09/04/2007
Field Hockey Edged by Nichols College, 3-2

WORCESTER, MASS. 09/04/07 -- The Clark University field hockey team suffered its first loss of the season, a 3-2 defeat to Nichols College on Tuesday evening at Granger Field.

Madeleine Henefield (Pelham, Mass.) scored the Cougars two goals on penalty strokes.

Nichols (1-1) would score all the goals it would need in the first half. Eileen Clinton (Londonderry, N.H.), Sara Bailey (Athol, Mass.) and Jacqueline Dwyer (Enfield, Conn.) each tallied single goals in the victory.

Clark (1-1) opened the scoring on Henefield’s first penalty stroke at the 10:41 mark of the opening stanza. The junior midfielder fired the shot to the upper left corner of the cage for her first goal of the season and a 1-0 Clark lead.

Nichols answered just 11 seconds later when Clinton tipped Stephanie Magni’s (Newton, Mass.) pass to knot the score at one-all. It was Clinton’s first goal of the season. Bailey made it 2-1 when she fired a shot past Clark goalie Kathryn Dawsey (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) at the 21:47 mark and Dwyer capped off the first half scoring at 30:50.

Clark could not convert on several good scoring opportunities in the second half, until Henefield was awarded a penalty stroke after a defender kicked the ball at the goal line. Henefield lifted the ball over MaryKate Bednarz’s (Springfield, Mass.) extended right hand to trail 3-2.

The Cougars tried to rally from the one-goal deficit, but could not come up with the equalizer.

Dawsey had a busy day in goal with a career-high 16 saves for Clark. Bednarz made seven stops for Nichols.

Clark will host New England College on Saturday at 1 p.m.