Gulls Edged by Gordon 2-1 in Season Finale

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott field hockey team hosted cross-town rival, Gordon on Saturday morning for a regular season finale and senior day. Gordon was able to earn two goals in the first half and keep the Gulls scoreless in the second to lift to a 2-1 victory. Endicott falls to 15-4 (9-3 CCC) while the Fighting Scots improve to 12-8 (9-3 CCC).

Endicott and the Fighting Scots will see each other again on Wednesday, November 5^th in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Semifinals with the location and time TBD.

The first half was a battle as the Fighting Scots just outshot the Blue and Green 12-7. Sophomore goalkeeper Cheka Ventura (Lawrence, Mass.) made some keys stops in the half. However in the 24 minute mark the Scots got on the board first after senior Katherine Bailey (Baltimore, Md.) tallied her sixth goal of the season after she blasted a tip in off the right corner off a feed from senior Karli Weiss (Perkasie, Pa.).

The one goal lead would not last for long as just two minutes went by before the Gulls tallied the game tying goal. At the 27 minute mark, freshman Olivia Larson (Cheshire, Conn.) eliminated two Gordon defenders and dribbled the ball over the goal line for her seventh goal of the season.

As time was winding down in the half with just 39 seconds remaining before halftime, Weiss ripped a shot from the top of the circle that slipped through the Gulls defense to give the Scots a 2-1 advantage.

The second half was just as much of a battle as the first as the Blue and Green just outshot the Fighting Scots 10-7 while earning 13 penalty corners to the Scots two. In the opening minutes of the half the Gulls peppered the Gordon defense, as junior Morgan Bresnahan (South Burlington, Vt.) sent two hard shots to goal but sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Hicks (Scarborough, Maine) was able to deflect both.

At the 50 minute mark sophomore Bailey Balmer (Perkasie, Pa.) almost gave the Fighting Scots a two goal advantage after she blasted a shot at goal but freshman Emylee Wood (Kensington, N.H.) made a defensive save on the goal line with her stick to keep the Gulls in the game.

Needing a game tying goal the Blue and Green controlled the tempo for the remaining 20 minutes of regulation forcing Hicks to make some crucial saves. At the 63 minute mark the Blue and Green turned up their game as they forced seven penalty corners and took four shots. Despite their efforts Endicott just could not capitalize on the corner opportunities giving the Fighting Scots the 2-1 victory.

Endicott will be eager to face Gordon again on Wednesday. Last year the pair also met in the semifinals where the Gordon edged the Gulls before claiming the 2013 title.