Bickel scores early and late to seal Seahawk victory, 5-3

BRISTOL, R.I. – Salve Regina University earned its third straight victory with a 5-3 Commonwealth Coast Conference win over the Roger Williams University field hockey team Tuesday evening. The Seahawks scored four unanswered goals in the second period to come away with the win.

The beginning of the game was characterized by a scoring frenzy, as both sides combined for four goals in the first 11 minutes of play. Salve struck first two minutes into the game. Olivia St. Jean (Goffstown, N.H.) had her shot kicked away by RWU's Mya Lunn (Marion, Mass.) However, Tori Bickel (Harleysville, Pa.) was there for the rebound putback, scoring her fourth goal of the year.

The Hawks would answer right back two minutes later under similar circumstances. Salve's Jessie Severino (Branford, Conn.) made the save on a shot by Jenna Clavette (Enfield, Conn.), but Sydney McCarthy (Little Falls, N.Y.) was in the right place to convert the missed attempt and tie the game.

Then in the sixth minute, Lillian McNeil (Marshfield, Mass.) gave Roger Williams the lead. Clavette attempted a shot that glanced off of a Seahawk defender and bounced towards McNeil. She would then convert with the putback shot, giving RWU the 2-1 lead.

The Hawks added one more goal in the 10th minute. Lea Peterson (Upton, Mass.) took the penalty corner and passed it to MaryKathryn Slattery (Old Orchard Beach, Maine). Slattery then fired a shot into the left corner of the goal, slipping it between a Seahawk defender and the keeper for her first tally of the season.

Despite being down two goals, Salve Regina was able to climb back in the game quickly into the second half.

In the 45th minute, Ashley Cody (Pawling, N.Y.) grabbed possession of a loose ball on the left side and tucked in a shot just inside the left post. Then two minutes later she would tie the game off of a pass from Bickel on the right side of the arc.

Salve's perseverance paid off as they would regain the lead in the 58th minute. Bickel launched a shot from the right side that glanced off the post and bounced towards the left side to Kaity Gannon (Sloatsburg, N.Y.) Gannon had a wide-open shot and knocked it in to put the Seahawks up 4-3.

Bickel added an insurance goal with just under five minutes remaining, taking a pass back from Hannah Filiaut (Keene, N.H.) off of a penalty corner for her second goal of the game.

Severino made five saves for Salve in the win while Lunn had seven stops in the loss.

Both teams will be on the road Thursday, as Roger Williams takes on Connecticut College and Salve Regina heads to Lasell.