Mikayla and Melanie Mason Combine for Four Goals as Vikings Blank Corsairs 4-0

SALEM, Mass. – Mikayla Mason (Beverly, Mass.) and Melanie Mason (Beverly, Mass.) each tallied two goals apiece and goalkeeper Kelli McCarthy (Foxborough, Mass.) stopped six shots in net as Salem State blanked UMass Dartmouth 4-0 in a Little East field hockey match at Alumni Field. The Vikings go 5-4 on the year and 3-2 in the Little East while the Corsairs slide to 3-7 and 2-2 in conference.

Salem State controlled the tempo early on, but the game remained scoreless until the second quarter. Mikayla Mason (Beverly, Mass.) nearly put the Vikings on the board in the 17th minute, but keeper Alyssa McDonough (Hill, N.H.) denied the junior with a nice save, keeping the score 0-0.

However, Mikayla Mason broke through in the 19^th minute with her eighth goal of the season, giving Salem State a 1-0 lead. Mikayla Mason led all players with five first half shots as the Vikings held an 11-4 advantage before halftime.

A scoreless third quarter kept the game 1-0 heading into the fourth. UMass Dartmouth pressured the Vikings' defense early, but Mikayla Mason gave Salem State a lift as she stroked a shot past McDonough for a 2-0 lead in the 48^th minute, Melanie Mason extended the lead to 3-0 just over five minutes later before icing the game with a penalty shot in the 54^th minute.

Salem State outshot UMass Dartmouth 19-7, including 8-3 in the second half.

McCarthy earned her third shutout of the season while McDonough made six saves in the loss.