FH: Dodier scores twice as Lasell rallies past New England College

NEWTON, Mass. – Junior Sage Dodier (Amesbury, Mass.) scored two goals, including the game-winner with less than three minutes remaining, lifting Lasell University to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over New England College Tuesday afternoon in non-conference field hockey action at Grellier Field.

Dodier's goal, which came on a penalty stroke, was her second of the game and helped the Lasers overcome a 3-1 first-quarter deficit. Junior Sheridan Blaha (Waltham, Mass.) and sophomore Lily Stark (Saco, Maine) scored one goal each for the Lasers and sophomore Lisa Ortiz (Lincoln, R.I.) collected two assists as the Lasers recorded their first win of the season (1-2).

Junior Drea Chin (Laconia, N.H.) scored twice for the visitors and freshman Kacie Weston (Henniker, N.H.) tallied one goal. The Pilgrims had a 22-12 advantage in shots and a 9-4 margin in penalty corners but suffered their first loss of the season (2-1).

NEC took a 3-1 lead in a high-scoring first quarter. Chin knocked in a rebound three minutes into the game, but Dodier evened the score in the 10th minute with her first of the season off a penalty corner, assisted by freshman Alyson Barnes (South Deerfield, Mass.). Weston and Chin scored again less than two minutes apart to give the Pilgrims a 3-1 lead before the game was 12 minutes old.

The Lasers battled back to tie the game with a pair of second-quarter goals, as Blaha redirected a ball off the stick of Ortiz into the net in the 18th minute and Stark slipped one past the outstretched goalie less than two minutes before halftime, also assisted by Ortiz, to knot the score at 3-3 at the break.

The Pilgrims outshot Lasell 7-0 in the third quarter but freshman goalie Courtney Tello (Nashua, N.H.) made four saves to keep the game tied. It remained 3-3 until Dodier was awarded a penalty stroke with 2:43 remaining in the fourth, and her attempt got past NEC junior goalie Ellie Philben (Havre De Grace, Md.) for the eventual game-winner.

NEC went on the attack in the final two minutes in an attempt to tie the game, but Tello added two key saves late to preserve the win. Tello finished with 14 saves to earn the victory, while Philben made six saves for the Pilgrims.

After three straight home games to open the season, Lasell plays its first road game this Saturday in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener at Regis College, beginning at noon. NEC looks to get back on track next Monday, Sept. 13, at Johnson & Wales University at 6 p.m.

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