CCC Offensive Player and the Year, Courtney Scott (Herndon, Pa.), tallied her first goal of the season on a loose ball in front of the goal cage.

Seven minutes later the Fighting Scots made it a two goal game on a corner play as freshman Alyssa Doucett (Barrington, N.H.) and took a shot from the top off and slipped the ball past sophomore goalkeeper Cheka Ventura (Lawrence, Mass.). Seniors Brittany Hawkins (Hampstead, N.H.) and Karli Weiss (Perkasie, Pa.) each earned the double assist on the play.

Endicott worked the offensive pressure in the final 15 minutes of the half taking some huge shots from Sawchuck and freshman Maggie Layo (Sandwich, Mass.) but they could not find the back of the net giving the North Shore rivals, Gordon a two goal advantage entering halftime.

The Gulls came out of halftime hungry to redeem themselves as they controlled the tempo for the second 35 minutes of play outshooting the Fighting Scots 10-2. Entering the half the Blue and Green played a man down after junior Ashleigh Allen (Glastonbury, Conn.) earned an eight minutes yellow card in the final minute of the first half.

Despite being numbers down the Gulls were eager to get a tally on the scoreboard and less than two minutes into the half Layo tallied her first career goal for Endicott off a crisp tip from Sawchuck to make it a one goal game.

The Endicott unit continued to pressure the Fighting Scots with their press forcing many offensive opportunities. Finally at the 53:04 mark, Sawchuck broke the points record and inched closer to the goals record with her 11^th goal of the season. Sawchuck marched the ball into the circle and worked through three Gordon defender to beat sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Hicks (Scarborough, Maine) for the game tying goal.

Endicott continued to pepper the Fighting Scots offensive unit but just could not find the back of the net in the final minutes forcing an overtime period.

In the first set of 15 minutes of extra time both sides worked for the victory each taking two shots while both goalkeepers made some impressive stops. Despite the efforts of both sides neither could capitalize forcing a second set of 15 minutes of extra time.

The Fighting Scots came out strong in the second surge and just two minutes into the second set Scott found the back of the net off a dish from Hawkins where she drove the end line and pushed the ball past Ventura to secure the victory.

Ventura made six stops on the afternoon while her counterpart, Hicks made nine. The Blue and Green will meet the Fighting Scots again on November 1^st for the last regular season game before the CCC tournament on North Field at 11:00 a.m.