Moran Ties Program Record as Field Hockey Downs Bison 4-1

PAXTON, Mass.—Senior Kaitlyn Moran (Leicester, Mass.) tied the program record for goals in a season en route to a 4-1 victory over the Bison of Nichols College on Thursday evening. The win lifts the AMCATS to 7-6 overall this season while the Bison drop to 1-11.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Anna Maria dominated the first half, taking 16 shots and capitalizing on two of them to enter halftime with the 2-0 lead. The AMCATS did not let up in the second half, putting another tally on the board right away and racking up five more shots on the day.

The Bison took just four shots in the first half, but came out firing in the second adding 10 more shots. Nichols was able to capitalize on just one scoring opportunity from one of their five penalty corners. The AMCATS were granted seven penalty corners on the day as well as one penalty stroke to finish off the day's scoring.

SCORING

The AMCATS opened up scoring in the 12^th minute of play as they were awarded their first penalty corner. Senior Lauren Beauregard (Hubbardston, Mass.) inserted the ball to the top of the  Moran collected the ball and fired a shot on net. Beauregard collected the shot at the left post and pushed it in past Bison netminder, Katherine Cotton (Kennebunk, Maine) for her second goal of the season.

Moran netted the second goal of the day for the AMCATS as she collected a pass from Nicole Denver (Springfield, Mass.), dodged two Bison defenders and finished behind Cotton. The goal marked the 21st of her season, which ties the current program record for goals in a season set by Kylie Dalbec '16 in 2014. 

The first 25 minutes of the second half were scoreless until Moran drove down the field and crossed the ball to the left post where Denver laid out to tip the ball into the Bison's net. With the score 3-0 and four minutes on the clock freshman goalkeeper, Rhiannon Fletcher (Royalston, Mass.) took the field.  The Bison found some fire and were awarded a penalty corner in the AMCAT's defensive end. Courtney White (Orange, Mass.) sent a pass to Maggie Noelk (Georgetown, Mass.) who fired a shot from the top of the circle past Fletcher's pads.

That would be the end of scoring for the Bison. With just over a minute on the clock Anna Maria created a scuffle in front of Nichol's net that resulted in a penalty stroke awarded to the AMCATS. Junior, Jacqueline Lapierre (Worcester, Mass.) lined up for the shot that she lifted over Cotton's right side to finalize the game at 4-1.

GOALKEEPERS

Starting goalkeeper for the AMCATS, Bryanna Tobin (Deep River, Conn.) made six saves in net and allowed none. Fletcher made one save for the AMCATS. Nichol's goalkeeper, Katherine Cotton made 12 saves in the loss.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The AMCATS are back in GNAC action on the road at Johnson & Wales University on Saturday for a 5:00 p.m. start. The Bison will host Western New England University on Saturday for an 11:00 a.m. start.