SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Simmons University field hockey team held host Mount Holyoke College scoreless through the first half of play, but the home team scored a pair of goals in the second period to come away with a 2-0 victory this evening at MHC Turf Field in South Hadley, Mass. The Sharks fall to 4-9 on the season, while the Lyons improve to 7-6.
Mount Holyoke controlled possession for the night, owning a commanding 18-1 shot advantage, while holding an 8-1 count on penalty corners.
Sophomore goalie Lucy McNamara (Brewster, Mass.) stopped all four shots she faced in the opening period of play. The Lyons broke through with a pair of markers in the second stanza, while outshooting Simmons, 12-1, in the period.
As the ball was carried into the Lyons' offensive zone, rookie midfielder Abby Baldwin (Florence, Mass.) sent a cross from the right into the front middle of the crease. Senior midfielder Liz Delorme (Florence, Mass.) was there to bang home the ball into the left corner post and give Mount Holyoke the 1-0 advantage. The Lyons added an insurance goal after back-to-back shots from first year forward Kylie Brooks (Oceanside, Calif.) and Delorme were kick-saved away by McNamara. Unable to send the rebound out of the crease, senior forward Kristina Ramsden (Florence, Mass. found the loose ball, burying it through for the 2-0 score and her team-high ninth goal of the year with 9:56 to go in the match. First year midfielder Emily Plummer (San Diego, Calif.) attempted the only shot of the night for the Sharks.
McNamara finished the match with a season-high 12 saves for Simmons, while junior goalie Morgan Turner (Chester, N.J. got the starting nod for the Lyons and was untested in the first 65:32 of action, before sophomore Gianna Molinari (Windsor Locks, Conn.) played the final 4:28 of action to combine on the shutout.
The Sharks will be in action again on Saturday, October 13 when they travel to Dudley, Mass. to take on Nichols College at 11:00 a.m., while Mount Holyoke heads to Norton, Mass. on the same day to play Wheaton College at 12:00 p.m.