Three unanswered goals lift Seahawks over Scots, 3-2

WENHAM, Mass. — Salve Regina used three second-half goals to stun Gordon women's soccer on the Quad on Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Scots struck early and held a 2-0 halftime advantage, but the Seahawks capitalized on all of their opportunities over the final 45 minutes to pull off the conference win, 3-2.

Salve Regina had the good looks early on with a pair of shots in the opening 10 minutes that put the Gordon defense on skates. A nice play by Gordon keeper McKenzie Dion (North Grafton, Mass.) to stop a breakaway and a shot the curved into the post is all the stood between Salve Regina and an early lead.

Gordon's pace in the midfield eventually won the Scots some opportunities on counter plays. A quick attack led to a handball committed by a Seahawk player in the 24th minute, which gave Gordon a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box. Kaelyn Silveira (Bristol, R.I.) obliged with a rip to the left corner of the net to give Gordon a 1-0 lead.

The offensive pressure by the Scots did not let down and Gordon was able to strike again just four minutes later. Asha Steele (Bedford, N.H.) corralled a ball at midfield and directed a three-on-two break the other way. Steele forwarded a pass on to Jill Kefalas (Wenham, Mass.) as the keeper was coming off her line to stop the break. A Seahawk defender tried to kick the ball away from trouble, but it landed right in front of senior midfielder Jamie Breton (Concord, N.H.). Breton squared up on the ball and put it dead center into the open net for a 2-0 lead.

Salve's Abby McMackin (Walpole, Mass.) cut the deficit in half when Gordon missed on a clear and the Seahawks forward ripped a shot over the head of Dion. The Seahawks completely swung the momentum when they capitalized on a mistake in the defensive third. Dion could not clear the threat and Christine Pala (Milford, Conn.) chipped an easy ball into the wide open goal.

The Seahawks finished off their run in the 81st minute when Melissa Figueriedo (East Bridgewater, Mass.) headed in a cross from Erica Manchester (Wakefield, R.I.) to give Salve Regina its first lead of the game.

Gordon was never able to recover its momentum from the first half and dropped its conference match of the season 3-2. Gordon drops to 1-3-2 on the season, while Salve pulls even at 3-3. The Seahawks improve to 1-1 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

Dion made five saves in net for the Scots in the losing effort, while Carly Pala (Milford, Conn.) kept the Scots chances at a minimum in the second half with 11 saves in total. Gordon outshot Salve Regina 18-17 and 13-10 in shots on target.

The Scots will look to get back on track at home against Maine-Farmington on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Salve travels to Bridgewater on Tuesday night.