Field Hockey Drops 9-0 Decision to WPI

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Freshman forward Eliza Dutson (Woodstock, Conn.) netted her first collegiate hat trick to lead the visiting WPI field hockey team to a 9-0 victory over Bridgewater State University on Thursday night at Swenson Field.

The Engineers improve to 4-1 on the season with their fourth straight win, while the Bears fall to 1-2. The two teams have met 32 times since 1987 with WPI holding a 19-13 lead in the series.

WPI opened the scoring barrage 3:08 into the first period. Junior midfielder Rachel Drasser (Lunenburg, Mass.) slipped a pass between two defenders to Dutson who beat the BSU keeper with a low shot to the center of the cage.

Less than three minutes later, sophomore midfielder Abigail Rauch (Jackson, N.J.) converted off a penalty corner to make it a 2-0 game. Off a scramble in front of the net, Rauch wristed a shot inside the left post.

The Engineers capitalized off another penalty corner 5:30 into the second period to extend the lead to 3-0. Sophomore midfielder Emily Sollecito (Bedford, Mass.) collected the rebound of a BSU defensive save and deposited a shot into the back of the net.

Dutson scored off a crossing pass from senior forward Lauren Dishong (Milford, N.H.) with 4:49 left to play in the second period to close out the first half scoring.

Rauch tapped in a goal line crossing pass from Dishong in the 36th minute of play, and Drasser one-timed a centering pass from sophomore midfielder Lauren Meinhold (Boxboro, Mass.) off a corner to make it a 6-0 game in the 39th minute.

Dutson completed the hat trick for the Engineer with 3:04 remaining in the third period as she scored off a penalty corner with freshman forward Jadyn Perrotta (Hyde Park, Mass.) picking up the assist.

Less than two minutes into the fourth period, Dishong collected the rebound of a Natalie Mohn (Huntington, Vt.) shot and slipped a backhander past the BSU netminder to extend the lead to 8-0.

Junior midfielder Nikki Espeland (Stafford, Va.) capped off the scoring with 10:35 left to play as she redirected a shot from Meinhold inside the left post.

Dishong finished with a goal and two assists, while Rauch (2G), Drasser (1G, 1A) and Meinhold (2A) also recorded multiple points for the Engineers.

WPI finished with a 18-0n shot advantage for the game as well as a 15-1 edge in penalty corner attempts.

Three Engineer netminders combined on the shutout with junior Nini Acquista (Longmeadow, Mass.) getting the start and picking up the win in 30 minutes of action.

Freshman goalkeeper Emily Ronan (North Billerica, Mass.) made six saves between the pipes for Bridgewater State, while the Bears also received defensive saves from junior midfielder Bailey Turner (Dedham, Mass.) and sophomore defender Erin Power (Byfield, Mass.).

Both teams open up conference play on Saturday. The Bears travel to Westfield State University for a two o'clock Little East Conference (LEC) affair with the Owls, while the Engineer host New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) rival Springfield College at seven.