Worcester State Escapes Nichols, 3-2
Worcester, MA- In a game of two distinct halves, the Worcester State College Lancer women’s soccer team defeated the visiting Bison of Nichols College Thursday evening on the turf of Worcester State’s Coughlin Field by the final score of, 3-2. Worcester State improves to 12-3-1 on the year, while Nichols drops to 3-10-3.
The two teams played to a scoreless first half as the Lancers got the better of the action out shooting the visitors 19-1 in the frame. Nichols keeper Keri Silva (N. Attleboro, MA) stopped 5 Lancer shots in the first half. Sophomore Tiffany Rotatori (Auburn, MA) paced the Lancers with 6 shots (4 on goal) while Lauren Cush (Hudson, MA) and Kelsey Irish (Worcester, MA) each had 5 attempts.
The
temp of the game changed from the start of the
second half. Nichols College got on the board first
at the 48th minute when a shot by
Chelsea Blair (Blandford, MA) was mishandled by
the Lancer keeper and trickled across the goal line
to give the Bison a, 1-0, advantage.
Worcester State responded by continuing to apply
offensive pressure and capitalized when junior back
Jillian Desimone (Woburn, MA) scored her
first collegiate goal just 7 minutes later off a
pass from Irish to know that game at, 1-1, in the 55th
minute.
Less than three minutes after that Rotatori bent a
left footed shot off a pass from junior Lauren
Cush (Hudson, MA) into the top right corner for
6th goal of the season giving the Lancers
a, 2-1 lead.
Nichols evened the match at, 2-2, in the 61st
minute when a throw by Christina Palmerino
(Charlton, MA) bounced through the Lancer
defense Nichols’ Danielle Rousseau (Worcester,
MA) knocked it home.
Junior Lesley Bergquist (Ashby, MA) tallied
thee game-winner when her shot from 35 yards out got
past the outstretched reach of the Bison keeper just
under the crossbar to keep the hosts undefeated at
home on the year.
Worcester State will return to MASCAC action on Saturday when they travel to Westfield State College to take on the Owls. A victory for the Lancers would clinch the top seed in the upcoming MASCAC tournament. Nichols College will be back in action on Saturday hosting New England College.
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