Mary Beth Huszar records her fourth career two-goal game with two first-half tallies

Boxscore

RINDGE, N.H. (September 29, 2007) – Graduate student Mary Beth Huszar (Greenville, N.H./Mascenic Regional) scored two goals in the first half, but the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, ranked fifth in this week’s STX/NFHCA Div. II National Coaches Poll, scored four unanswered tallies over the final 38:21 to take a 5-2 decision over Franklin Pierce University in a Northeast-10 Conference field hockey match on Saturday afternoon at Sodexho Field.

Huszar tied UMass Lowell’s Jaci Moulton (Baldwinville, Mass./Narragansett) for the match-high with two goals, while River Hawk Jill Tierney (Newburyport, Mass./Newburyport) had a goal and an assist on the afternoon for the visitors.

The first half featured four goals and numerous offensive chances for both teams, as UMass Lowell held a slight 7-5 shot advantage and a 6-5 edge in penalty corners. Moulton began the scoring in the eighth minute, as Tierney ran down the left side and found Moulton open in front for the goal.

Huszar responded, however, scoring two goals less than five minutes apart to give her team a one-goal advantage. On her first tally at the 21:48 mark, sophomore Ashley Abernethy (Bellingham, Mass./Bellingham) crossed the ball into the middle from the right side, where it was tipped past a defender by freshman Emily Morrissey (Hubbardston, Mass./Quabbin Regional). Huszar then picked up the ball and went short side to knot the game at one, with Morrissey earning the assist. Huszar scored again unassisted at 26:46, coming in alone down the left side and beating the goaltender short side.

Tierney got the River Hawks even once again less than five minutes later, corralling a deflected shot off the stick of Sammy Macy (Tewskbury, Mass./Tewksbury) and finding the back of the net.

UMass Lowell controlled play in the second half, scoring three times and holding a 12-3 edge in shots and a 12-2 edge in penalty corners. Moulton scored her second goal of the game, the game-winner, 15:41 into the second half unassisted, and the River Hawks added two more later in the half to account for the final score.

Freshman goaltender Tevis Hannington (Canton, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) kept the Ravens in the game in the first half, making three saves. Two of those saves came with Moulton right in the goal mouth, as Hannington sprawled out and denied Moulton twice with her stick flat against the turf. For the match, Hannington made five saves, while UMass Lowell’s Danielle Dodier (Kensington, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) made three saves for the visitors.

Franklin Pierce (0-12, 0-9 NE-10) will return to action on Thursday evening, when the Ravens host Saint Anselm on Sodexho Field in a Northeast-10 Conference match beginning at 6 p.m. UMass Lowell will take on Bryant University Tuesday at 7 p.m.