Worcester, MA- It was the battle of two strategies Saturday afternoon at John F. Coughlin field as the Worcester State Lancers took on the visiting Fitchburg State Falcons for the first of the homecoming games on the day.
The start of the first half was spent feeling each team out as they each attempted to settle into their game plans for the afternoon. Worcester State was focused on the quick and strong passes to move the ball up the field, while the Falcons emphasis rested with the small and tactical play. The Lancers were the first to put a score on the board in the 17' minute with a long pass from senior Kristen Biedleman (Holliston, MA) to forward senior Hayley Mignon (Tewksbury, MA) who settled the pass and nailed the ball past Fitchburg's Allison Gough. The score was quickly settled after a first half riddled with defensive miscues for Worcester State ultimately resulted in an own goal that tied the game up at one-a-piece. Fitchburg was on top of Worcester State throughout the half, preventing Worcester State from getting comfortable and settled. The unbalanced play of the Lancers allowed the Falcons in the 39' minute to drop in a second goal when Elizabeth Reid sent a pass from Charlotte Meixsell past first year Mallory Dupuis (Leominster, MA) to put the Lancers up by two.
Each team put on high pressure through the start of the first half, with the Falcons finding a third goal early in the half after a corner kick from Patricia Pallotta was blocked up by the Worcester State defense, but Ashley Porter was quick to find the ball and send it back into the net. From there on it became a Worcester State half where a majority of the game was spent in the Falcons defensive end. Despite the shot onslaught by Worcester Stat, they were unable to get another shot past Gough and closed out the game falling 3-1 to Fitchburg.
Mignon led the game with 12 shots and one goal in the game, as she determinedly worked to move the ball around the defense. Dupuis ended the afternoon with five saves and three goals allowed.
Fitchburg now sits at 4-3-1, 2-0 on the season while Worcester State moves to 2-6-1, 1-1 on the season. Worcester State is next in action when they take on MASCAC foe Westfield State on October 1 at 11am in Westfield.