BOSTON, Mass. -- The Simmons University field hockey team was defeated by visiting Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 3-0, this evening at Daly Field in Brighton, Mass. The Sharks fall to 0-3 on the season, while the Engineers improve to 2-0.
WPI controlled the second half of play, scoring two of its three goals in the period, while outshooting Simmons by a count of 12-0. Offensive opportunities were limited to just five shots combined (WPI 3, SU 2) in the opening half. The Engineers held a 7-6 edge in penalty corners.
WPI got on the board just under 11 minutes into the first half. Junior back Shannon Hynes (Auburn, Mass.) took the penalty corner insert from junior forward Bridget Sullivan (Wilmington, Mass.) and sent a shot ticketed toward the cage that was re-directed by sophomore forward Abby O'Sullivan (Walpole, Mass.) and into the back of the goal for her team-high third goal of the season with 24:23 left in the first half. Both teams were scoreless for the remainder of the period as the Engineers took a 1-0 edge into the intermission.
WPI increased its lead to 2-0 with success on another penalty corner with 19:16 to go in the second stanza. O'Sullivan's bid for her second marker of the night was denied by Sharks sophomore defender Abby Anderson (South Yarmouth, Mass.) with a defensive save, but junior Suzy Opalka (Harvard, Mass.) collected the rebound in the right slot for the putback goal. The forward had just entered the match just over a minute prior to the score.
The Engineers added an insurance goal late in the second half. Sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn Hess (Milford, N.H.) blasted a shot from the top of the circle that junior forward Carly Cidado (Easton, Mass.) was able to put a stick on and send the ball off the Simmons keeper's pad and up the air, before landing across the goal line for her second tally of the year and a 3-0 WPI lead with 2:09 left on the scoreboard.
Senior midfielder Ana Giarrusso (Hingham, Mass.) and junior Olivia Trull (Lowell, Mass.) each attempted a shot for the Sharks offense.
Senior goalie Karen Mushrall (Mariaville, Maine) turned away the only shot she faced to earn the victory for the Engineers, while sophomore goalie Lucy McNamara (Brewster, Mass.) made six saves for Simmons.
The Sharks return to action on Thursday, September 6 for their fourth contest in the first seven days of the season, taking on visiting Westfield State University at 7:00 p.m. on Daly Field, while WPI heads to Chicopee, Mass. on September 8 for a 12:00 p.m. tilt with Elms College.