DUDLEY, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team earned its first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) win since the program's inception in 2013 with a 19-17 victory over Nichols College Tuesday evening at Vendetti Field.
Both teams traded goals to open the conference tilt, kicked off at the 22-minute mark on a free position goal from junior Brooke Paradis (Pelham, N.H.) Wentworth then went on the offensive and scored five straight goals over a five-minute span. Paradis continued her strong performance with two goals in the stretch, followed by freshman Emily Rogers' (Pembroke, Mass.) three goals for the 6-1 score with 12:53 remaining in the half.
Paradis scored her fourth of the game following a Bison tally at 10:52, before Nichols rattled off three straight goals to pull within two, 7-5. Sophomore Shannon Sturtz (Littleton, Mass.) and Rogers reset the gap to four goals, 9-5, before Nichols' senior Miranda Smith snuck in a last-minute goal before the halftime buzzer sounded.
The Bison found the back of the net twice to open the second half, but Paradis and sophomore Julie Dam (Milford, Mass.) steered the Leopards to an 11-8 advantage. The Leopards peppered Nichols' goalkeeper Emily Eagan after Paradis scooped up the ensuing draw, but the net minder kept Wentworth at bay with consecutive saves. The Nichols' offense put away three straight goals in conjunction with another trio of saves from Eagan to tie the contest 11-11 with 20:40 left in regulation.
The Bison again tied the contest 14-14 with just over 13 minutes left to play on a free position goal by Lindsay O'Connell. Paradis then steered the Leopards home, scoring three straight goals and setting the single-game points record, before sophomore Marissa Nelson (Cranston, R.I.) and Rogers sealed the historic win for Wentworth.
Paradis led the Leopard attack with eight goals, four assists, and nine draw controls. Rogers followed with six goals, one assist and eight draws, while Dam rounded out multi-goal performances with two goals in the victory. Sophomore Kaitlyn Darveau (South China, Maine) and Sturtz finished with one goal apiece.
Defensively, Paradis also scooped up five ground balls, while junior Leah Cummins (Plymouth, Mass.) and Rogers each forced three turnovers.
Freshman Lily Kuhns (Gloucester, Mass.) made 11 saves in her first collegiate victory for the Leopards, while Eagan made 12 stops in the effort.
Wentworth returns to action on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. for a non-conference affair with Mass. Maritime.
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