Lancers Outlast Vikings on "Think Pink Day"

SALEM, Mass. – Leah Fitzgerald (Upton, Mass.) and Hailey Skowronski (Douglas, Mass.) each scored a goal as Worcester State posted a 2-0 shutout over Salem State in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) women's soccer match on "Think Pink" day at Alumni Field on Saturday afternoon. All proceeds from the game were donated to the North Shore Medical Cancer Center.

Salem State recognized 2021 MASCAC Hall of Fame inductee Patricia "Buffy" Comeau-Buradagunta '94 in a ceremony before the game. Comeau-Buradagunta, who played two seasons for the Vikings, is the only MASCAC and Salem State player to be named a first team national All-American in the sport of women's soccer.

Fitzgerald gave Worcester State a 1-0 lead in the 18^th minute when she connected from 25 yards out.  Salem State (3-9, 2-2) nearly tied the game in the 20^th minute, but Jasmin Moran's (Falmouth, Mass.) header off a corner hit the crossbar and bounced out of play.

The Lancers (6-6-2, 3-1-1) held a decided advantage in shots (13-3) and corners (6-2) in the first half.

Neither team generated many scoring chances in the second half, with only five combined shots finding their way to the net.  

Skowronski added an insurance goal for Worcester State in the 72^nd minute, as the junior ripped a shot from 15 yards out that beat keeper Lily Pfefferle (St. Paul, Minn.) to her left.

Worcester State's defense held off any attempted comeback by the Vikings, allowing just two shots to reach the net, helping goalie Ashley Spellman (Lancaster, Mass.), who made three saves, earn the shutout.

Pfefferle stopped 11 shots for the Vikings.