Gagnon's two goals lift Salve Regina over Anna Maria, 2-1; Seahawks advance in ECACs

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. - Salve Regina University junior Marissa Gagnon (Smithfield, R.I.) scored a pair of goals, one in each half, to lead the Seahawk field hockey team to a 2-1 victory over visiting Anna Maria College in first-round action of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) DIII New England Championships at Gaudet Field.

Salve Regina (14-7) matches a program record for wins in a season (2004 finished 14-4) with its first-ever appearance in an ECAC postseason tournament; the Seahawks advance to play at top-seeded Plymouth State University on Saturday (11 a.m.) in the first of two semifinals. Anna Maria, a one-time charter member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) now playing in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), ends its season with a 13-10 mark after a third-straight appearance in a postseason event.

Gagnon put the Seahawks ahead 1-0 in the seventh minute of the contest. Salve Regina's leading scorer, Abigail Tepper (Foxboro, Mass.), crossed the ball from the left side to the center of the circle and Gagnon lifted her shot over Mary Kate Breen's (Londonderry, N.H.) right-side padding for the goal. Tepper's assist gave her the team lead in that category (nine, after being tied with Gagnon at eight apiece).

Salve Regina held a 5-4 edge in shots in the first 35 minutes and went into the break with the 1-0 lead.

Nine minutes into the second half, the AMCATS broke through for the tying goal. Junior forward Kayla Lapierre (Worcester, Mass.) converted a feed from Anna Maria's leading scorer, Kylie Dalbec (Portland, Maine), and beat Murphy McCann (Westerly, R.I.) with her shot on the goalkeeper's left side.

The Seahawks began to play with more urgency but did not get the go-ahead score until the 59th minute. Brianna Cain (Saunderstown, R.I.) transitioned the ball from her defensive zone in front of the AMCATS' bench to Tepper at midfield. Tepper advanced it until a whistle drew a free play. Allison Gold (Greenlawn, N.Y.) moved the ball closer to circle by feeding Cain on the left side; Cain's pass entered the circle for Julia Grover (Cotuit, Mass.) to take a shot. Gagnon finished the play with her second goal of the game and her 16th of the season.

Salve Regina improves to 11-4 all-time against Anna Maria in the first meeting between the two schools since 2010. The Seahawks will have a first-ever meeting with the Panthers on Saturday.

McCann (14-7) finished with five saves to bring her season total over the century mark (104) for the third time in four seasons. Breen (11-9) had five saves as well for Anna Maria.