NASHUA, N.H. - Senior midfielder Amy Cronin (Georgetown, Mass.) figured in three goals for the Simmons College field hockey team in a 6-0 Great Northeast Athletic Conference win at Rivier University this morning. The Sharks improve to a perfect 5-0 and 1-0 in league play, while the Raiders fall to 0-2 and 0-1.
Simmons dominated the match on both sides of the field, outshooting the home team by a count of 41-0, while holding an 18-0 advantage on penalty corners. The Sharks have allowed just one goal in five contests this season and have not allowed a marker in their last 215:22 minutes of play. The Simmons defense has held opponents to just 10 shots over the last three matches, while the offense has racked up 15 goals in the last two contests.
Cronin found junior forward Jillian Mercer (Dartmouth, Mass.) for the first tally of the morning just 3:45 into the match for the Sharks. For the second time in as many matches, Mercer struck again almost four minutes later with her second marker of the day, courtesy of a helper from junior forward Jenna Gagnon (Waterville, Maine) at 7:43. Cronin scored a goal of her own with 6:03 left in the opening half to increase the Simmons' lead to 3-0.
Cronin was in the middle of the Sharks' offense again, just 6:11 into the second stanza, when she connected with sophomore Julie Saltamartini (East Hampstead, N.H.) for her fourth goal of the year at the 41:11 mark. First year midfielder Meghan Fontaine (Westminster, Mass.) broke through off a penalty corner for her first collegiate goal to give Simmons a 5-0 lead at 47:08 and, exactly 13 minutes later, fed junior forward Mary Neidhardt (Middlefield, Conn.) for her second score of the season for a 6-0 cushion.
Junior keeper Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) was untested in the first half to earn the win for the Sharks and classmate Hope McDonald (Hingham, Mass.) presided over the cage in the second half to close out the contest for the visitors. First year goalie Stevie Charest (Lisbon, Maine) stopped 12 of 17 shots in 49:56 of play for Rivier, before rookie keeper Emily Foster (West Lebanon, N.H.) played the final 20:04 and turned away one of two shots on the cage.
Simmons returns to action tomorrow when it heads to Waterville, Maine to play Thomas College at 11:00 a.m., while the Raiders play next on September 14 against nearby foe Daniel Webster College at 4:00 p.m.