BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore forward Julie Saltamartini (East Hampstead, N.H.) tallied a pair of goals to lead the Simmons College field hockey team over visiting New England College, 5-0, this evening on Winsor Field in Boston, Mass. The Sharks win their third straight match and fifth of their last six to improve to 12-4 on the season, while the Pilgrims finish the campaign at 2-17 following their season finale.
Simmons has beaten its last three opponents by an aggregate score of 18-1 and owned a 32-0 shot advantage over New England College to post its 10th shutout of the year. The Sharks also recorded 15 penalty corners and did not allow any.
Saltamartini carried the ball into the circle and weaved through a few defenders to score into an open cage for her first marker of the night. The score gave the home team a 2-0 lead just 24 seconds into the second half. Saltamartini's second tally and team-leading 15th of the season came when senior midfielder Amy Cronin (Georgetown, Mass.) blasted a rocket shot from the top of the circle and Saltamartini tipped it in. The goal increased the Simmons lead to 4-0 with 11 minutes to play in the contest.
Senior Alexia Malone Oliver (Bristol, R.I.) put the Sharks on the board with 6:20 left in the opening half when she converted a penalty stroke for her third goal of the season.
Sophomore forward Sammy Rondeau (Franklin, Mass.) later gave Simmons a 3-0 cushion when she collected a loose ball in front of the cage and slipped it past the NEC keeper. The goal was the ninth of the season for Rondeau and came with 25:24 left in the second stanza. Junior forward Madeline Koufos (Needham, Mass.) registered her second goal of the year to cap the scoring for the Sharks. Senior Nicole Coolbrith (Uxbridge, Mass.) sent a cross from the right side of the box to a waiting Koufos, who put the ball into the back of the cage with just 3:34 remaining in the contest.
Junior keeper Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) did not face a shot to record her sixth shutout of the season and 12 of her career for Simmons, while sophomore goalie Michaela Clark (Dorchester, Mass.) made 17 saves for the Pilgrims.
The Sharks earned the number one seed and a bye in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship Tournament first round. They will be in action again on Wednesday, November 4 in a semifinals match to be played at Babson College at 7:00 p.m. when they play the winner of number four seed Lasell College and fifth-seeded Johnson & Wales University.