Two after half gives Gordon victory, 3-1

NEWPORT, R.I. - Gordon College sophomore Kara Dry (Madison, Conn.) converted a penalty kick to cap a two-score second-half for the Scots who defeated Salve Regina University women's soccer, 3-1, in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at Reynolds Field.

The Scots (12-5-0; 5-3-0 CCC) remain tied for fourth in the league standings with Eastern Nazarene, but the Lions hold the tiebreak edge with a 1-0 victory at Gordon three days ago. Salve Regina's (3-12-0; 1-7-0 CCC) loss eliminates the Seahawks from postseason competition.

Senior Hannah Midwinter (Barkhamsted, Conn.) appears in mid-autumn form as she put the Scots on top in the 22nd minute with her team-leading 10th goal of the season.

Salve Regina tied the game 10 minutes later with its first goal since October 11. Senior forward Lauren Bulk (Portsmouth, R.I.) made a through pass into the box for junior Anna Shultz (Higganum, Conn.) who deposited the ball on the right side with her left foot. It was Shultz' second goal of the season; the first came in a 4-3 home loss to Framingham State (Oct. 8).

Reinvigorated with the score, Salve Regina kept the Scots away from the goal the remainder of the first 45 and actually outshot the visitors, 4-3, in the first half.

Midwinter led the second-half charge with Gordon outshooting Salve Regina, 8-4, but an own goal led to the Scots taking the lead in the 54th minute. Junior Jamie Breton (Concord, N.H.) chipped a pass ahead to Midwinter who got around the charging Seahawk keeper, Angelina Saporito (Bristol, Conn.), and angled a shot at the net. The ball started to tail away from the far corner post before a Seahawk defender, attempting to clear it, got too much of the ball and knocked it in the net.

In the 65th minute, senior Taylor McSherry (Wolcott, Conn.) drew a foul in the box which created a penalty kick opportunity for sophomore Kara Dry who put her shot to the lower right corner past the diving Saporito for her fifth goal of the season and a 3-1 Gordon advantage.

Saporito finished with six saves in the loss. She will be joined by her classmate and fellow tri-captain Lauren Bulk in a pre-game ceremony honoring the two seniors before Salve Regina's final game of the season on Tuesday against Western New England University (3:30 p.m.).

McKenzie Dion (North Grafton, Mass.) played nearly the entire game making three saves while Emmalee Sloman (Oneonta, N.Y.) made one save seeing action in the final few minutes.

Gordon finishes its regular-season slate hosting Roger Williams on Tuesday (3 p.m.); the Hawks helped their chances of grabbing the top seed with a 1-0 win over University of New England today.