BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore forward Julie Saltamartini (East Hampstead, N.H.) scored both goals to lead the Simmons College field hockey team to a 2-0 victory over visiting Saint Joseph's College (Maine) today in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest on Winsor Field in Boston, Mass. The Sharks improve to 8-3 on the season and 3-1 in league play for their best start in over a decade, while the Monks fall to 6-3 and suffer their first loss in GNAC action to slip to 3-1.
There were only nine total shots between both teams in the match and just four penalty corners attempted.
Simmons got on the board early in the first half, scoring in the seventh minute to take a 1-0 edge. Junior forward Jenna Gagnon (Waterville, Maine) carried the ball into the box, where she found Saltamartini on her right. Saltamartini weaved through a couple defenders and collected a rebound off her own shot that was blocked by a defender. The forward deposited her ninth scoring strike of the year into the left corner of the cage at 6:56 of the opening half.
Saltamartini gave the Sharks an insurance goal with less than 10 minutes to play in the match. She carried the ball down the right side and fired a shot, while on the move, into the right side from five yards out, for her team-leading 10th marker of the season with 8:42 to play in the contest.
Saint Joseph's was unable to capitalize on a penalty stroke when first year midfielder Arianna Kahler's (Lisbon Falls, Maine) attempt went wide right of the cage with 6:02 remaining in the match. Monks' junior midfielder Kelsey Dumond (Lewiston, Maine) also got a clean look at the cage, prior to the second Simmons goal, but was turned away after firing a shot with less than 10 minutes to go in the contest.
Junior keeper Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) stopped three shots to earn her fourth shutout of the year and 10th of her career for the Sharks, while first year goalie Megan Baker (Gorham, Maine) made one save for Saint Joseph's.
Simmons returns to action on Tuesday, October 6 when they travel to New London, N.H. to take on Colby-Sawyer College at 3:30 p.m., while the Monks play again tomorrow in Castleton, Vt. at 1:00 p.m. against Castleton State College.
