Tepper scores twice; Seahawks win, 5-2

DUDLEY, Mass. - Juniors Jenn Townsend (Wethersfield, Conn.) and Avery Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.) each scored goals in Nichols College's 5-2 loss to Salve Regina University in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Tuesday night at Vendetti Field.

Sophomore Abigail Tepper (Foxboro, Mass.) scored a pair of goals for the Seahawks (3-4, 2-0 CCC), who won despite being outshot 24-15 on the evening. Junior Murphy McCann (Westerly, R.I.) recorded 12 saves for SRU, which moved to 3-4 (2-0 CCC) on the season with the victory. 

Tepper put the Seahawks on top 1-0 4:23 into the contest with a spinning shot that beat Melanson. Townsend tied the game at one when she collected a rebound from sophomore Meghan Dombkowski (Sagaponack, N.Y.) and beat McCann with a shot at the left side of the net. 

Salve Regina went ahead 3-1 in the second half behind goals from junior Alexandria Rizzo (Hopedale, Mass.) at 58:43 and senior Lisa Bucci (Irvington, N.Y.) at 63:16. Rizzo collected a rebound and fired a shot into the top right corner while Bucci broke in alone on Melanson and beat her low to the stick side. 

Orszulak cut the Bison deficit to one with a deflected shot that found the back of the net just 1:12 after Bucci's breakaway goal. The Seahawks responded with two more as Tepper and sophomore Alexisse Clinger scored 1:29 apart to seal the win. Tepper dove after a rebound and chipped it into the right side of the net while Clinger pounced on a loose ball and scored. 

Junior Molly Melanson (Simsbury, Conn.) made seven saves for Nichols (1-7, 1-1 CCC). 

The Bison return to action on Thursday when they entertain WPI at 4 p.m. The Seahawks host UNE this Saturday at 5:30 p.m.