CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Sophomore forwards Sammy Rondeau (Franklin, Mass.) and Julie Saltamartini (East Hampstead, N.H.) each tallied a goal to lead the Simmons College field hockey team to a 2-1 victory over host Massachusetts Institute of Technology this evening in Cambridge, Mass. The Sharks improve to 2-0 on the season, while the Engineers fall to 1-1. The win was the first for Simmons over MIT since 2002.
The Simmons offense put pressure on MIT the entire night, outshooting the host squad, 20-5.
Rondeau put the Sharks on the board with her first score of the year at the 15:30 mark of the opening half. Junior forward Jenna Gagnon (Waterville, Maine) later found Saltamartini on a penalty corner situation with a feed that resulted in her second goal of the season to give Simmons a 2-0 margin with 8:04 left in the first half.
The Simmons defense was stifling for the majority of the match, holding the Engineers without a score until sophomore forward Emily Penn (Elkridge, Md.) converted a feed from senior forward Molly McNamara (Auburn, Mass.) off a penalty corner with just 5:22 remaining in the contest. The scoring strike was one of just two shots that the Sharks allowed for the second stanza.
Junior keeper Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) stopped both shots she faced to earn the victory for Simmons, while senior goalie Paige Kennedy (Eastchester, N.Y.) made 14 saves for MIT.
The Sharks return to action on Saturday, September 5 when they travel to Worcester, Mass. to take on Worcester Polytechnic Institute at noon. The Engineers head to North Dartmouth, Mass. to play University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on the same day at 12:00 p.m.
