DUDLEY, Mass. (Oct. 27) – The Nichols College women’s soccer team defeated Curry College, 3-1, Wednesday evening in the The Commonwealth Coast Conference finale for both teams on Vendetti Field. With the win, the Bison improve to 12-5-1 overall and 7-5-1 in TCCC games to leapfrog the Colonels in the final conference standings and finish as the sixth seed in the TCCC Championship Tournament. Curry evens out at 9-9 overall and 7-6 in conference action and claims the seventh seed in the postseason.

Sophomore Samantha Abro (Northborough, Mass.) netted two goals for the Bison.

Curry first year forward Alexsa Hesford (Scituate, R.I.) gave the Colonels and early lead with her fourth goal of the season in the eighth minute. Kelly Howe (Walton, Neb.) bent in a cross from the left sideline to Hesford for the rookie to fire in a high shot.

Nichols evened the score in the 17th minute when Abro headed in a corner kick served up by Kaitlyn DiBuono (Auburn, Mass.). Less than a minute later, Chelsea Shaughnessy (Halifax, Mass.) gave the Bison the lead with a penalty kick goal, her second of the season.

Abro capped the scoring for Bison before the break when she received a pass through the defense from Starleena Cash (Springfield, Mass.), carried it in a few paces and placed it past Curry keeper Samantha Hardy (Pepperell, Mass.).

Nichols goalkeeper Maureen Lynch (Holden, Mass.) made four saves. Hardy stopped six Bison shots.

Nichols, which advances to the postseason for the third consecutive season, will travel to third-seeded Western New England College at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 30, for the quarterfinal round. Curry will take on second-seed Endicott in Beverly for a 1 p.m. quarterfinal game the same day.

(Release Courtesy of Nichols College Sports Information)

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