Thursday, March 29, 2012 (Newton, Massachusetts) - The Mount Ida College women's lacrosse team dropped their sixth loss of the 2012 season against visiting non-league Salem State University Thursday afternoon in Newton, Massachusetts by a score of 10-7. Mustang sophomore attacker Molly Sheppard (Brookhaven, NY/Bellport) continued to power Head Coach Peri Steere's offensive attack with three scores while freshman attacker Amanda Bowen (Randolph, VT/Randolph Union) added two goals.
The hosts fall to an overall record of 2-5 and remain at 2-2 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action while the visitors collect their second straight win improving to 2-1 for the year and have yet to compete in a Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) contest.
Along with a solid performance from Mount Ida's Sheppard and Bowen, the Mustangs saw two scores from junior defender Alexandria Milot (Tiverton, RI/Tiverton). Bowen would also add two assists while Milot recorded one dish.
The Vikings were led by senior attacker Kaitlyn Shidler (Peabody, MA/Peabody Veterans Memorial) with a team-high three scores. Junior's Bridget Dullea (Peabody, MA/Bishop Fenwick) and Lauren DeLuca (Salem, MA/Salem) both chipped in two scores each with Dullea adding an assist as well. Senior Kate Warren (Sandwich, MA/Sandwich), junior Kristin Cahoon (Reading, MA/Reading) and sophomore Liz Kosak (Milton, MA/Milton) all added a goal a piece with Warren also warranting an assist.
The visitors jumped out to a four goal advantage through the first 10 minutes of the opening frame starting with two unassisted goals by Shidler followed by Kosak's only score of the day on a dish from Warren. Dullea finished the four goal barrage with a successful free position attempt for the 4-0 lead.
Mount Ida got on the board with 19:34 to go in the first stanza on an unassisted goal making it 4-1 in favor of the Vikings.
Salem State added two more through the next seven minutes on goals from DeLuca and a successful free position attempt from Cahoon for the 6-1 advantage.
The Mustangs would go ahead and reel off three consecutive goals, two bids from Sheppard and another from Milot, to pull within two scores (6-4) with four minutes to go before the midway point.
The visitors scored the final goal of the half on Dullea's second goal of the contest on a good free position attempt heading into the break up 7-4.
After stale action for the first seven minutes of the second frame the Vikings converted their eighth goal of the game on an unassisted bid from Warren going ahead 8-4 at the 23 minute mark.
Sheppard followed seven minutes later with an unassisted score making it 8-5 in favor of the visitors.
With 15:32 left in the final stanza Shidler would collect her final score of the game giving her squad a cushion leading 9-5.
With less than 11 minutes to go, Milot converted a score on a feed from Bowen making it a three goal lead for the Vikings at 9-6.
The final nine ticks of play only saw two goals, one from either side, to close out the action. DeLuca hooked up with Dullea making it 10-6 in favor of Salem State followed by a Bowen score with a minute left in the game off a Milot assist closing out the 10-7 Mustang loss.
For Mount Ida, Milot would also add a team-high eight ground balls while Bowen and junior Alison Koning (Carlisle, MA/Concord-Carlisle) chipped in seven pick ups each. Mustang netminder Kayla Musty (Topsham, VT/Oxbow) played all 60 minutes between the pipes making nine saves.
Viking freshman goaltender Molly Blewett (Gloucester, MAGloucester) denied 14 Mount Ida shot to collect her second win.
Mount Ida will travel to non-league Nichols College Saturday morning with game time slated for 11:30 a.m.