Cougars blank Seahawks, 7-0

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. - Senior Erica Kelly (West Deptford, N.J.) and freshman Makia Sturgis (Dover, Del.) each scored a pair of goals to lead the Kean University field hockey team to a 7-0 win over Salve Regina University in non-conference action Thursday evening at Gaudet Field.

The Cougars (4-1) led 4-0 at halftime and 6-0 midway through the second before the game was delayed over 30 minutes by lightning. Kelly opened the scoring at 5:21 and tallied her second just 4:11 later to double the Kean lead. Sturgis redirected a pass from junior Olivia Triano (Keyport, N.J.) at 32:58 to make it 3-0, and senior Kelly Mataya (Woodland Park, N.J.) tallied her fourth of the season on a play that started with a penalty corner with 12 seconds left in the half that made it 4-0. Kean outshot the Seahawks (0-6) 13-1 in the opening stanza.

In the second, Sturgis potted her third marker of 2010 at 36:48, and Triano pushed the lead to 6-0 when she one-timed a pass from Mataya past SRU junior netminder Natalie Balletta (Leominster, Mass.) at 52:55. Shortly thereafter, the game was halted by the officials when lightning lit up the sky. When play resumed close to 40 minutes later, sophomore Kelsey Brown's (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) second goal of the season at 56:55 closed the scoring.

Senior Lauren Dobbs (Palmyra, N.J.) made four saves en route to earning her fourth win of the season while Balletta finished with seven saves for the Seahawks. The Cougars outshot SRU 19-6 on the evening and held a 15-3 edge in penalty corners.

The Seahawks return to action on Saturday when they host the University of New England at 6 p.m. Kean hosts St. Joseph's (Me.) on Sunday at 2 p.m.