BUZZARDS BAY – Freshman Marissa Nimeskern (Hanover, Mass.) netted five goals and an assist for six points to lead Westfield State to a 16-5 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s lacrosse victory over Massachusetts Maritime Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium.
MARISSA NIMESKEM
The visiting Owls (9-4, 2-1 MASCAC) overcame an early 1-0 deficit by scoring nine unanswered goals, including two each by Nimeskern, senior Samantha Lungarini (Agawam, Mass.) and freshman Sydney Lambert (Hanover, Mass.), in a 15-plus minute span to take a 9-1 advantage. The host Buccaneers (4-6, 1-2 MASCAC) closed back to within six (9-3) at the break on markers by senior Molly Smith (Westwood, Mass.) and sophomore Stephanie Hunt (Brookfield, Conn.), and Hunt’s second goal of the day 2:35 after intermission enabled Massachusetts Maritime to creep back to within five. Westfield State used a four-goal run and netted seven of the final eight tallies of the match to ice its triumph, as Nimeskern and Lambert combined for five of those markers to account for the final margin.
Lambert finished with four goals in the win for the Owls, who also received a pair of tallies and three assists from freshman Lucy Barrett (Williamstown, Mass.). Sophomore Samantha Coyle (Weymouth, Mass.) and freshman Alexa Tonelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.) each added a marker and two helpers on the day for the visitors, who also received a goal from sophomore Rachel Testa (Westminster, Mass.) as well as three assists off the stick of senior Roni Orcutt (Granville, Mass.).
Hunt netted a hat trick and an assist to finish with four points in the setback for the Buccaneers, as she became the first player in the program’s five-year varsity history to reach the 100 career point plateau (69 goals, 31 assists) in just 24 matches played. Junior Stephanie O’Connor (Westwood, Mass.) added a goal and an assist on the day for Massachusetts Maritime, which also received a helper from junior Dahlia Seggelin (Sharon, Mass.).
Freshman Julia Hoggins (Harvard, Mass.) picked up her first career victory in goal with four saves in nearly 24 minutes of action for Westfield State, which also received a combined three stops from senior Mimi Khampaeng (Hampden, Mass.) and freshman Maria Woodall (Norfolk, Mass.). Sophomore Mikayla Correia (Dartmouth, Mass.) made 18 saves in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime as the Owls outshot the Buccaneers by a 48-12 margin for the contest.
Massachusetts Maritime heads to Salem, Mass. on Tuesday evening to take on Salem State in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference match that begins at 6:00 p.m., while Westfield State hosts Bridgewater State in a MASCAC clash on Tuesday evening in Westfield, Mass. beginning at 7:00 p.m.
