Nichols Tops Fitchburg State, 1-0
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fitchburg St. (2-5-0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Nichols (2-5-1) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Steele stops 11 shots in Falcons non-conference setback
DUDLEY, Mass. – The Fitchburg State University women's soccer team dropped a tough 1-0 decision to the Bison of Nichols College in non-conference women's soccer action at Nichols Soccer Field this evening.
In the opening period of play, Nichols took the lead in the eighth minute of play when senior Lindsey Stewart notched her second score of the season, blasting a shot into the upper left corner of the net for the 1-0 advantage.
The Falcons nearly knotted the score midway through the frame as sophomore Whitney Mansfield and newcomer Maddie Medina put shots on goal, only to have Bison net minder Kelly English turn aside both shots to preserve the 1-0 lead going into the break.
In the second half, Fitchburg State threatened at the 47:43 mark when junior forward Victoria Floeck and freshman Hannah Keohan had a pair of quality scoring opportunities, but English came up big again, stopping both shots as the Nichols defense was able to hold off the Falcons, resulting in the 1-0 final.
Throughout the contest, Nichols College outshot the Falcons 15-11, including a 12-9 margin in shots on target, while also holding a slim 5-4 advantage in corner kicks. In goal, Steele tied a career high with 11 saves for Fitchburg State in the complete game effort, while English turned away nine shots for the Bison en-route to earning the shutout victory.
Fitchburg State (2-5-0, 0-1-0 MASCAC) returns to action on Saturday as they hosts the Owls of Westfield State University at 5 p.m. Nichols (2-5-1, 0-2-0 TCCC) will travel to Curry for a contest starting at 2 p.m.