Bison top Seahawks, 5-2, behind hat trick from Orszulak

DUDLEY, Mass. (Oct. 11) – Nichols College first-year forward Avery Orszulak (Springfield, Mass.) recorded her first career hat trick and assisted on a fourth goal to lead the Bison to a 5-2 victory over visiting Salve Regina in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) field hockey game at Vendetti Field Tuesday evening. Nichols snaps a four-game skid with the win and improves to 6-6 overall and 2-3 in conference games. Salve Regina dips to 4-8 overall and 0-5 in league play.

The Bison held a 3-1 lead at the break courtesy of a goal from Orszulak and two tallies from senior Krista-Jean Forand (Plymouth, Mass.). Orszulak potted a pair of unassisted goals five minutes apart midway through the second half to cap the Bison's scoring.

Chelsea Correia (Seekonk, Mass.) fed a long ball in from the right side that Forand redirected at the left post to put Nichols on the board at 15:04. Orszulak followed less than two minutes later by popping in her own rebound before connecting with Forand with a quick pass in front for the senior to follow through into the net at 27:05.

Salve Regina cut Nichols' lead to two with less than five minutes to play in the half when Lisa Bucci (Irvington, N.Y.) hit a hard shot that deflected off a defender's stick, arcing high over the head of Bison goalkeeper Molly Melanson (Simsbury, Conn.).

Orszulak's two second-half goals came at the goalmouth. She split two defenders and deked the goaltender before tucking the ball it into the right corner at 51:02, and followed by jamming the ball past Salve Regina's sprawling netminder Murphy McCann (Westerly, R.I.) shortly after.

The Seahawks' Kelly Burke (Georgetown, Mass.) redirected in a long shot from Alexandria Rizzo (Hopedale, Mass.) to cap the game's scoring with less than five minutes to play.

Melanson made three saves and allowed both goals before bowing out to Emily Mercure (Milton, Vt.) for the final four minutes. McCann stopped seven shots.

Nichols outshot Salve Regina, 23-12, including a 12-6 margin in shots on goal. The Seahawks, however, maintained an 11-6 lead in penalty corners, including a 6-3 advantage in the second half.

The Bison continue CCC action Saturday in a 1 p.m. game at Gordon. Salve Regina hosts Western New England Saturday at 1 p.m. in a conference game.

Courtesy of Nichols Information