Vikings Fall to Warriors on Senior Day

SALEM, Mass. – Salem State field hockey celebrated their seniors as they wrapped up their 2022 season by hosting the Warriors of Eastern Connecticut State University for a conference matchup. The Warriors exploded for three goals in the closing period to secure the 5-2 LEC victory over the Vikings.

Stephanie Santorella (Danvers, Mass.) paced the Vikings during her final game in a Viking's uniform scoring both goals for Salem State, with the opening one marking her first career goal as a Viking.

Eastern Connecticut State saw all five goals scored by different Warriors. Kaylee Drobish (Wallingford, Conn.), Katelyn Miller (Wallingford, Conn.), Liz LeMarco (West Hartford, Conn.), Leah Kowalasky (Middlebury, Conn.), and Michaela Ellis (Mystic, Conn.) each recorded a goal in the victory.

The first period of play was relatively quiet with the Warriors attempting three corners to the Vikings one.  It proved to be a defensive stalemate up until there was one minute remaining, when Drobish attempted the first shot of the game resulting in a Warrior goal to give the away team the 1-0 advantage as the clock signaled the end of the period.

Carson Reidy (Burlington, Mass.) turned away the Warriors first shot of the period, giving her team some momentum resulting in a penalty corner on the other end. Melanie Mason (Beverly, Mass.) took the penalty corner for the Vikings and found Santorella who nailed a shot into the back of the net to even the score at one a piece with 12 minutes remaining in the half. The Warriors applied more pressure on the Vikings defense, attempting two shots and three corners before Miller finally landed one past Reidy to bring the score to 2-1 in favor of the Warriors going into halftime.

Four minutes into the half Melanie Mason tried to even the score but was unsuccessful as Sarah Gallagher (South Windsor, Conn.) was able to turn her shot away and keep her team's slight advantage intact. Mason's shot would prove to be the only shot attempted by either team in the third, keeping the score at 2-1 going into the final 15 minutes of play.

LeMarco scored in the opening minute for Eastern Connecticut to give her team a two-goal cushion. Six minutes later, the Warriors tried to add onto their total when they were awarded a penalty stroke but Reidy made a phenomenal save to keep their lead to two. The Warriors would add on two more goals before Santorella scored her second goal of the game which also proved to be the final goal of the game as the Warriors went onto win 5-2 over the Vikings.  

Rediy made six saves in net for the Vikings.