Box Score
Hosting Nichols College today at the Brigham Athletic Complex in their first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) matchup of the season, the Fighting Scots  claimed a 15-8 win over the visiting Bison to stay perfect on the season and improve to 7-0 overall.

The Scots wasted no time getting on the board in the opening period, as Abby Illian (Fr./Hillsdale, N.J.) finished a Krysti Leach (Sr./Naples, Maine) pass and Jordan Alexander (Sr./Portland, Maine) did the same off an assist from Anna Blomberg (So./Simsbury, Conn.) in the first minute to build the early 2-0 lead. Two and a half minutes later, Nichols' Krist-Jean Forand (Sr./Plymouth, Mass.) drew the Bison one goal closer with a solo effort at 26:44 to make it a one-goal game. The gap did not stay at one for long, though, as Gordon utilized a 4-0 run over the next 10 minutes of play to extend the lead to 6-1. Though Forand and Emily Yourie (Sr./Ellington, Conn.) would net a pair of unassisted goals at the midway point of the half to keep the game within reach, the Scots once again went on a 4-0 run to establish a 10-3 lead with three and change left on the clock. Determined to regain some ground before the break, however, Nichols netted three straight in the final minute and a half to make it a 10-6 game at the break.

At the start of the second, Nichols' Grace Murphy (Fr./Montclair, Va.) converted an unassisted effort to narrow the deficit and bring her team within striking distance, only to have that goal answered by Gordon's third 4-0 run of the day (three from Blomberg, one from Alexander) and another comfortable 14-7 advantage for the Scots. Then, after Nichols' Chelsea Shaughnessy (Sr./Halifax, Mass.) and Gordon's Alexander traded goals around the 10 minute mark, the Scots buckled down on the defensive and maintained possession down the stretch to preserve the seven-goal win.

Pacing the win for the Scots was Alexander with four goals and five assists, while Blomberg finished with four goals, one assist, Stephanie Fitzgerald (So./Groveland, Mass.) tallied four goals in just one half of work, Illian finished with two, and Jocie Knaus (Sr./Kensington, Conn.) rounded out the scoring with a single tally. Also earning points were Leach, Parisa Hassanzadeh (Sr./Winchester, Mass.), and Kari Christensen (So./Standish, Maine), each of whom dished assist one on the day, while keeper Danielle Maguire (So./Braintree, Mass.) turned away five from the cage.

Nichols' effort was led by Forand who finished with two goals and two assists in the outing, while Murphy recorded a pair of goals and one assist, Shaughnessy posted two tallies, and Yourie and Sam MacMillan (Fr./Bridgewater, Mass.) contributed one goal apiece.

The Scots travel to Springfield, Mass. on Wednesday, March 28 to face Western New England in a CCC tilt at 4:00p.m., while Nichols will host Roger Williams on the same day at 4:00p.m.