First year Masha Lange (Danville, N.H.) tallied the game winning goal with only eight minutes remaining. Plymouth State University went on to win the first round of the Little East Conference Field Hockey Tournament, 4-2, in which they defeated Salem State University.
The Vikings did not go down with putting up a fight. In the second half, Salem came from behind twice to tie up the score at 1-1 and 2-2. A minute later, Lange scored her only goal of the game to put the Panthers in the lead for good. Junior Emily Davis (Boscawen, N.H.) secured the win with 4:30 left to play with a goal of her own
Plymouth State outshot Salem State eight to one in the first half, but only managed one goal. The goal came from a penalty stroke from the Lady Panther’s leading scorer, Nikki Garvey (Canaan, N.H.). The goal was her 21st of the season and the second most in the LEC this year.
Senior Jackie Morin (Scarborough, ME) scored her 16th goal of the season early in the second half when she retrieved a loose ball and fired into the left post. With 16 goals, Morin is tied for third most in the LEC.
Lange’s game winning goal came off a penalty corner from Senior Lauren Carroll (Rollinsford, N.H.). The assist marked Carroll’s 14th of the season, matching the school record set by Caitlin Moran in 2004. The assist was the 28th of her career, breaking the school record set by Lauren Bergeron from 2008-2011.
Plymouth State goalie Hilary Lemelin (Milan, N.H.) recorded another win, making four saves in the victory.
This was the second time the PSU Field Hockey team defeated Salem State this season; the Panthers beat the Vikings, 5-4, in October. Plymouth State will continue on to the semifinals of the Little East Conference on Thursday, November 7.