10/29/2009
Field Hockey: Cougars End Regular Season With A Bang

Worcester, Mass. - On a night when the Clark University field hockey program took time out to honor its seven graduating seniors, it was freshman sensation Mel Melkonian (Worcester, Mass.) who provided the fireworks - recording her third hat trick of the season to go along with two assists - as the host Cougars closed out their regular season with a 7-0 win over visiting Wheelock College on Thursday evening on Granger Field.

After an uneventful start by both teams, it was sophomore Meghan Lennon (Charlton, Mass.) who broke the ice with a low rocket that moved right to left past Wildcat keeper Meredith Race for game's first goal.

Less than four minutes later, the Cougars were on the board again, this time it was Melkonian setting up senior Chelsea Proulx (Franklin, N.H.). Melkonian then banged home her first of the night giving Clark a 3-0 lead heading into halftime.

The second stanza started off in similar fashion to the way the first ended as Melkonian added another score less than two minutes into the frame.

A goal from senior Lauren Blake (Oakland, Maine) was followed by another Melkonian score, making the score 6-0. Blake finished things off with her second goal of the game, moving the lead to 7-0, as the Cougars improved to 9-6 on the season heading into Saturday's NEWMAC Tournament contest.

For Blake, her five-point night moves her into ninth place on the school's all-time scoring list with 95 career points, one behind Julie Mazeika's (Class of 2003) totals.

Melkonian, meanwhile, now has 45 points, one off of the school record for most points in a season and her 19 goals are two off the school mark, both set by Laura Stuto (Class of 1993) during her sophomore season.

Senior netminder Kathryn Dawsey (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) collected her third shutout of the season, needing only to make four saves in the process.
Clark held a commanding 20-6 edge in shots for the game, including a 9-0 advantage in the final 35 minutes.

The Cougars will now shift their attention to Mount Holyoke, a team they lost to during the regular season. Game time is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday.