BOSTON, Mass. -- Simmons Field Hockey scored three goals in the second half to defeat the Husson University Eagles, 5-3 in the final North Atlantic Conference game of the regular season. With the win, the Sharks force a three-way tie for third place in the conference, their highest regular season finish since 2005.
The Sharks (12-7, 6-3 NAC) took a 1-0 lead four minutes into the opening half when first year Gabrielle Henderson (Dover-Foxcroft, Maine) buried a shot past Eagles goalkeeper Kaitlin Dolloff off a Simmons penalty corner opportunity. Husson tied the game at 8:21 into the half when Taylor Lovely dribbled down the right side and beat the Sharks defenders for a breakaway. Sharks goalkeeper Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) came up huge with the save but Lovely collected her own rebound and sent a cross to Sabrina Vaillancourt for the goal.
Husson (9-7, 6-3) took the lead at 17:46 when Britt Mellor sent a through ball to Vaillancourt who beat Rastello low right side for her second tally of the game. With five minutes to play in the half, the Sharks took advantage of a penalty corner opportunity as sophomore Amy Cronin (Georgetown, Mass.) collected a pass from Henderson and lifted the ball over Dolloff to tie the game at two. Husson had one final chance with ten seconds to play as Melissa Souza sent a cross ball into the circle to Lovely but Sharks defender Alexia Malone Oliver (Bristol, R.I.) tipped the ball away just in time to keep the score knotted at two into halftime.
The Eagles took a 3-2 lead in five minutes into the second half of Vaillancourt's third goal of the game. The Sharks tied the game at 50:51 when first year Mary Neidhardt slipped a shot past the Eagles new goalkeeper Maicee Gustin. Simmons took the lead at 55:16 when the Sharks were awarded a stroke. Cronin beat Gustin five hole for the 4-3 lead. Husson continued to attack the Sharks net but Rastello made four key saves in the closing minutes to keep the Sharks lead. Neidhardt scored her second of the game at 64:49 to give the Sharks an insurance goal for the last five minutes of play.
With two and half minutes to play, Husson was awarded a corner. Vaillancourt inserted the ball to Logan Wilson but Malone Oliver denied the shot as the Sharks went on to win, 5-3.
The Sharks held a slight advantage in shots 27-22, while the Eagles held a 13-9 advantage in corners. Rastello made 15 saves in the win and Dolloff and Gustin each record six saves in the loss.