Vikings Fall to Panthers in Conference Play

SALEM, MASS. – This evening, Salem State field hockey welcomed Plymouth State University to Alumni Field for a Little East Conference (LEC) matchup. A three-goal effort in the final stanza was able to secure the Panthers the 4-0 LEC victory over the Vikings.

The opening stanza saw possession heavily favored by the Panthers as they attempted six shots and kept the Vikings from getting a single shot on their own keeper. In the first 10 minutes, Kaia Hollingsworth (Methuen, Mass.) was able to turn away two out of four of the Panthers' opening attempts before Amy Cohen (Concord, N.H.) landed one in the back of the net to give her team the 1-0 advantage, which would carry through to the end of the period.

Back-to-back defensive saves by Vikings' defenders set the tone defensively for the second period as they were able to keep the Panthers' lead at one going into halftime.

Hollingsworth remained solid throughout the third turning away all three shots faced, to bring her squad into the final 15 minutes of play only down one.

Five minutes into the final stanza the Panthers added to their lead when Athena Comeau (Rutland, Mass.) converted the first shot of the period to give her team the two-goal cushion. Hollingsworth was able to bounce back and save two of Cohen's hard-hit shots before Caroline Coleman (Conway, N.H.) was able to notch one of her own to bring the score to 3-0 in favor of the Panthers with 13 minutes to play. Jenna Freni (Lynnfield, Mass.) got in on the action after launching a shot, off a penalty corner, into the back of the net to carry the Panthers to the eventual 4-0 win over the Vikings.

Hollingsworth had nine saves in the effort.