Worcester, MA --- Salem State junior Bridgett Dullea (Peabody, MA) scored the game-winning goal with 1:33 left for a dramatic 21-20 triumph over Worcester State in NEWLA lacrosse action this evening at Coughlin Field. Dullea would finish with a season-best nine goals in the win for the Vikings.
SSU (3-1, 1-0 NEWLA) was also paced by senior Kaitlyn Shidler (Peabody, MA) who netted four markers while fourth-year Kate Warren (Sandwich, MA) and junior Kristin Cahoon (Reading, MA) both finished with hat-tricks.
Dullea and Shidler combined for 13 draw controls for the visitors as sophomore Kelsey Russell (Arlington, MA) picked up five ground balls and she caused a pair of miscues.
WSU (0-5, 0-1 NEWLA) Freshman Jaclyn Lawlor (Westford, MA) had a career game with eight goals and one assist. Senior Megan Sheehan (Dunstable, MA) finished with four goals and two helpers while first-year Michelle Tully (Tewksbury, MA) pitched in with a trio of tallies.
Defensively, junior Stacey Doherty (Westford, MA) led the Lancers with seven draws, four ground balls and two caused turnovers as Lawlor was also a presence on the other side of the ball with five ground balls and three forced miscues.
As Salem State nursed the 13-7 lead at the half, the Lancers got back into it with a 6-1 spurt – highlighted by three goals from Lawlor – to trail 14-13 with 20:41 remaining.
The two squads would then trade a pair of markers in a span of four possessions before the Blue and Gold rattled off back-to-back tallies by Sheehan and sophomore Vicki O'Brien (Canton, MA) at the 15:05 mark.
Over the next seven minutes, Salem State would grab the one goal margin only to see it evaporate as the Lancers would answer right back. With the score knotted 19-19 with 7:23 on the clock, after the third tie in that stretch, both teams had their chances to score over the next five minutes of play.
After a Lancer miscue off a draw, Salem State had two bids with 5:17 left, but senior net minder Haley Erickson (Saugus, MA) stopped one of them and the other was too high. One minute later, Sheehan's free position attempt was off target and freshman keeper Molly Blewett (Gloucester, MA) collected a missile by Doherty on a breakaway at point blank range with 3:23 remaining.
It was at this point that the Vikings used the momentum and Dullea scored with 2:11 remaining for the 20-19 edge.
Working quickly the Lancers responded 27 seconds later on a nice hookup between Lawlor for the goal and Sheehan with the assist to equalize the game with 1:44 ticks on the clock, but Dullea got the draw and scored on a free position shot for the game winner.
With the Salem State up 3-2 five minutes into the contest, the Vikings offense reeled off an 8-2 run for the 10-5 advantage with 11:27 remaining. Tully and Lawlor scored to make it a 10-7 game, but Cahoon would score two of SSU's last three goals of the period for the 13-7 lead at the intermission.
Dullea finished with nine saves and five ground balls for the Vikings while Erickson collected 12 stops while she picked up a trio of balls.
The visitors had the 22-12 advantage in shots in the first half, before they were outshot by two (21-19) in the second frame to finish with the 41-33 lead in the category.
Worcester State held slim leads in draws (24-20) and ground balls (31-28), but could not shrug off committing 32 turnovers to the Vikings final tally of 22. WSU was also 7-for-13 for the game on free position attempts and they were 5-for-9 alone in the final stanza.
Both squads will play NEWLA opponents at 7 PM. The Lancers will entertain Fitchburg State on Thursday while Salem State heads to Chicopee, MA for a matchup against Elms.