LYNN ― It took nearly two years for it to happen, but on Monday the St. Mary’s field hockey team finally got a chance to play an official home game at Manning Field. And the Spartans didn’t waste the opportunity.
Behind two separate four-goal performances, St. Mary’s rolled to a 10-0 win over Malden in a non-conference bout to open up the 2021 fall season.
“It was so great to finally get out on Manning Field and play a full, 11-on-11 game that counts,” said St. Mary’s coach Victoria Ault. “The girls played really well to start off the season, they came out hot and played with a sense of urgency that was great to see so early in the year.”
Maggie Pierce and Lily Pregent were the two big scorers for the Spartans, notching four goals apiece in the win.
“Lily might be the fastest athlete I’ve ever seen, and now she’s starting to put it all together in terms of finishing her opportunities,” said Ault. “Maggie just has grace and finesse with her stick work that is way beyond her years, and she’s just a force out there. They both did an incredible job for us (Monday).”
Niya Morgen and Brianna Spinelli each scored one goal for St. Mary’s, while goalkeepers Adri Bowker and Tabby Lopes combined to earn the shutout between the pipes.
The Spartans didn’t waste any time getting out to a lead in this one, as Pierce put St. Mary’s on top early with a pair of goals in the first quarter. After Spinelli and Pregent each scored one goal in the second quarter, St. Mary’s took a 4-0 lead into the halftime break.
Then the Spartans broke it open.
Pregent went off in the second half with three goals, while Pierce netted two and Morgen added a sixth to help the Spartans run away with the victory.
St. Mary’s (1-0) plays on the road at Lowell Wednesday afternoon (4).
“We’re just hoping to continue this positive momentum and keep the winning going,” said Ault. “We know that Lowell has traditionally been a very strong team, and we’re going to need to bring our best effort if we want to pull out the win.”
